Evening journal., 1891-06-11
HOW MEG LOST THE BABY

One morning Mrs. Sackett put julia
carefully into her carriage. She tucked
her up with rugs, afghans and shawls.
| Meg often wondered how the baby could
| breathe but Julia was fat and hearty and
| Meg knew that she grew heavier So it
must have agreed with her.
keep where it's pleasant and sunny,
and take good care OF her" said Mrs.
| Sackett
She said this every day. Meg took as
much care Of Julia as any well meaning but
careless girl of fourteen does of baby. At
the crossing she thumped the carriage
down into one gutter and banged it up out
| of the other The baby was used to this,
and only opened her eyes wide and gasped
on arriving at the opposite side
Meg was just turning the corner when
| she heard her mothers voice.
"M-e-gp'
"Yes'mn
"Stop at Hurd's and send home three
pounds Of brown sugar and half pound of
| teal"
"Yes'm."
Meg thrust her elbows through the ham
| die of the baby carriage, and crocheted as
she walked Crocheting tides was Meg's
favorite pastime. She always had tidy
under way.
Hurd's was corner grocery store, with
a door opening on each of the two streets.
Meg wheeled the carriage close TO the show
| window and fastened the wheel with a
stone so that it couldn't roll off.
Julia sat still, gazed with attention at
| the resplendent advertisements of Jenk's
soap and Tompkins' ginger. although she
must have known these placards by heart.
Babies have to endure so much which they
do not understand that it is not surprising
that they become philosophers.
Hurd's was crowded, as it always was in
the morning, but Meg did not object to
waiting. She chatted with Katie Allen and
Lou French, and even drew out her tidy
and did two rows before the salesman had
| time to attend to her
Then she ordered sugar and tea with as
grand an air as that worn by Mrs. Punson-
by, who resided in a four story brown
stone house on q stylish avenue, while
Meg lived ia third flat.n
"Wait for mel' said Katie Allen. 1--WE
got to 60 to the butchers"
"All right" answered Meg
She waited, and when Katie started she
walked with her, talking briskly, down the
street almost block before she suddenly
cried, "Ohl forgot the babyi"
"What babyf" asked Katie.
"Why, had our baby with me, and I've
gone and left the carriage outside the
storer'
"There wasn't any baby at the door when
we came out" replied Katie
"Sure enough, said Meg, "there wasn'tp'
She gazed in bewilderment at Kate's
round eyes, and then cried;
"Oh, knowl l came in at the other
door-that's it. She's round on Harrison
street."
The girls ran laughingly back and turned
the corner There was no baby nor car
riage there.
They stared at each other, and Kati,
would have laughed. but that Meg looked
so solemn.
perhaps you didn't bring her."
/, "Ies, didl left here just here. know
didw
"Could the carriage have rolled down tn
streetp
Meg looked up and down the street il
vain. No carriage was in sight.
Perhaps Il policeman thought she wa
lost and took her to the station house,
suggested Kate
Meg began to cry. Kate's words SCENE,
cruel
"Run home quick and tell your mothe
about i'll"
Meg took Katie's advice. She ran fast
for she was frightened. Mrs. Sackett heari
her story, and gave her a severe scoldinI
for carelessness.
Q "Some boy took It 70 scare you. It mus
3 be about the neighborhood. Go and looki
3 she ordered. She was a hard workin
woman, and treated things in a matter g
q fact way.
e But when Meg came back to report tina
r no one had seen baby or carriage any
d where, Mrs. Sackett became alarmed Sh
forgot to scold this time. She put on he
bonnet and searched the street thorough
ly. She inquired at all the stores, an
even went to the police station.
Coming back from her fruitless exped
+ tion she dropped wearily into a chair b
4 the door. Meg could not bear to see he
= mothers white face. She picked up ht
y hat and crept down stairs
e An organ man was playing lively tun
y and Lou Frenchs little sisters were dan
"a ing to the music. They came up to as
/ Meg III the baby was found" and Me-
. without looking at them, choked an
y rushed down the street. She walked on
" a breathless state for several blocks, an
happened to pause for breath just whei
there sat- on doorstep, boy about tweA
years old. with a woebegone and tear stat
ed face.
N Meg looked at him and asked abrupt
q whats the matteri Have you lost
~ babys"
he Lost a babyp' shouted the boy indi
le nantly. "You clear out Of thisr
j. He seemed TO look as II he thought 81
es was making sport Of him.
rs Meg was glad to "clear." She had on
es spoken out Of the abundance Of h
an thoughts She walked along sErveyii
z absently the windows she passed. 81
to ! wondered il all the babies who lived
those houses were safe, or il their paren
were hunting for any Of them in groce
stores and police stations.
a At the next corner she stopped agai
At Three women stood there talking. Sa
lg one Of them, a small woman:
n; ~ told her, says I, Mrs. Smith, you
c. better report it at the station house.
II, belongs TO somebody that's looking for
w Of coursep says l."
r. "She wouldn't take the trouble. She
IT too elegantw remarked a stout woma
T. sarcastically.
is, "That's So" replied the first speak'
al 'She said; let them that lost it look {
P. l. Jimmie brought it home, and be