, 1889-05-09
B%ABYHO0D'S PILLOW.
= REVERE THAT TAKES A MAN
BACK TO HIS INFANCY.

Happy Hour--PaPa Gives Him Candy
for being ood-Tho Mother Whose Kiss
Finds Her Little Ono in tho Dark.
Eleven O'Clock strikes. Immediately
make ready TO set my papers in order
on my desk and turn out my lamp, when
all at once my bed, on which l have
somehow turned a more contemplative
look than usual, begins TO wear n strange,
mysterious air, meditative and thought
full. with its c~ovcrlct turned down, its
sheets open and its pillow ready for my
head. Why do / sit down again and
think IN hour? and still another hour
Ny lamp goes out Of its own accord, and
the night passes without needing me.
N TIE LITTLE WHITE CRIB,
. am 8 years old again. l sleep in n
little white crib, larger than papa's
leather v~alisc, smaller than mammals
. piano: n crib drapcd with fresh curtains
which close about me every evening and
are fastened with n silver pin ''to make
nc a little room" When l raise my
head | see above me an ivory cross
swinging at the end Of a blue ribbon that
hangs from the c%ornicc; on each side of
mo is n long white silk net, so that !
shall not fall out, Bat / am always
kicking oil the covers and slipping
through it and they continually find mo
with an arm or Il leg caught and hang
ing in the mcshcs.
My crib, which | warm with my little
childish body, where I am given my
warm milk in tho carly morning, which
is So comfortable when the doctor says
am sick, stands at the foot OF papa's and
H. - - a. "a -.-..---
great confidence to be so near them
they who arc afraid Of nothingl | do
not know how it is, but | must be always
asleep Whom they come in to go to bod
never sec them. Their bedtime is later
than mine. much later-pcrhaps even an
hour. As soon rs Pie, my nurse, n big
girl. hrusque and good hearted, who
teaches me how to say my prayers TO the
Bon Dicu in Germans soon as she has
given mo my dinner, quicki lam popped
into q little bed whose end my feet never
see. When shall ! be as big as my night
gowns? In spite Of all my efforts I can
never catch up to them.
Then rs soon rs | am stretched out on
the mattress, and Pic has vigorously
tucked mo in, 1 cry ont with all my
might, ~lamcntahly, like a little dog that
is being whipped: Mammal Mammal
Some one comes. There Is n noise of
footsteps in tho corridor. 1t il papa and
mamma Papa says: ''Will you stop
making such "A noise, you little rascal?
Wecan hear you allovcr tho housc!' lie
turns 10 the nurse and frowns:
"Pic, " he says, tell me the truth. Has
this child been naughty
'Ncin, he has been very goot," says
the excellent Pie.
''Thcu lac shall ave n piece OF candy"
says papa. satisfied ut once,
mint. papa, mintr' | cry out.
Yes, mint!' and papa himself drops
into my little moist, open mouth the big,
white crumhling penny which | lovo go,
and which begin to taste IA soon ns its
penetrating odor reaches my nose. I'm
der my little teeth the mint drop disap-
pearE like magic. Mamma " ~i,ispcrs:
EAT it up, then, little ruose!' or, 'HIo
will break his teeth TO pieces"
MANNIA DOESN'T SAY A WORD.
Then she bends over mo, and thcn I
whip out my two arms from the cover
let to clasp her around the neck. ]
know very well that it must tire her to be
weighted down So, hut still | like to do it,.
And then I love her sol She kisses me
twice, three times then with her pretty
fingers she hurrirdly traces the sign of
the cross ON my forehead Cbcforc l came
there were two little brothers who both
vent away to heaven and she tcndcrly
closes the curtains without Ccasing TO
look lovingly in nj mo through the open
ing which grows smuller-smallcr.
At last the curtains are tight shut and I
can see nothing more. But can hear.
Papa has already gone away to his study,
where l somehow know that he is going
to smoke a cigar. Mamma, ah, but
mamma is still there. She is talking 10
Pie in n low voicc-she h 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 n certain corner
Of the mautelpiece, always the came
corner, where its dim light cannot reach
me. Then | hear the noise of the fender
a chair put in is place-a carriage in
the northumberland
All ut ono am at last n man, and am
wearing trousers like myTUnclc Edward.
But often / awake with n start and
then q great fear Of the night and the
darkucs5 scizcs me-; | stretch out my
arms and knock-toc, toci-on the big
bod. The big bed will protect me. Toe,
toe Toe, toe! The knocking itself
]frightcus me in the silence.
The big bed crcaks coufuscdly. hear
papa, half awake, telling me in n queer,
droll tone to he quiet. SSH We are all
asleep he says; ~"Cycryhody Is asleep"
Mamma does not say n word. She rises
she riscs-and all! even after forty
years my heart r~ccollects tho light fall of
her dear soft feet on the carpet and the
sound Of her low voice. invisible like
herself, murmuring close to my check.
''What Is it, darlingg' while without
hesitation her kiss comes straight 10 inc
in the night and unerrinriy finds me. %
Translated from the French for The Phil,
adelphia Times.
Hc Got Square.
4 Young lady broke off her Cnrnrc.