The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-12-21
TEMPERANCE NOTES..
THE DRuNKARD'S BABY.
Little Gift That Was the Beginning OF
Now in, AIisnrn L.

Little Gift That Was the Beginning of
New Life in a Miserable Family.
"Poor little SOUL" whispered Lottie
May to her little companion, Susie
Fielding, as she watched with moist
eyes the drunkard's baby, little Harry
North, lying fast asleep on the bare,
dirty floor of the close, barren room.
'Why don't you pick the baby up?"
asked Susie, looking at Linda North,
weary-faced girl of twelve.
"What should 1 pick him up for?"
Linda said, in an injured tone. 81
couldn't sit and hold him, could L? And
where should put him?"
Where, indeed?" Susie's face
flushed as she asked herself this ques-
ton.
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 rude 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 a comforter or some
thing?" Susie asked, timidly.
Nothing except what is on the bed
and COUCH" said Linda, regretfully.
IF it wasn't for the other children
I'd hold the baby all the time, but"
Her lips quivered, she could say no
more; but she kept busy doing little
services for her three little sisters, two
of whom were 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 new look in their young faces.
"Tm 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 sor-
ry," eagerly.
"How? What do you mean?"
81 mean-well-Iv heard mamma
say that when we're sorry for people we
ought to show it in some practical way"
"What is praeticaI way?" asked Lot
tie, thoroughly mystifed.
do what we can for 'em, suppose.
Now, to begin, don't you think we can
find some kind of bed for poor little
Harry?"
II 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
but they'll all require some work be-
fore you can take tn en-" she said; 1.-The
comfortable will have to be patched, the
blanket turned and the quilt cut up and
made into small ones. Can you do it?
You know you don't like to sew, Lottie."
'But 1 tcM sew whether like it or
not" Lottie said, emphatically.
So Susie being ready and willing, too,
the children began their task. An hour,
two hours, passed and the work was done.
There in a great pile lay the labor Of
love for lone of the least of these" the
drunkard's baby. There was the large,
neatly patched comfortable the warm
blanket and four little quilts.
'Now, let's see what my mamma will
give u.s." said Susie; and the two chill
dren ran over to Mrs. Fielding's, taking
her, as it were, by storm.
Mamma" said Susie. "Mrs. North
Is dead and there's no one to see to the
DaDy and the other little ones but poor
Linda, and the baby has to sleep on the
floor. And he hasn't any shoes or stock
ii Nf ole
and"
'Hush" said Mrs. Fielding, putting
her hands to her ears. "How you do
run on! Talk quietly, if you please,
and tell me what it is you want"
1.-The 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. docs the baby
need the cradle?' she asked, quietly.
Need it! O., mamma, if you could
see the dear little fellow lying on that
cold floor 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 if we had a cradle"
you shall have it."
,. was late in the day when Mr..
North awoke and looked about him.
He rubbed his eyes in bewildered way
as he saw new article of furniture in his
barren room. He arose and with trem-
bling feet staggered across the room for
a closer view. 1t was the cradle upon
which he was looking so intently, the
cherished cradle that had caused Mrs.
Fielding a severe pang to part with, but
had been given "for Christ's sake" The
baby lay sleeping within it, and as
Mr.. North watched the little face his
lips quivered. There was smile upon
the baby lips and the tiny hands were
clasped lovingly above a rubber doll
held close.
Three days passed away, and not
withstanding the children's sorrow,
they had not been as comfortable phys
ically for many long day as they
were now.
Mamma will never suffer any more,
nor weep any more" said Linda to her.
self, over and over, land ought not to
wish her back; and since those dear
little girls brought the cradle for Harry,