San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-05-10
TOI'Sl.

| deteSt babies. Gentle reader, you are
ready To declare me to he cynical old bach
elOr; and if you are woman. more espe-
cially a young woman, and an unmarried
one at that, you have already made up your
mind to deteSt me for the brutal remark
with which ! have introduced myself, and
are forthwith ready to declare you will not
read anything that such a heartless wretch
would write. But beg of you to withhold
your Indignation till qualify my remark By
further declaring that the antipathy which
exists in my breast for these necessary mem
bers of society is for babies per Sc, and does
not at all apply to those useful but noisy
Young persons into which they subsequently
develop.
We have had several babies come to our
home at various times with somewhat alarm
ing frequency, and have been a martyr to
their despotic sway many cold and stormy
night, the which were to relate an army Of
heroic brothers would at once rise up and ex.
tend the sympathetic hand with the cheerful
and consoling invitation to put it there"
But this was not the cause of my peculiar
dislike for babies. | always submitted cheer
fully to their demands with becoming grace,
being melted thereto by a sense of paternal
interest in my offspring and the constant ad
monitions of my respected wife.
1t was baby that nearly wrecked my hap
piness for life; a baby that fell like bomb.
Us it were, into our peaceful home, spreading
fear and CONSERVATION among its unsuspect-
ins members and nearly destroying foreve:
our happy little household, and it was not our
baby, either.
1t was before the advent in our family OF
any of those little responsibilities, which lat
terly have not been as dilatOry in their arr.
walls as ! would like, that the incident oc-
Cured am about to relate
Louisa and had been married about two
years and were living contentedly in a nice
little house in quiet and refined neighbor.
hood had an office down town where
conducted a real estate agency, giving par
ticular attention to letting houses for my pa
irons, who for the most part lived out of
town and paid me to look after their proper
ty, from which | derived a comfortable in
come.
One afternoon | entered my office, after
having been to inspect some houses for which
| was endeavoring to obtain desirable ten.
ants, and discovered lying ON my desk little
note hastily written with pencil across
tablet where could scarcely fail to see it. It
read thus:
DEAR GEoRGE-I have come to town to shop to-
day. Louisa and I have gone to a matinee Please
take care Of Topsy Affectionatey,
ARABEILA
Arabella was my wife's sister, who, being
a young widow, lived out of town with her
mother. She rarely visited US, and when
she did it was only for few hours at time,
as she did not like to leave her mother, who
was in feeble health, for any length of time.
who in thunder is Topsy2" l mentally
calculated, turning around to see if l could
find anything to which that appellation might
properly be applied did not have long to
look. As my eyes glanced toward the lounge
on which was won't to lay my weary frame
after exhaustive arguments with unreasona.
BILE tenants, saw red faced, pudgy looking
baby, which had been carefully deposited in
the comfortable nook made by the back and
one end of the cushioned lounge. A feeling of
distrust at once seized me, but felt greatly
relieved when l discovered that the little in
truder was asleep.
Il hope they'll get back before it wakes"
said, as turned to my desk and buried my
self in my work. The clock struck 5, re
minding me that it was my usual time of
closing | put away my books with a sigh
of relief, and prepared to leave the office
when suddenly | remembered the baby. II
was still asleep, but was annoyed that Lou
lisa and Arabella did not make their appear
alice The matinee was certainly over, and
they would be back directly. sat down and
waited. Picking up a newspaper | read
awhile till became aware that it was grow
ing darker. jumped up; it was nearly
and Louisa and Arabella not come yet.
wonderedaif they intended me to carry the
baby b myself Horrible thought
would W. a little while longer.
The T2inutcss SSsS2ed Ike hc.ss as [ still