Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-11-07
BABY MAY.
The Great Good It's Brief Mortal
Life Accomplished.

Lie Accomplished.
I'D thank you, ma'am, to sweep the
dirt OF your house on your own gar
den plot, and not against my parlor
windows, il you please. ma'am!"
called out in high treble the quick
tempered and voluble Mrs. Bray,
thrusting her curly head through one
OF the windows aforesaid, and regard
ing with frown her arch-cnemy, Mrs.
Bruck, who was vigorously sweeping
her front steps, and allowing the dust
she raised to fly in all directions.
Mrs. Bruck, cool and disdainful, not
pausing for an instant in her task, an
swered only by contemptuous smile,
which exasperated her excitable adver-
sary more than any words would have
done, and Mrs. Bray's wrath waxed
higher and hotter.
"You keep your house none too
clean, ma am, as l have noticed" she
bawled, land it is the third time this
week that i have had to clean my
windows on account OF the dirt you
have thrown upon them"
At this thrust at her neatness, Mrs.
Bruck, who -prided herself on her
housekeeping, turned livid, but still
she made no answer. She busily
swept what was left of the dust from
her parlor and the mud from her steps
into little pile, and waited until her
adversary, who had disappeared from
the window, emerged from the door,
as was her custom on similar occa-
sions, laden with immaculate clean
ing cloths and a shining tin basin
filled with suds, and though there was
hardly speck upon the panes,
the wind having blown the dust
aside, Mrs. Bray zealously and
ostentatiously applied the suds to
glass already shining. Mrs. Bruck,
maliciously watching, waited until the
pains were thoroughly wet, then with
vigorous motion of the broom
sent the little pile OF dirt she had gath
cred full upon them, and with an in
sulting laugh disappeared within doors.
Bray to the verge of frenzy.
You'll rue this to the day of your
death, you spiteful huzzy!" she said,
in a voice choked with passion.
Trembling with rage, she dropped her
cleaning cloths and rushed into the
house. Aimless and purposeless, like
one gone mad, she rushed from the
front OF the house to the back there,
through the open door, she espied at
tks bottom of the garden Baby Bruck
and Baby Bray, making mud pies and
playing together in the utmost har-
mony.
These infants did not share the hos
tile feelings of their mothers. They
were, on the contrary, so strongly at
tached that they were never happy
apart. Being too young to understand
what the family honor OF their re-
spective houses required, there had
been no effort made to separate them.
But now Mrs. Bray's anger was at
white heat. She not only hated Mrs.
Bruck with an intensity of feeling she
had no words to describe, but she
hated every thing belonging TO her,
and the sight OF the two children to-
gether made her furious.
IN spank that child within an inch
of his life II he don't stop playing with
that Bruck young one. Elmer, Elmer,
leave that dirty little brat and come to
me' she bawled, rushing out to sep
arate the infants.
The children heard the angry call,
but, having only just began their
play, wore determined not TO be sepa-
rated. The garden sloped down to
the banks OF a stream, on which stood
Mr.. Bray's mill. The fence that
divided 1t from the stream was an old
one, and there was break in 1t close
at hand, large enough for the children
to creep through. AS Mrs. Bray came
rushing toward them, the children
ran for that, baby Elmer, who was by
far the larger and stronger of the
two, tenderlyo assisting baby Nav,
who was delicate, fragile little
creature, through the aperture. Hav-
Ing cleared IL, at the cost of torn
frocks and scratched faces. thew
crouched down under the shelter of a
great tree outside that grew on the
bank OF stream. Fancying them
selves securely hid, they waited with
bated breath until the pursuit should
be over, blue eyes and black keeping
watch through the foliage.
Mrs. Bray rushed across the green
sward and gained the fence in no time.
She paused there but for an instant to
repeat her angry call, and no answer
coming, she ran to part of the garden
where the fence was sunken, and
cleared IL at a bound. Once ON the
bank 1t took but glance of her sharp
black eyes to discern the fugitIyes.
There, under shelter of the great
maple-tree, she saw her child hiding
from her, her child vouchsaflng no an
swer to her call, setting at naught her
authority, and clinging to the child of
her arch-enemy! For once she was too
angry to speak. She swooped down
on the infants like an eagle on its prey.
She was in such rage that the chill
dren were afraid Of her, and began TO
cry and cling the closer TO each other,
resisting her frantic attempts to sep
arate them. Her blows rained on both
alike, and, at last, cruel one fell on
the arm of baby May, and the little
hand relaxed its hold. The angry
woman seized her child, and, pulling
him towards her, gavethe little deli
cate creature from whom she had freed
him vigorous push. She had been In
too great rage TO notice that during
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