Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-26
Mr.. AND MRS. BLOSSOM
A Revelation That Came to TheM at a
Ohild,s Bedside
A Household Into Which No Children
Had Come to brighten Life and
Bring Happiness.
Eugene Field in the Chicago Record.

Eugene Field in the Chicago Record.
The name we meant to call her was An
nette, for that was a name always liked.
Way back, before got married. made up
my mind that If ever I had daughter I
should call her Annette. My intention was
good enough, but circumstances of Pc
culiar nature led me to abandon the idea
which in anticipation afforded me really a
lot Of pleasure. My circumstances have al
ways been humble I say this N no spirit
of complaint. We have very much to be
thankful for, and we are particularly CRATE
full for the blessing which heaven has be-
slowed upon US in the person of our dear
child-our daughter who comes from school
tonight to spend Thanksgiving with US and
with our friends, Mr.. and Mrs. Blossom
| must tell you how we became acquainted
with the Blossoms.
to sit of mornings, before going to my
work, on the front steps, watching the
baby playing on the sidewalk rms pleas
ATTEST half hour Of the day I divided be-
tween the little one and my pipe. One
morning, as I sat there smoking and as
the little one was toddling to and fro on
the sidewalk, portly, nice-looking old gen
tleman came down the street, and, as luck
would have it, the baby got right in his
path, and before I could get to her she
tangled herself all up with the old gentle
mans legs and cane. The old gentleman
seemed very much embarrassed, but, bless
your soul! the baby liked 1t!
"a pretty child-a' beautiful child" said
the old gentleman, and then he inquired:
"Boy or girl?"
"Girl," says I, and I added: 1.-TWO years
old and weighs thirty pounds"
THAT must be a great deal for little
girl to weigh" said the old gentleman, ana
1 saw that his eyes fingered lovingly and
yearn:ngly upon the child. 1 am sure he
wanted to say more but all at once. as II
he suddenly recollected himself. he glanced
furtively up the street, and then. turning
course down town. thought to myself that
he was a kindly old gentleman, tribe
queer, perhaps. but Of a gentle nature.
Three or four times within week after
that a similar experience with this old gen.
tleman befel me and the baby. He would
greet her cheerily; sometimes he would pat
her head, and I saw that his heart warm.
ed toward her. But all the time he talked
with US he seemed to act as If he feared
he was being watched, and he left US
neutrality-suspicious. breaking away in the
| middle of a sentence as IL he was afraid he
might say something he ought not to say
At last, however, I learned that his name
was Blossom, and that Mrs Blossom and
he lived alone in fine house up yonder in
"a more fashionable part Of our street. In
an outburst of confidence one morning he
told me that he was very fond of children,
and that he felt that much was gone out of
his life because no little one had ever come
to Mary and himself.
But he added, with an air of assumed
| cheerfulness, "as Mary does not like chill
| dren at all. it is perhaps for the best that
none has ever come to u.s.
1 now understood why Mr.. Blossom was
| so cautious in his attentions to our baby;
| he was fearful of being observed by his
! wife; he felt that 1t was his duty to humor
her in her Discrimination to children. I
pitied the dear old-gentleman, and for the
| same reason conceived a violent dislike for
Mrs. Blossom.
But my wife Cordelia told me something
| one day that set my heart to aching for
both the two old people.
"A sweet-looking old lady passed the
house this afternoon" said Cordelia, land
! took notice of baby asleep in my arms on
| the porch. She stopped and asked me all
| and then I saw she was crying softly to
herself. 1 asked her If she had ever lost a
| little girl. and she said no. 4 have always
been childless.' said the sweet old lady. In
| all the years of my wifehood I have be-
sought but one blessing of heaven-the joy
| of maternity. My prayers are unanswered
and 1t Is perhaps better So. She told me
then that her husband did not care for
children; she could hardly reconcile his pro-
| fessed antipathy to them with his warm
gentle and loyal nature: but 1t was WELL
II he did not want children, that none had
come"
What was the old lady's name?" I
asked.
Mrs: Blossom" said my wife Cordelia
1 whistled softly to my self. Then I told
Cordelia of my experience with Mr.. Bios
som. and we wondered where and when
and how this pathetic comedy of cross
purposes would end. We talked the mat
ter over many time after that, and we
agreed that 1t would be hard to find an
instance Of deception more touching than
that which we had met with in the daily
life of Mr.. and Mrs. Blossom Meanwhile
the two old people became more and more
attached to our precious baby. Every
morning brought Mr.. Blossom down the
street with smile and caress and a
tender word for the little one that toddled
10 meet nm ana oyerwhelm him with her
| innocent prattle. Every afternoon found
the sweet-looking old lady in front of our
| house, fondling our child and feeding her
starving maternal instinct upon the little
man and the old lady-each one confessed
by action and by word to an Overwhelming
love for children yet between them stood
that pitiless lie. conceived of the tenderest
consideration for each other, but resulting
in lifelong misery.
tell you It was mighty hard sometimes
for Cordelia and not to break out with
| the truth!
It occurred to US both that there would
eventually come time when the friend
ship of Mr.. and Mrs. Blossom would he
| precious indeed to our daughter. We had
great hopes Of that child, and all our day
| dres ms Involved her. She must go to
school, she must be educated. she must
want nothing: there was no conceivable
Sacflnce winch Cordoba and l would not
| make gladly fer our little girl. Would we
| be willing to share her love with these two
| childless old people, who yearned for that
| love and were ready to repay 1t with every
| benefit which riches can supply? We ask
ed ourselves that question a thousand
| times. God helped Us to answer it.
The winter set in early and suddenly.
We were awakened one night by that
| hoarse, terrifying sound which chills the
parent heart with anxiety. Our little one
was flushed with fever and there was
rafting in her throat when she breathed.
When the doctor came he told us not to
| be frightened: this was a mild form of
Group, he said. His medicines seemed to
give relief, for presently the child breathed
easier and slept. Next morning an old
gentleman on his way down town 'vor ':ered
| why the baby was not out to greet him
with a. hilarious shout; he felt that here
all about his heart-whch told hIm that
| two dimpled hands had taken hold and
| held him fast. An old lady came to the
door that day and asked questions hurried
| ly and in whispers, and went away crying
| to herself under her veil.
When 1t came night again the baby was
as good as well. I was rocking her and
| telling her story. when the door bell
rang. A moment laterI could hardly be-
| lieve my senses, but Mr.. Blossom stood be-