The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-11-10
the poor-house, as the town authori-
ties thought she'd better.

DuG OdTluS SeLJlel Jle mdJJer ny
taking her home with him. Darius
always was FOOL Minty said. But,
dear, think the Lord counts as wis
dom what men often call foolishness.
'Then came the news that Jane 8,
the son in New York, had been killed
suddenly. He was brought home
an buried, an the family was worried
lest his young wife, who was very
delicate, would look to them for some
help.
"She needn't look to them for
anything Arabel said; she's helped
James to live fast, an squander his
portion, and she can't expect to share
our hard earnin's.'
"Poor thing Darius was the only
one to look after her interests, and
SO it was that a spell after, she sent
for him to come down to her. She
was very low, an had three-weeks-
old baby.
"The folks would actually have
stopped his goin' if they could, but
that wasn't possible; so he went
down to the city an was gone near a
week. Saturday afternoon | see him
walking up the road-there was no
railroad here then, and the stage
came no nearer than the Corner
carryin' queer bundle. He came in
our gate, an met him at the door,
He was pale an tired.
"'Hittie,' says he, poor Lizzie is
dead, an I've got her boy
"Poor baby! 1t was crying pitt
fully, an couldn't rest till I had it
in my arms, free of its wraps. TWAS
poor in flesh, and l see at once in
need of good care an tendin'.
L don't know much about tendin
such little cretures,' says he, but I
want to learn, for it's mine now. She
didn't have any friends willin' to care
for it, an I don't think any of my
folks will want it. You know they
all had words with James, and have
never been friendly since. I'm kind
O fearful that mother'll be vexed
first, or that the others will put her
up to be. I'll have to look alone to
Auntie Mccormick
"'You leave the child here with me
for spell, says I, seein' his difficulty
1T wants good care, an that at once
You can have time to prepare your
mother for its comm
"He was right glad of my offer.
though he felt it was more'n l ought
to do, he said. He hung over the
little thing for minute or SO; If
stuck it's tiny hand out against his
cheek. He took it, gentle as
mother
$50 helpless SO helpless!' says he
God helpin' me, I'll do my duty by
it.
Gas | expected, KNOWN the Brad
dons SO well-they raised hornets
nest about his ears. Not one of 'em
had lovin' pity for their brothers
child. The idea, they said, 'of his
takin' baby there when mother and
father were SO feeblel" But Darius
never once cared for other folks when
he once got his head sot. 'The child
ought to be put in some asylum or
institution. That was the only thing
to do Not one of them, however,
told the downright truth of the mat
ter, that they grudged the helpless
baby the money its keep might cost,
an the claim it had as we'll as they
on the property. Selfshness is cruel
as death sometimes, child.
"But all the talk didn't turn Dari-
us from his purpose. We had it to
our house six weeks, an when Darius
took it home it was healthy, fine
CROWN child. Auntie Mccormick had
the real mother heart, an loved
children too much to mind any trou-
BILE, and Darius was as tender as any
mother.
at grew fond of him very soon
cried after him when he went away,
stretched out its little hands to be
taken when he came in, and I've seen
him carrying it, cuddled close to his
neck, his brown cheek close against
his soft one.
"'I can't tell you, Hittie, says he
to me, when he brought it up one
Sunday for me to see how't was grow
in, what a comfort N y chap is to me.
His just lovin' me for myself is to me
like water springs to thirsty man.
"When Darius's boy was six years
old, he concluded he'd better send
him to school. He was a beautiful,
promising child, high-spirited, but
lovin' an gentle-the very apple of
Darius's eye.
"'Sendin' him to school will most