The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-02-08
SELECTED STORY.
The New Baby.

announced the new arrival to the ladies,
who were quilting quilt to go into the
box that they were getting ready to
send TO the home missionary on the
frontier. il was not strange that they
were struck dumb for few moments.
The silence was soon broken by old
Mira. Jacobs. laying down her needle and
exclaiming, "Well, did you ever hear
anything to beat thaiT'
Mrs. Powers, who sat opposite Mrs.
Jscobs, laid down her needle and said
"No, never did,"
Then all the ladies began to ex
press themselves about the newcomer
In rather unsatisfactory words. Winter
had lust set in; the mills in town were
running on half-time, and that meant
half.pay, for the supply was greater
than the demand. Not that it would
make such a difference in Jed Hum
phrey's--the new baby's father-fnan-
cial condition, for he never worked
over few days at time without stop.
ping 10 take double amount of days
to get rested in.
If there is one misfortune worse than
many others, it is to be the children of
shiftess parents, and Jed Humphreys
ak children were entitled to the COM
miseratiOn of the whole community,
although it is not strange that Just at
this point the good women Of Yelling
tonville felt that patience and cOntiDu.
ance in well doing, as regards the
Humphrey family, had now reached its
limit. Sometimes when the husband
is shiftess, the wife is thrifty and prov
L,,, IaA n
and his wife were well mated. Mary
Humphrey was just as shiftless as Jed
was, and the neighbors said, " If any
thing, she was little more So"
Every year the sewing society Of
Wellingtonvile, believing charity be-
gins al home, had clothed up the Humph-
rey mily before they began to sew for
the missionary box. 1t was vexing
to fnd Mary Humphrey trying out
lard in the new dress they had made
for her to wear 80 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 cherries, neg
lected home, and Mrs. Clayton, after
announcing its arrival, also made the
announcement that it had not rag of
clothes to wear except few things she
had found in her garnet, which she put
away in trunk when her last baby
outgrew them. 1t was so long ago she
had forgotten all about them until this
stern necessity brought them 10 mind.
As the ladies returned to their quilt
ing, it was quite human in them to
spt culate some over the provdences of
the Lord. 1t did indeed seem a strange
dispensation that he should send an
other baby to the Humphrey family.
Jed Humphrey could not take care of
the children already there, and what
would become of this little waif of hu-
manity who had just come in the cold
December night, TO make its entrance
in a world of care and trouble, world
so full of hupgeriDgs and thirstings and
shiverings with the cold?
Why was the new baby not sent to
the childless home in the large house
on the hill? There was an empty cradle
there, soft and warm, and loving hands
and hearts waiting for just such treas
ure from the Fathers hand, TO love
and cherish and work for. Here and
there tear fell on the missionary quilt,
as one and another of the quilteIs
terry and of the little white souls that
went from their arms up to God. Why
were they taken away and Jed Humph.
rey's baby sent? Old theologians 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 to unravel for those good
women of WellingtoDville.
II was soon time for the letter from
the West TO be read, and the president
of the sewing society knocked on the
end of the quilting frames for ordt r.
It was very interesting and apprecia,
tive letter she lead from the poor min
lister and his wife. 1t was q labor of
love to work for the Lords messengers
in that way, and the box would be 80
gladly received, that the vote was
taken and carried unanimous 10 get it
off for its destination that week.
land now, ladies'" the president
added, 1--WE must get some comfortable
clothes for the new baby at the Humph-
rey's. No wonder you smile at my sug-
gestion, but we are commanded 10
Ciolho tuO uaheu1 ieeu Juo hungry anu
care for the sick, you know, and Christ
makes no limitations on account OF
shiitlessness or unapprecated lab ,rs. "
And thus, once more, the good Chris.
tian women of Wellingtonville made
the Humphrey family comfortable.
The winter slipped away as quickly
as all winters do, aud il was syring
time. The Humphreys had been
showed out of the highway towards the
village for weeks, 80 nobody went tC
the old brown house in the hollow. No
a ray of sunshine could penetrate
through the panes of glass, often thick
with the frost for days at a time. JeG
Humphrey beslirred himself enough tC
get into the woods and bring home some
tirewood, but he took good care to 81
down and see it all nearly burned ou
before he ventured to 90 into the cole
again 10 replenish his pile. The baby
had grown old enough to be tied in tht
one-armed high-chair by the table, anC
TO amuse itself pounding on it with al
old rusty iron spoon, The children hat
about worn out their comfortable
clothes that came when the new baby
did, the barrel of Il our was almost gone