The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-07-26
BABYHOOD'S PILLOW.
4 REVERlE THAT TAKES A MAN
BACK TO HIS INFANCY.

A Charming "Reminiscences of Childhood's
Happy Hours-rapa Gives Him Candy
for Being Good-Thc Mother Whose Kiss
Finds Her Little One In the Dark.
| Eleven O'Clock strikes. Immediately
make ready to set my papers in order
OIL my desk and turn out my lamp, when
all at once my bed. on which | have
| somehow turned more commemorative
look than usual. begins to wear strange,
mysterious air, mcditative and thought
full, with it's covcrlct turned down, its
sheets open and its pillow ready for my
head. Why do sit down again and
think an hourY and still another hour?
My lamp goes out of its own accord, and
the night passes without needing me.
IN TIE LITTLE WHITE CRIB.
am years old again. sleep in
little white crib. larger than papas
leather valise, smaller than mammals
piano: crib draped with fresh curtains
which close about me every evening and
are fastened with IL silver pin Ito make
me little ROOM" When | raise my
head see above me an ivory cross
swinging at the end of blue ribbon that
hangs from the cornice; on each side of
me is long white silk net, so that |
shall not fall out. But | am always
kicking off the covers and slipping
through it and they continually find me
with an arm or a leg caught and hang
ing in the meshes.
My crib, which warm with my little
childish body, where l am given my
warm milk in the early morning, which
Is SO comfortable when the doctor SAYS |
am sick, stands at the foot of papa's and
mammals big bed, SO that it gives me
great confidence to be so near them
they who are afraid of nothing! do
not know how it is, but must he always
asleep when they come in to go to bed
never see them. Their bedtime is later
tl.an mine, much latcr-perhaps even an
hour. AS soon as Pie, my nurse, big
girl, brusque and good hearted, who
teaches me how to say my prayers to the
Bon Dieu in German-as soon as she has
given me my dinner, quick! lam popped
into little bed whose end my feet never
see. When shall be as big as my night
gowns? In spite of all my efforts can
never catch up to them.
Then as soon as am stretched out on
the mattress, and Pie has vigorously
tucked me in. cry out with all my
might, lamentably. like little dog that
is being whipped: Mamma! Mammal"
Some one comes. There is q noise of
footsteps in the corridor. 1t is papa and
mamma. Papa says: "Will you stop
making such noise, you little rascal!
We can hear you all over the house!" He
turns to the nurse and frowns:
"Pie," he says, ''tell me the truth. Has
this child been naughty"
"Nein, he has been very goot," says
the excellent Pie.
"Then he shall have piece Of candy"
says papa, satisfied at once.
mint, papa, mint" cry out.
Eyes, mint" and papa himself drops
into my little moist, open mouth the big.
white crumbling penny which l love so,
and which l begin to taste as soon as its
penetrating odor reaches my nose. I'm
der my little teeth the mint drop disap-
pears like magic. Mamma whispers:
AJlV ~ upf IICll, llCllc SOOSCt VI, III
will break his teeth to pieces"
MAMMA DOESN'T SAY A WORD.
Then she bends over me, and then ]
whip out my two arms from the cover
let to clasp her around the neck. i
know very we'll that it must tire her to be
weighted down SO, but still like to do it.
And then love her SO! She kisses me
twice, three times-then with her pretty
fingers she hurriedly traces the sign of
the cross on my forehead (before l came
there were two little brothers who both
went away to hcaven) and she tenderly
closes the curtains without ceasing to
look lovingly in at me through the open
ing which grows smallcr-smaller.
At last the curtains arc tight shut and
can see nothing more. But can hear.
Papa has already gone away to his study,
where somehow know that he is going
to smoke cigar. Mamma, all, but
mamma is still there. She is talking to
Pie in low voice-she is talking of all
kinds of things and they are all about
me. Then the lamp goes on its nightly
journey. 1t travels about, it changes its
place; finally it is put on a certain corner
of the mantelpicce, always the same
corner, where its dim light cannot reach
me. Then hear the noise of the fender
Il chair put in its place-a carriage in
the strcct-then-
All at once am at last man, and am
wearing trousers like myiUncle Edward.
But often l awake with start and |
then great fear of the night and the
darkness seizcs me; l stretch out nv
arms and knock-toc, toc!-on the big
bed The big bed will protect me. Toe,
toe! Toe, toe! The knocking itself
friShtcns me in the silence.
The big bed creaks confusedly. hear
papa, half awake, telling me in queer,
droll tone to be quiet. "Ssh! We are all
asleep" he says; Everybody is asleep"
Mamma does not say q word. She rises
she rises-and all! even after forty
years my heart recollects the light fall of
her dear soft feet on the carpet and the
sound of her low voice, invisible like
herself, murmuring close to my cheek,
"What is it, darling?" while without
hesitation her kiss comes straight to me
in the night and unerringly finds me. =
Translated from tho French for The Phil
adclphia Times