The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-01-22
BABY HAMM
The story or an Interesting Midnight Event
on Fishers Island.

tho Doctor.
A bright-faced. blue-eyed child-''a pretty
little c~roeter." said one OF tho female neigh-
bors who was present.
Just nine pounds" said DR.. Braman. with
n smile. holding the steelyards that wero
hooked into the triple knot in tho white bed
spread in which temporarily reposed the
human mite. as 10 In n detached elongated
jackct. Tho Doctor had rorcd over tho rusty
half-efraced notches on the stcelyard's beam
with considerable attention. for he was very
proud Of his Office on this momentous occa-
sion. Yes just nino pounds" ho repeatee.
Outside q blizzard roared-just as billiards
sometimes do in novels when important
things takes place: Il roared along the DESC
late length and breadth Of Fishers Island and
Il hammered with its icy fingers at the vim
dows OF Farmer Hamm's exposed cottage near
the beach. But this was not u full-blown and
maturcd blizzard. by any mcane. nor even a
deputy blizznrd-it was Just n shrill. lively.
kicking sort OF u haby ono. that apparently
was trickcd out and sent capcring along tho
wild Atlantic coast In honor OF the advent Of
Baby Hnmm. That's her name now-for short
only that and nothing more; by and by. how
over, in tho coming summer. perhaps. whom
she is big and old enough TO need another and
more sedato name. Just like other people.
Farmer stephen Hamm and his vito will take
her into the pretty Episcopal chapel at tho
west end OF tho island. and tho rector. baptiH-
ing her into, the, faith. vii, say: " Munnataw;
ket Nnmm." and so on. and Munnatawket Will
be hor Christian name.
Why Muhnatnwket!
Well. for tho plain md prosaie and practical
isiafnd stcambost Munnatawketf very likely
most certainly there would have been no Mum
HON did il Mi linppen. and how came 1t that
tho rouEhiHnd-ready MpnnatawkSt: With her
such an important factor at her BIRTH
tn Mn nSt y snd t nsau faii IN n 1as shls 81 n sninss Sii"eIEiy
aH The %'' fact l IS th at BSby namm was not OK;
evidently took Il into her head to, launch hcrr
eidedly .hackneyed sea of liIc. That is the
fret aca,r pT fisI.a and s,h pler Is a s s5iss pr, anvil ! Mnrd
place to be born in, particularly. SO in winter.
after The summer birds 81 iHshi9n have loT y
Western ,YeM N beach among the boUlders. where II
all. the. doep island valleys among the wild
hills only a ,fw farmers nrnn, S srema ~ I IN tGn ely, farm arm
where the Atlantic rolls tempestuously on the
stony, beaches. and communication between
and serene ,weather-certainly z reasonable
man need know no more to be sure that
n voiuptuary OF anti.natal proclivities and in.
tuition would select for his birthplace. But
SO Baby Hlamm lust came along In haphazard;
f sSt!G 3amiiy! pom ,ash tSnt t Ge se psl !? he tgf 5arE o %as
the harbor bar ,; and n launch mel it: bob6inG and nd
an even keel. in the open ocean OF life. And
with the aid OF the ,Munnutawket and her Jolly
tHrs, 1T vas clean ! sailing all The way
reinarkea aftsrwarad, and done Just about as
The he w wsat h1sf' was b mianlse eoi a. i Afeseo pq 9ass:
Sound tumultuous!y. and on the wide wings
Of the wind flew thick vollsys OF tiny: binding.
grinding at her island moorings. had long
since been snngsed ur for the night. and al;
with snow and Ice. who covered ut the base Of
her smoke ely funnel e We're snoring below S,t DECKS eks
weather that the distant lights Of New London
were yelled from the kecn, glance of the chilled
say. isiandward. the only gieam in the dismal
r. ts ssr""s aaf.iI lHn Tnam W wisd z tiny tSps sor Light
aTIat i~iFhtiad9n,f quite make 4 out tn.
at this time O night: must be t some ones
msn ct oi t the muanatnwiet. m" "fsrSap tse it yn Mrs.
the Lord holp her. that's ALL.
th st IL I'll the awo ws sIsnm Fhb kent Dem his su eyes fSe d IN
t tG5 : ~ ssae ,iT and again gHn s GjsfsTed Ino as !ndis-
relating to the nnacc9untabIe beacon in the
Of them in case OF, an emergency. Presently
the light began to behave very obviously. In
f hfsa su d 4 s1HIt'nss 9oEf to li 81 !" fft ram wSa lisas:
o perch hi it SSS"Pisd in tn. th9 I=ssttin' room"
about o the eaFd aWe}jins a from P POEM to 70 rod das
like n 1rehy in tho meadows, in summer or
tie I swamps. Back Bae ' and forth W along n :t the srepn ID
ioor Of the house it flew. then suddenly scared
n into teM the m Tppsr tstos snd there nnSI it darted about for
swo,oned down to the ground. Then other lights
no less suddenly and unaccountably flashed
too. caught the fever OF restless activity.
began to dance about. cnpcr from apartment
and now and thcn one f~uttcIed upon a perch.
apparently. and rested there for u momont or
almost dizziiy Tor an hour. and Just as the poor
watfhman on the blaci; steamer was about
ali at sea. suddenly his quick ear heard the
I% ean a sSGrds OF Ian ? man p stLr i through the
hearso Voice ioared i through tho fssttor Storm naa iha
there. ne lads! Are ye all asleepa
Como, come Wake up. my boys! No time to
or death. tell ye! Get up steam = Gaiek i the
s aoraa b let 70! D, ! w hasr ter ''0-r-r-o-w yer old
"Ay! ayr, roarsd back tho watchman no less
Loudly aud heartily. and. guessing tho burden
he dallied not TO nut foolish queries. but. dash.
ing aft to the companionwny and thrustinR
his head part way down, yelled, in u voice nt
my hearties! All hands on decKi And clear
for New London" he added. with .
The rest OF the story OF that momentous
night IN tho baby blizzard-momentous on
London as vel! as on Fishers island itself
ana in the IHanm household-ls easily and
briefly reclted. Unless than half an hour the
ready. NnnnRtawkct swung away from her
moorings atthe island and plunged on into the
almost i'm per ctrable gloom OF the billowy
Sound. In thirty minutes moro she had DASH
ed IN to the long wharf at New London and
was made fast there: then sixty minutes later
nearly pulled u door bell ont of its anchorage
on n back, street in tho city. and tum-
bod: somewhere about 3 O'clock A.. Nj. the
Munnatawket, with the benevolent Doctor on
through the bounding pillows and believing
bnby hliZzarl ACROSS the Sound; and at 1:a0