The Somerset reporter., 1892-07-21
TIE BABY CARRIAGE.

I'm glad you've come. I layiou -ai,
III, mother, NearilN. "Mullichl- irctte'
aud | lavc had mo- chaucc to do my morn
ing work wish YOU would take h
ulil in tlle carriage loriu hour"
.'All right. mamma said tlu cheerful
red-eheel,rd brother who had rutue il
mhi>lliue.
Ina feN niumr- h,. had thr little OH
in the street her trrthiug pains quit
forgotten aud the blue cyc- bright viii
pleasure.
More I'll be- a-taggu' young ON
around in cart" called out "a loud
rough VOICE. H. Z lay Wheeled tine prett'
Micl,rr carriage uudcr the ,h,dr OF a tai
elm. Nanny : uu-- gal, that VIVA
heis
I'll fou had such u dear little sister
perhaps you would like to brauur-r cir
loo. lay replied good-humorcdlY. liz
kneN thp owner of the coarse voice. bis
Dan Barrett. Who was always trying Il
provoke quarrel.
"No. | wouldn't. Bet yer boots of
HAT. catch nae nu>~in' n squalliu baby
Tor nobody. Hey there, get out ul thu
road il You don't want to get tippre
oNer.'
He io,tled the carriage rdcly Il. hC
went past. then looked back under ia,
lace canopy hoping that hc had brighten
cd the litlc one, for it was hi, nature t,
delight in teasing anything smaller aud
weaker than himself.
But Mollic WAS not frightened. She
had been used To- loving word, all her
lits nnl IN, I,alg oil intn It
face with one of her sweetest smiles.
Something in HE couiiling faccliflrd II
trasiinglv To his touched Dan. and he
met her winning advances with look oi
surprised admiration.
Say, that little kid o'yourn is pretty,
haint She" hr said turning aWkWarily
Ia layton.
And Just A. good a. She is pretty.
Don't You wish you had such little darl-
Ing Ia wheel about =
allow dive know but what have
His thoughts flew back to his own
poor home, where a baby spent most of
her lonely lime in Il battered. wooden
cradle. her face hearing that premature
~ old look OF neglected, pincllcd child
hood 81 ptiiul To see. \urscd by Il hard
working, hali-fcd mother, the baby was
tlull-cved, litcleSs and more often than
otherwise, dirty and ill-smrling. Her
only name in the family was the young
un' or the "kid... Some sense of the con
trast between the two flashed into Dams
mind. and he wondered hoW his OWN
little sister would look in n dainty cap
and under the shade of II -ilkrn canopy.
II have never seen You out with her,
returned Clayton.
.Didn't | tell You wasn't nobody'S
nlss gall" Dams voice had lost much
of its coarse. ierring tone. ANA he added
slowly "Mcbbc, though, il man had Il
kerridge and nice clothes for our kid Id
take her out some times. But She haint
pretty like Ibis one"
III yol loved her more and made her
happier. perhaps She would grow prct-
tier
Dan madcno reply and walked oil with
IN unusually thoughtful air and stroll
ed down To the dock. With his hands in
his pockets he stood watching II large
steamer come in. \ SENSE of longing had
been awakened IN MS heart for something
which h could not define. a vague wish
that he and his were more like the we'll
dressed and respectable humanity which
he SAW all about him. "B'licNe
I'll run away some day. Pap amman
aint no help To Teller.
just then gentleman and lady with "A
beautiful baby boy in the fathers arms.
walked down he plank from the steamer.
the porter following with two heavy
valses. Dams eyes were fixed on the
sweet face of the child with an admir-
Ing gaze.
,.llrrc. boy" said the man, "dont you
want to earn II half dollar? Carry these
valises up Fifth street for me and I'll
give You quarter each.
Dan started. Ordinarily he would
have returned some pert or ,langy reply.
but the advent of these two beautiful
babies into his days experience had
strangely Soltcncd him.
He trudgcd on behind them, drinking
in the littlefac which, in change of posi-
ton now looked over he fathers shoulder
Awllrrdlv. for Dan was not in the habit
ot making himself agreeable to the infant
humanity, he puckered for low whistle,
III which the baby smiled. Then Dan
smiled and gavca skip and dance IL
we'll as he could with his heavy valiseS,
and the child laughed aloud-a merry,
tinllling laugh, sweet aS the music of sill
yer bells.
,.Ilear Claudio laugh, said the mother,
turning quickly catching the little by
play behind her. ~ on like babies, do
YOU
II dunno. maam, Dan hung his
head ,hccpishly. This one is such a
pretty little chap.
And as good rs he i, pretty" the
mother replied fondly.
On reaching home at noontime his
mother said impaticntly, Il wish you'd
take the young one, Dan, while get din
ncr. she's ben a-frc,tin' all the fore.
noon, an it appear, like can't do moth
in with her in my arms.
Yesterday Dan would have met the re-
quest with an oath, but to-day he tool
| the little creature from his mother arm'
without Il word and sat down upon tn,
door step. The child was unusually
clean, rs Katie had dressed her in tn,
only whole aud tidy slip she possessed
Having always heard only rough word'
from her brother before. she looked N
into his face with pftifnl uncertainty
whether To laugh or cry-a look 81 diff
crent from the smile of happy confidence
which Molic and the stranger baby hat
given him that he was touched by it
He smiled and whistlcd rs he had done tc
little Claude and She smiled back at him
showing four tiny white teeth and look
ing really pretty. The half dollar hegai
to burn in his pocket a. he chirruped
and whistled. He had intended to buy
n biz watermelon and Il bag of nuts and
90 of somewhere and enjoy them alone
but almost the first unscliish thought OF
1. :.