, 1891-03-19
THE NEW BABY.

One day last week Babe was a-set.en'
in my lap, and / was telliu' her a story.
Ihad Jest got TO the thrillin' part Of it,
when the good little boy, who always
minded his ma. hal q hull pail Of red
apples gin to him. And Babe was a
IOokin' up into my fac with her big,
blue gray eyes a-shiuiu' and her golden
yellow hair a-falliu' back from her little
eager, happy, upturned face.
When all Of a sudden the kitchen door
opened and Miss Pixley came in, and
before she had been there some time she
says to Babe, a-w-nEin' TO me at the
same time:
''Nour nose is broke now, young ladyr
Babe put her little fingers up to her
nose and felt of it, and l wiuked TO Miss
Pixley to not say no more, for knew
what she meant; l knew she meant that
Thomas JeTersons little new baby
would crowd Babe, our Tirzeh AIMS
little daughter, out Of our hearts.
But Miss Pixley went right or. She il
an old maiden, and has had five disap-
p~Ointmeuts, and some say seven, and
they have embittersd her. and says she
to Babe;
Little Snow, the new baby will take
your place now in Glaudma's heart.
Babe looked troubled; on her smooth
little brow l could see fall the first faint
shadow Of that great black shape that
we call jealousy, Her big, sweet eyes
looked as If they was cloudin' up nicely
for tears
And wuuk scycrer and more vigelent
winks than ! had wunk before at Miss
Pixley to stop! II ever a wink spoke
them did, to stop immegidlyi
But she kept right on. Poor creeter,
l spoze them dislpPointments was the
cause ont She kap right on. and ses
she:
You won't be gran1ma's baby any
more uow; she has got somebody else to
love now"
And then the cloud did break into a
rainfall Of tears. Babe jest bust ont
a-cryiu', and snuggled down into my
arms, and laid her wet cheeks on my
bosom through the force Of old custom.
and, anon! lhow much like older human
c~reeters accordin' 10 her siEc) she drew
her head away as If sayin':
Il can't lay my head there any more.
If the love has gone II Of the heart it
won't rest me nor comfort me no more
20 lay there
And pride woke up in her; she was too
proud 10 make q fuss, or beg for love.
How much, how much like big children!
SO she sot up kinder straight in my lap,
with her pretty lips a quiverin', and the
tears s-runnin' down her cheeks.
And l riz right up with Babe in my
arms and went ont of the room pretty
quick, but not viGelent.
Josiah was there. / wouldn't misuse
Miss Pixley OWN t. the six or seven
things mentioned by me prior and be-
fore this. But felt that l must make it
right with Babe that very minute
1 knew how she felt-wounded love
and pride and jealousy, etc, etc, etc.
l knew that a few syllables Of about
the hardest lessons Of life had come to
Babe, and l must help her spell EN-: !
must help her with her lesson.
SO took her right into the parlor aud
set Town with her in the big chair, and
never said a word for a minute or two,
only held her clost TO me and kissed
the shiniu' hair that lay up against my
check,
She a-struggliu' at first; jealousy and
pride ~u-nagEiu' her; and she ut first a-not
bein' able to hear any voices, only Jest
them Of jealousy and pridc-jest like
older children exactly.
But after awhile, | held her so warm
and stIddy, with my cheek a~-layin' on
the pretty head. the Study. firm clasp
and contact sort o. Gained her, and then,
anon, she drew one little arm up round
my neck, and mon the other one, and !
looked down deep into her eyes, right
into the little true soul, and that little
true soul saw the truth in mine.
Words couldn't have convinced Babe
so well as that look that she had learnt
to depend or.
Love has "A language that though
maybe it can't be exactly parsed and
analysed, vet 1t can be understood ex-
uctly, entirely understood, and Babe see
Tint loved her.
Aud then was the time that that
sweet little creeter put up her arms and
kissed me, and ! a y sort o. low like,
but very tender:
''Sweetheart, you know 5sthew much
! love You, don't youg"
And then l kissed her several times in
various places on her face, every one on
en- sweet places. And then I went on
and talked dretful good to Babe about
the new baby. l confded in her, told
her all about how the little new soul
had come. unknown TO itself, here into
"a great, strange world, how helpless it
waz, how weak, and how we must all
help it, and try to make it feel itself at
at home amongst Us.
And | tried TO explain it to her-how
that as She had come first she owed a
courtesy to the newcomer. aad that she
must be ready and williu' to neighbor
with her, didn't use jest those words.
but them was my idees.
| told her how blind the little creeter
was. and Babe, if only out of politeuess,
mus try 10 see for her, lead her straight
over ways she knew nothiu' about and
keep her from harmin' herself.
How Baby Snow couldn't talk for her
self AZ all NOW, and Babe must talk for
1er-Iood talk that little Snow could
.alru ot lsr himabvs how she rouldu't