The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-04-15
II, ,,as all forgotten, and she was sn7ago and

10 vas all fCrgctfri' unu euo ""'
pitilcss as any wild beast.
Freddy. also. had fully intended to come
TO me on the very first OCCASION, Dut WIN
deem cunning the woman made him premise
ON his knees To remain silent, saying with
Mortified energy that she would murder hIm
ON the spot If She saw him go near the police
office 4,
So the starving went on as before, ana
Freddy would have sunk altogether but ior
his visits to his real mother in the Canongate
burving ground II she could not come our
If the ground and give him bread, she could
give him sympathy, and when he had that
he forgot all about hunger. Beside, although
tbe bobv WAS only another sister FREDDY
had got 10 like It, and could not bear the
idea of being parted from it, as his 'iepmother
declared he would be if he went to me ana
showed the bruises on his body.
That baby could not speak and had scarcely
n tooth in its head yet Freddy and 10 held
LONG and confidential talks about the hard
times: aud the baby, though only stepsister,
svmpathized with him and took ms sdo
almost a. warmly as his own mother m the
burying ground. That was why Freddy
loved il and bore so much in silence.
He meant 10 have gone on IN tins way
seeing no loophole Of escape, but different
course was forced upon him through lnn'
very baby. -
he was covering at the door Of ms home
very late one night, wishing for the return
of Mrs. Ford. who had been out all the even
ing. and taken both the key Of the door and
her baby with her II was so bitterly cold
that Freddy would have hailed hauling
from the big woman's fists rs perfect god
send 10 warm him. He crouchcd there TIL
past midnight, and then, quite sure that all
the public houses must be shut, be sta1 5ered
down TO the close 10 60 in search of her.
Some instinct led him down tine close 10
the wide open space at the foot, instead OF
up toward tho CanOngate, and there, I'D the
drifting and melting snow, hc round q great
long bundle, which turned cut 10 ho Mrs.
Ford and her baby
Every one has read stories of mot crs being
overtascn in SHOW storms, and of them shield
ing their babes VITA the very last spark OF
warmth in their hearts. In this case 10 was
exactly the reverse.
Mrs. Ford had in her drunken stupor felt
the need Of a pillow, and used TIE baby for
that. wrapping the shawl which should have
been on IT. round her own valuable frame
SO when Freddy found them tine bony was
nearly dead, while its mother suorcd on, less
likely g. die than tho sun is to uuli out.
Freddy could no more have lifted that big
woman than he could have tilted over Ar
thurs seat into Duddngstones Loeb, and he
tried hard 10 get the key Of tho door out az
her pocket.
But drunken ones always do what you want
them not - do, and Mrs. Ford h-d laid down
on the pocket side, and So the ley was under
o m0uutlin which net hn- but nl eA't-...e. b
wand could move The baby, reused 70 Iasii
BEGAN % cry, and Freddy hccuc d -scratc.
Every one was IN bed bCt he must get help
OF some Sind.
Ile ran out %. the c.o-', carry .ns t-a baby
with hm, intending to looA Tor l1l0. nl1ii'
hut BE- got as far a5 '-e Ioi'o'.h station
without iind'n5 one. AMI So turned la There.
the condition OF tae baby Then so
critical that the sergeant -n charge AaI IL
taken care OF while he SEN. down t"o n.n To
brins up ile a.il,-en mother.
Thus, with ihe very oc'J intentions lh th'
world, Freddy "as tl' means oi landing his
stcpmotler in prison, for Size a"'.e mex,
morning with her head on a wooden pillow
instead of a soft baby, with 10 chance OF
satiating the trisht-m crave Tor more drink,
and the comforting assurance OF those abou,
her that She was in Tor a smart sentence at
the ponce c1IiS il '-9 u'oy "Fe'' "i'i sure
10 De hanged II IL died
Naturally Sine dlsllAed the SITUATION ana es-
peclally being sent uac~ TO The cell lor am
other day TIL they should see lI the uioy
lived, but al her resentment c'h''h,iAl-I
against Freddy 10 was A-s sli.'..l.ness
which had landed her tAei-' and ll '.e hlny
had caught coii' whose i1i'1 "-' DO quo Nis'
" ASA JIG Us Hul 81 ii'.-l ND"
,ibi.tr, and hadn't she told INN hundred
times that i anything happened ID 10 b.
-hoI.l suffer for ~
Beyond the short imprisonment or far,
beyond her present Inconvenience and so-i .f-
i'm, there lJomed mp before her sacred
duty-to correct FREDDY Do -1cn % manner
that be should never go wrong AGAIN
Contrary To all expectation, t1s baby was
quito well i'm day, SO Mrs Ford was simply
sent % prison for seven day without inc
option Of fine Seven days IS not long Tor
a woman 70 have 10 nurse Ter wrath and
ian 4 rrrrrrr-|l 4 last