Wichita eagle., 1888-07-29
buryins ground That ives why Freddy

seeing no loophole of escape, but a differen,
course was forced upon him through that
very baby.
He was covering at the door of his 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 a nauling
from the big woman's fists as perfect god
send to warm him. He crouched there till
past midnight, and then, quite sure that all
the public houses must be shut, he staggered
down to the close to 60 in search of her.
Some instinct led him down the close to
the wide open space at the foot, instead Of
up toward the Canongate, and there, in the
drifting and melting snow, he found great
long bundle, which turned out TO be Mrs
Ford and her baby.
Every one has read stories of mot ers being
overtaken IN snow storms, and of them shield
ing their babes with the very last spark Of
warmth in their hearts. In this case it was
exactly the reverse.
Mrs. Ford had in her drunken stupor felt
the need Of pillow, and used the baby for
that, wrapping the shawl which should have
been on it round her own valuable frame.
So when Freddy found them the baby was
nearly dead, while its mother snored on, less
likely to die than the sun is to snuff out
Freddy could no more have lifted that big
woman than he could have tilted over Ar
thurs seat into Duddirgstones Loeb, and he
tried hard to get the key Of tho door out of
her pocket.
But drunken ones always do what you want
them not to do, and Mrs. Ford had laid down
on the pocket side, and so the key was under
a mountain which nothing but an enchanter's
wand could move. The baby, reused at last,
began to cry, and Freddy became desperate.
Every one was in bed, but he must get help
of some kind.
+ He ran out of the close, carrying the baby
with him, intending to look for policeman,
but be got as far as the Tolbooth station
without finding. one, and so turned in there
The condition Of the baby then SCENE so
critical that the sergeant in charge had it
taken care Of while he sent down two men to
bring up the drunken mother
Thus, with the very best intentions in the
world, Freddy was the means Of landing his
stepmother in prison, for she awoke next
morning with her head on a wooden pillow
instead OF soft baby, with no chance of
satiating the frightful crave for more drink,
and the comforting assurance Of those about
her that she was in for smart sentence at
the police court, if the baby lived, and sure
to be hanged if it died.
Naturally she dislked the situation and es-
pecially being sent back to the cell for an
other day till they should see if the baby
lived but all her resentment concentrated
against Freddy. 1t was his spitefulness
which had landed her there, and If the baby
had caught cold, whose fault was it but hisl
Wasn't he It's nurse? Hadn't he sole respon-
sibility, and hadn't she told him hundred
times that if anything happened to it he
should suffer for it9
Beyond the short imprisonment or fine,
beyond her present inconvenience and suffer-
ing, there doomed up before her. sacred
duty-to correct Freddy in such manner
that he should never go wrong again.
Contrary to all expectation, the baby was
quite well IN a day, SO Mrs Ford was simply
sent to prison for seven days without the
option of a fine. Seven days is not long for
n woman to have to nurse her wrath, and
this one had enough to last for seven years.
The child's life had been saved by Freddy
every one told her so-but then every one
did not know that Freddy should never have
allowed her to use it as pillow, or to put it
IN danger.
Freddy had glorious holiday of seven
days in the poor house, with no thrashings
and three meals regularly every day, and
full liberty to nurse the baby and talk to it
al day long. 1t was such jolly time that
he became convinced that heaven must be
only big kind % poor house, where meals
are regular and where stepmothers can never
come.
When Mrs Ford was set free and carle for
them, she found them both very much i'm
proved. She received them most graciouslv
in the place, but when she got out and had
Freddy alone, she told him that she would
teach him something when she got him home,
and thereupon put before him in all its
Nervousness his spiUeful and wicked conduct
in nearly killing her baby and having herself
hauled to prison Ike a jill bird and thief
such as himself.
This discourse lasted all the way home, and
became SO voluble and terrorizing that just
as they reached Lochend's close Freddy
turned about and ran off with such swiftness
that Mrs Ford never dreamed of pursuit.
More spitefulness on his part. He knew that
ne deserved to be half killed, and yet he had
the audacity to run off, instead OF accepting
his fate in all meekness.
young wretch would como to a bad end, and
that the greatest trial woman can have is
to be stepmother. The thought was so pain
full TO her feelings that she spent the rest of
the day IN drinking. She wished to shut out
her griefS and to prepare herself for her
sacred duties, and was careful in leaving the
house not to lock the door. Experience
teaches, and she felt that it was Just possible
10.
the key. And yet the bailie on the bench had
called her careless woman The world is
full of calumniators.
When she returned she was Just able to
salk, and ferocious enough to have roasted
boy and eaten him Freddy had crept home
and fallen asleep waiting for her, and it was
falling over him in the dark which recalled
her to her duty She set down the baby,
ordered him to light candle, and then got
him by the hal, She remembered something
about ''sparins the rod and hating the child" .
but was too overpower9d with emotion and .
love 10 be able to utter the sentiment, so she .
merely staggered forward for her rod. This (.
rod was q bit Of thick iron wire which she
used for a poker, and with that and her
strong arm
Tbev that the shirts Of the dead hover
round rs at times, and see what we suffer,
and syrnpathize with us Did the spirit Of
thst child'S mother look on all that and never
put out hand - step it, or had it merely
tie power 10 see and not interferei
Freddy was thrown out at the door like
useless old shoe at last, and dirly felt him
self roll down the stairs, hoping that they
would end in a hole which should lead 70
another world The rod had been all over
him, and so much about his head that he