The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1886-05-08
AN IRONCLAD BABY.
BY NJ. L. W.

"a what?" cried Alice, sitting bolt
upright in her chair, and suspending
operations upon the stork she was
working in Kensington stitch.
"a baby" responded /, promptly.
'It's Just what we need to broaden
our sympaChies and draw us into
closer communion with the human
race; and there's Mrs. Lorenzo Squires
going off next week with IL Raymond
excursion to Montreal, and / know
she would be only too glad to lend us
her youthful offspring for a week or
two. Besides, f" | added, hastily, as |
saw my sisters look OF surprise ex-
changed for one OF utter disapproval,
lit isn't as if this were q brand new
baby, you know. They have had it
for about a year and half, and"
But | got no farther, for Alice aban-
doned her gravity and burst into fit
OF laughter.
GLOW absurd you are" she said,
presently. "Do you suppose Mrs.
Squlres could even be induced to listen
to such crazy scheme, even if | were
to agree2 Why, chat baby is thevery
apple of her eye. She would go into
spasns at the mere suggestion Of leav-
ing it in such inexperienced hands as
yours and mine"
Nonsense" retorted /. doesn't
Aristotle tell us that it is a part of
probability that many improbable
things will happen? Mrs. Squires'
heart viii melt before my sunny smiles
and insinuating arguments, and with
IN week from to-day-mark this, 0
Alice mine within d week that baby
is put into my possession"
And so it was. The maternal
Squires, won over by many fair prom
ises, or worn out by my opportunities,
it mattered little which, at last CON
scented to give up the much-coveted
baby to our care during her absence.
That picturesque disease, the humps,
had Just appeared IN thefamily of sis
ter to whom she intended to confide her
infant Joy, and perhaps she had no al
tentative but to accept our PROPOSE
ton. However that may have been,
it came to pass that on fine April
day the dOting mamma consigned her
small son to our charge, with many
mIsgIvlngs, and was whirled away by
the Eastern express train, Dathed in
tears, hall inclined to return instanter
and wrest the darling from our grasp.
We had undertaken to convey him
home in the little wicker carriage in
which he took his daily airings,
and were charmed with our acquisi-
ton as we trundled him leisurely away
from the station. How placidly he
lay among his dainty cushions and
pillows How round and rosy was
the baby face beneath the frilled and
flushed border of hlscapl How plump
and dimpled the little hands that
playfully sawed the air Beaming
with satisfaction, we pursued our tri-
umphal way down the village street,
the observed of all observers. Sage
matrons shook their heads knowingly,
and wondered that Mrs. Squires had
ever had the heart to leave that pre-
cious child to the doubtful mercies OF
two regular old maids; while old Dea-
con Brown, standing at his gate,
breathed a benedictIon on us as we
passed, and hurried in to inform his
wife that the Appleby girls had gone
stark, starln' mad, and were a-makin'
off with Mrs. Squires' Lorenzo. But
what cared we? We had the treasure
for our very own, for two long weeks
at least, aud were even then en- route
for home with the latest addition TO
our family.
The road, however, was a long one,
and after a while the small Lorenzo
began to stir and grow restless in his
little chariot. Alice ran up alongside,
and peered anxiously over the car
riage-top which concealed him from
our view.
"Arabella. " cried she, breathlessly,
"if you'll believe me, he's growing
dreadfuIlv red IN the face, and Pm per
fectly certain that he's getting ready
to cry"
l smiled incredulously. Had not
Mrs, Squires assured me a thousand
times over that hers was 81 most re-
markable and unusualchild, and never
cried Loftiiy | tossed my head.
My dear Alice, how little you know
about children said | with dignity.
''An angel j. whispering some lovely
sentiment in his ear, ana ne is smiling
to himself for JOY"
Alice is unplessantly pert at times,
On this occasion shelaughed. and cried
saucily, "Well, stick TO your angel
theory il you like. It's very pretty,
but l wager penny that in less than
two minutes he begins to cry"
And he did IN less than one, the air
was rent with fortissimO shrieks and
screams, while the cherub grew purple
IN the face and refused to be s0othed
by any OF our Establishments. Invaiu
chanted me'ojioUs ditties. regard less
OF tae admiring crowd that gathered
round; in vain did Alice bark like the
doggy and NEW Ike the pussy, to the
delight OF the great unwashed public,
VINO listened and looked on. Louder
he walled and louder still. until, in
a happy inspiration, we set off at q
oreak-neCE speed for our own rooftree,
where. on arriving. breathless and ex-
hausted, We offered him q nursing bot
lie, wherein he found temporary
solace for his woes.
Only Temporary, however. At 100
7. NJ. ne began again, and night grew
TuneiuI with issighs. For three NOR
tai hours lie kept it I'M to our m
fpeakaole horror and dismay. We
walked the floor with him. we rocked
MIN theoretically inanantiquated era
ole produced from the attic for this
emergency; we sang to him; we danced
before nun III the styleof wenty years
ago We offered up our most cherished
possessions IN the way OF bric-a- brsc
10 this dreadful Moioch, and still h.
would not be appeased Would he
'urst HIS tiny body was convulssd
ny the violence Of his sobs, and We
really feared ne would CRY himself cut OF
ms world andinto thenext. "Advife
10 Young Mothers, by One Of Them p,
we remem hertd seeing thatvery morn.
NJ on a shei. IN thepublic library, and
.Alce threw on shawl and ran scross
ne way 70 procure it, TO the scandal