Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-07-01
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 aud 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 a 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'mp'
"Stop at Hurd's and send home three
pounds of brown sugar and half pound of
teap'
"Yes'm!"
Meg thrust her elbows through the han
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
door opening on each Of the two streets.
Meg wheeled the carriage close to the show
window and fastened the wheel with a
stone 50 that it couldn't roll off.
Julia sat still, gazed with attention at
the respondent advertisements of jerks
soap and Tompkins' ginger, although she
must have known these placards by heart.
Il. l. .lN
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. Ponson-
by, who resided in a four story brown
stone house on a stylish avenue, while
Meg lived in third fiat"
''Wait for mel" said Katie Allen. "pve
got to go to the butchers"
"All right" answered Meg.
She waited, and when Katie started she
walked with her, talking briskly, down the
street almost a block before she suddenly
cried, "Ohl forgot the babyl"
"What baby2" asked Katie.
"Why, | had our baby with me, and I've
gone and left the carriage outside the
storep
"There wasn't any baby at the door wher
we came out" replied Katie.
"Sure enough" said Meg, there wasn'tp
She gazed in bewilderment at Kate.
round eyes, and then cried
ooh, | knowl l came in Mt the othe
street"
The girls ran laughingly back, and turne'
the corner. There was no baby nor car
riage there.
They stared at each other, and Kati
would have laughed, but that Meg locke
so solemn.
''Perhaps you didn't bring her"
Eyes, did left here just here. know
didp'
could the carriage have rolled down tn
streetp
Meg looked up and down the street i
vain No carriage was in sight
Perhaps a 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 itr'
Meg took Katie's advice. She ran fas
for she was frightened. Mrs. Sackett hear
her story, and gave her a severe scoldin
for carelessness.
"Some boy took it to scare you. 1t mus
be about the neighborhood. Go and look
she ordered. She was a hard workin
woman, and treated things in a matter
fact way
But when Meg came back to report tn;
no one had seen baby or carriage an
where, Mrs Sackett became alarmed. 81
forgot to scold this time. She put on he
bonnet and searched the street thoroug
ly. She inquired at all the stores, an
even went to the police station.
Coming back from her fruitless exped
ton she dropped YEARLY into chair
the door Meg could not bear TO see h
mothers white face. She picked up b.
hat and crept down stairs.
An organ man was playing a lively tuD
and Lou French's little sisters were dan
ing to the music They came up to a:
Meg eff the baby was found" and Me
without looking at them, choked al
rushed down the street. She walked on
a breathless state for several blocks, Al
happened to pause for breath just whe
there sat, on a doorstep, boy about twel
years old, with a woebegone and tear stat
ed face.
Meg looked at him aud asked abrupt
whats the matter9 Have you lost
baby2"
Lost babyl' shouted the boy ind
nantly. "You clear out Of thisp'
He seemed to look as if he thought S
was making sport of him
Meg was glad to clear" She had on
spoken out of the abundance of b
thoughts She walked along, surveyi
absently the windows she passed. S
wondered if all the babies who lived
those houses were safe, or if their parer
were hunting for any of them in groce
stores and police stations.
At the next corner she stopped aga
Three women stood there talking. "a
one of them, small woman:
81 told her, says /, Mrs. Smith, yot
better report it at the station house.
belongs to somebody that's looking for
of Counsel says l."
"She wouldn't take the trouble. Sh
too elegantP remarked stout wont
sarcastically.
"That's So" replied the first speak
'sShe said: let them that lost 1t look
it. Jimmie brought it home, and he
have to amuse it till the mother come
says she. 1t serves Jimmie right, though
the stout woman added decidedly.
pretty trick 10 wheel home the wro
babyp
NJ I'll. e.. H., ,