The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1893-04-08
THE NEW BABY.

THE NEW BABY.
1t came at a most lnopportune
time-that new baby at the old
brown house down in the hollow.
When Mrs. Clayton came into the
church parlors and announced the
new arrival to the ladies, who were
quilting a quilt to go into the box
that they were getting ready to send
to the home missionary on the
frontier, it was not strange that they
were struck dumb for few minutes.
The silence was soon broken by
old Mrs. Jacobs, laying down her
needle and excaiming, well, did
you ever hear anything to beat that?
Mrs. Powers, who sat opposite
Mrs. Jacobs, laid down her needle
and said: No, | never did.
Then all the ladies began to ex.
press themselves about the new
conner in rather unsatisfactory words.
Winter had just set in; the mills in
town were running on half time, and
that meant half pay, for the supply
was greater than the demand. Now
that it would make such a difference
in Jed Humphrey's-the new baby S
father-hnancial condition, for he
never worked over few days at a
time without stopping to take a
double amount Of days to get rested
in.
If there is one misfortune worse
than many others, it is to be the
children OF shiftless parents, and Jed
Humphreys six children were en-
titled to the commiseration of the
whole community, although it is not
strange that just a: this point the
good women OF WelIingtonville felt
that patience and continuance in
well doing, as regards the Hum
phrey family, had now reached Its
limit. Sometimes when the hus-
band is shiitless, the wife is thrifty
and provident, but in this case, Jed
Humphrey and his wife were well
mated. Mary Humphrey was just
as shittless as Jed was, and the neigh
bors said, if anything she was little
more so.
Every year the sewing society OF
WellingtonviIle, believing charity
begins at home, had clothed up the
Humphrey family before they began
to sew for the missionary box. 1t
was vexing to find Mary Humphrey
frying out lard in the new dress they
had made for her to wear so she
could go TO church respectfully, and
to see how careless the children
were allowed to be regarding the
new hats and shoes and garments
given them. And now new baby
had come to that cheerleSs, neg
lected home, and Mrs. Clayton, after
announcing its arrival, also made
! the announcement that it had not
rag of clothes to wear except a few
things she found in her garret,
which she put away in a trunk when
her last baby outgrew them. 1t was
SO long she had forgotten all about
them until this stern necessity
brought them to mind
AS the ladies returned to their
quilting, it was quite human in them
to speculate some over the provi-
dences of the Lord. It did indeed
seem strange dispensation that he
should send another baby to the
Humphrey family. Jed Humphrey
could not take care of the children
there, and what would become OF
this little waif OF humanity who had
| Just come in the cold December
night, to make its entrance In a
world of care and trouble, a world
SO full Of hungerings and thirstings
and shiverings with the cold2
Why was the new baby not sent
to the childless home in the large
house on the hill1 There was an
empty cradle there, soft and warm,
and loving hands and hearts waiting
for just such a treasure from the
Fathers hand, to love and cherish
and work Tor. Here and there a
tear fell on the missionary quilt, as
one and another of the quilters
thought OF little grave in the GENE
terry and of the little white souls that
went from their arms up to God
Why were they taken away and Jed
Humphreys baby sent? Old theo
logians could not solve this problem
and throw light on these questions.
That was one of the mysteries which
God in his wisdom did not see fit tc
unravel for those good women O
Wellington.
1t was soon time for the letter
from the West to be read, and the
president OF the sewing society