The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1888-09-07
BABY MAY.
The Great Good It's Brief Mortal
Life 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, if you please, ma amir
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-enemy, 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 a 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 toe
clean, ma am, as have noticed she
bawled, "and it is the third time this
week thai | 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 shining tin basin
filled with suds, and though there was
hardly a 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.
This last act drove the irascible Mrs.
Bray to the verge of frenzy.
You'll rue this to the day of your
death, you spiteful huzzy!n 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
the 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. Thew
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 If he don't stop playing with
that Bruck young one. Elmer, Elmer
leave that dirty little brat and come te
mol" she bawled, rushing out to sep
arate the infants.
The children heard the angry call
but, having only just began theil
play, were determined not to be sepa
rated. The garden sloped down t.
the banks of stream, on which stood
Mr. Bray's mill. The fence tina
divided 1t from the stream was an ole
one' and there was break in it clos,
at hand, large enough for the childre,
to creep through. As Mrs. BRAY cam,
rushing toward them, the childre,
ran for that, baby Elmer, who was b,
far the larger and stronger of tn,
two tenderlyo assisting baby Nav
who was a delicate, fragile littl,
creature, through the aperture. Hav
ing cleared it, at the cost of tor,
troeks and scratched faces, the,
crouched down under the shelter of
great tree outside that grew on tn,
bank of a stream. Fancying them
selves securely hid, they waited will
hated breath until the pursuit shout
be over, blue eyes and black keepin,
watch through the foliage.
Mrs. Bray rushed across the greer
sward and gained the fence in no time
She paused there but for an instant t
repeat her angry CALL and no answe
coming, she ran to part of the earde
where the fence was sunken. an
cleared it at q bound. Once on tn
bank 1t took but glance of her shar
black eyes to discern the fugitiyes
There, under shelter of the grea
maple-tree, she saw her child hidin
from her, her child vouchsafng no an
swer to her call, setting at naught he
authority, and clinging to the child @
her arch-enemy! For once she was to
angry to speak. She swooped dow,
on the infants like an eagle on it's prev
one was In such q rage that the chill
oren were afraid of her, and BEGAN +
cry and cling the closer to each othe,
resisting her frantic ATTEMPTS To ser
arate them. Her blows rained on hot
'slke and, at last, a cruel one fell q
the arm Of baby May. aud the littl
hand relaxed its hold. The angr
woman seized her child, and, pullin
him towards her, gave the little del
cate creature from whom she he'd fee
him a vigorous push. She had been i
100 great a rage TO notice that durin
the brief conflict they had gone neare
ana nearer to the edge Of the bank