St. Landry democrat., 1889-12-07
THE DRUNKARD'S BABY.

" ~"POor little soul WhlspSre q Louie May
to her little companion, Susie Fielding, SIS
she watched with moist eyes the drunk
ards baby, little Harry North. lying fast
asleep on the bare, dirty floor of the close,
barreniroom.
"why don't you pick che baby upf'
asked Susie, looking at Linda North, q
weary faced girl of twelve
"What should pick him up for?" Linda
said in an injured tone. Il couldn't sit
and hold him, could II And where should
Iput him p
ssWhere indeed ?" Susie's face flushed
as she asked herself this question
On the only bed-just wide enough for
one-lay the still form of the baby s
mother, cold and still in death, and on the
,Sude couch opposite. lay the drunken
father. Surely poor Linda could not put
the baby by either one of the sleepers, and
there was no other place to be sure that
was better than the bare floor.
~ Haven't you comforter or something 2
Susie asked timidly.
Nothing except what is on the bed and
COUCH" said Linda regretfuliy. ''lf 1t
wasn't for the other children, I'd hold the
baby all the time, but"
Her lips GU 7ered, she could say no more;
but she kept busy doing little services for
her three little sisters, two of whom were
J twins, of six years and the other little
! cripple of ten Very gently she combed
! out the tangled hair, and smoothed it
softly with her thin hands, there being no
brush.
Susie and Lottie slipped out of the room
quietly and walked toward home with a
new look III their young faces.
'sI'm so sorry for poor Linda, and all the
rest Of those children" said Lottie, her
eyes misty with sympathy
.. ''And so am l" responded Susie. "And
Lottie, let's show that we're sorry, !"
eagerly,
.sHow2 What DO you mean?"
tsI mean-well-Pve heard mamma say
that when we're sorry for people we
ought to show it in some practical way"
SWhat is practical way Z" ked Lottie
thoroughly mystlied.
'sDo what we can tosr 'em, ] suppose
Now, to begin, don't yon think we can
find some kind of bed for poor little
Harry"
81 shouldn't wonder if we could" re-
sponded Lottie, earnestly. "Stop at our
house, Susie, and let's see what mamma
can spare"
Mrs. May when interviewed, said she
could spare comfortable, an old blanket
and quilt.
sBut they'll all require some work
before you can take them" she said, ''the
comfortable will have to be patched, the
blanket turned, and the guilt cut up and
ysmade into small ones. Can you do it?
You know you don't like to sew, Lottie !"
aBut srsU sew whether like it or not, Z"
Lottie said emphaticallv.
So Susie being ready and willing, too,
the children began their task. An hour,
two hours passed and the work WAS done,
There in great pile lay the labor of love
for zone Of the least of these" the drunk
ards baby. There was the large, neatly
patched comfortable, the warm blanket
and four little quilts.
give u.s. said Susie and the two children
ran over to Mrs. Fielding's taking her, as
1t were, by storm.
n ssMamma," said Susie, 'Mrs. North is
dead aud there's no one to see to the baby
and the other little ones but poor Linda,
and the baby has to sleep on the floor
And he hasn't any shoes or stockings and
not much of anything else, and"
..Hush u said Mrs. Fielding, putting
her hands to her ears elbow you do run
on Talk quietly, if you please, and tell
me what it is you want.
ssThe cradle in the garnet if we can have
it. Can we Mammal
Susie was frightened after she had
asked the question for her mothers face
GREW very white. s'Does the baby need
fNe GRADER she asked quietly.
FsNeed it o, Mamma, If you could see
--etA dear little fellow lying on that cold
.5fiohr asleep, it would make your heart ache.
But there's no other place for him; his
dead mother lies on the bed and his
drunken father on the couch. Mrs. May
has given us some bedding, and now II we
y had cradle
s.Y on shall have it,"
= y
It was late in the day when Mr.. North
awoke and looked about him. he rubbed
his eyes in bewilderd way as he saw a
new article of furniture in his barren room
He arose and with trembling feet staggered
across the room for closer view. It was
the cradle upon which he was looking SO
intently, the cherished cradle that had
caused Mrs. Fielding severe pang to part
with. but had been given s.for Christ's
sake. The baby lay sleeping within it,
and as Mr.. North watched the little face
h;s Inns ouiyered. There was smile upon
fha baby lips and the tiny hands were
.clasped lovingly above a rubber doll held
close
Three days passed away, and notwith-
BRANDING the children's sorrow, they haC
mt been as comfortable physically FOL
many q long day as they wers now.
seigamr,,a will never suffer any more