Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-12-08
UNCLE JACKS BABY.

garment, and without Il multitude OF
oddities they would hot have seemed
ike "Uncle Jacks folks"
1t is well To explain here whom the
folks comprised. First, there was
john HardWlck. Uncle Jack" to All
persons, old and young, in the little set
uenent OF Greenport, where aS boy and
man, for over half 4 century he had
followed" as he termed it, fishing and
farming; next there was his wife, Ia
uence, spoken OF far AND near as Aunt
Patty J?ck, to distinguish her from Pa
uence Green, James Green's widow,
who WAS known as Aunt Patty Jim;
third, there was at the time we are
writing OF 9-monrhs old baby that they
had adopted on the death OF Its parents.
1t was peculiar thing for an elderly
couple, after thirty-tive years OF child
less married lie, to adopt an infant,
but they were well able TO prOYIue Tor
the child properly. They had no near
relatives, ana long years OIL. industry
and saving had mdde them, III tue SET
dement, the most "tOrenandeu' family
VI the place.
The nearest to anything like reproach
Dr. riGicuIe that had ever been cast up
On them by their neighbOrs was with
regard TO these same habits OF Shaving
aud saving after they were in more than
comfortable circumstances. Even the
best disposed could not torbear u little
Joke about Uncle Jack using boat
hook to STIR hay III the field To save tie
expense OF Il new light piIcntork, or
Aunt Patty making his OVeraHS out Of
The fragments OF an old sail from his
| little fishing schooner. Then, after the
infant came, it was said that Aunt
Patty pressed the ClOtheS-baSke into
service for u bapy-crib. Uncle Jack 5
method Of carrying the baby was also
The subject OF much good-natured ridi-
Guile, the miIdest OF the comments being
, that he 'lugged" it as an armtul OF kind
ling.
The baby was about the oldest menl-
| Der of Uncle Jacks household, with It's
quiet ways ana its solemn face, its habit
! vi sleeping fifteen hours a day and con
| tInuaHy creeping about when 1t happen
! eu 10 be awake. 1t wasn't any more
| regular III It's times OF rest than the
average infant, but would just creep
! from one room To another until tired
ana then go 10 sleep III some corner,
WneI Aunt Patty would soon, i'll Tie
su1 OF the household duties, pounce upon
IL and depOA' t iU-ln the clOuneS BASKET !:
! Wei, no, to tell the Truth, d new wooden
cradle, Of Il brilliant red color, had been
| bought nOm the village carpenter
shortly after the baby came into the
| household, but not soon enough TO pre-
vent some village Wag from manuIac-
turing that story about utilizing the
clothes basket Ter a crib. In rural dis
ulcuS some one family is generally made
| the butt of the tunmakerS, and II really
| seemed that most OF the standing jokt S
OF GreenpOrt were at the expense of
| Uncle Jacks folks
Soon after the baby came to Uncle
| Jack 5 the OLD couple made the most
| peculiar decision Oh their lives, and that
| was 10 spend Il few months III boston,
not To WORK harder and add to then
accumulation, but just for chance.
As they had numerous relatives i'll the
CITY, ana possessed, moreover, the
means and Tie VIII to pay their way,
! there was, perhaps, no reason why they
should not, Tor once in their lifetime, be
! like their neighDorS i'll one respect 1T
IeaSt-that OF living up to their income.
They rented Il neat little furnished
cottage III the Highlands, and i'll order
that Aunt Patty might not be too much
bound by household duties and the care
u the baby they employed Sarah
Briggs, Il daughter of one OF their poor
neighborS, to so with them as general
help" Strange though the city appear
ed % them, they took to the new order
n Kings very kindly, and the novelty
and pleasures OF their season in Boston
were talked about the remainder OF
! their lives.
Just at the close Of their stay an in
cident occurred which afforded material
for humorous comment until long after
the baby became man. 1t was We'd
neSday that Uncle Jacks folks were TO
| move out of the city cottage, and on
Saturday they were TO start for Green
|
steamboat lines had not yet made that
place one OF their stopping stations.
After moving they had arranged to stay,
| until the packet sailed, at the house OF
Joe North, one of their old neighbors,
who is now living in Philadelphia.
They were all in the sitting-room on
Wednesday, waiting for the ever tardy
| uuckman to come and take their lug
gage to the packet, when Aunt Patty
suddenly recalled their visit to the pho
Uographer few days before. They had
been took" and were 10 have called
for the finished pictures the day before;
out in the hurry Of the moving they had
been forgotten.
Like good general in an emergency,
Aunt Patty formed her plans on The
spot and gave orders quickly and
sharply.
Now, Jack, you go and look up
another truckman, while Sairy goes
after them pictures. Then Sairy can
take the baby and go to Joe North's,
and I'll go with you to the packet to
see about getting our parcels in safe
place. P'raps I'd better take the baby
myself, but I'll see about that when
Sairy comes back
The studio was not very far away,
but Sarah was delayed some fifteen or
twenty minutes, as the photographer
was busy. When she returned she
found neither Uncle Jack Aunt Patty,
nor the baby. AS she ran down to the