Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1895-12-14
6, Mr.. Wright at the Branch, Hattie
Rassctt on Bridgcwater Hill.
The Shepard Family are billed to
appear at Union Hall, Dec. l..
THE BABY'S PERIL.
Held In the Arms of Manaic on the Asy
Inn, Roof

Held In the Arms of a Manaic on the Asy.
lum Roof.
To DO suro, tho man looked kind
~ enough, and he took the baby
from its mothers arms like any
kindly man would do, and the moth
err was proud to see her baby made
much of, like any other mother
would be.
She was a farmers wife from
Sampson, and, being stout of arm,
had carried the child all day, except
when the husband would sometimes
tako q turn, and the two had walk
ed from the timo the train got to
Raleigh, for they were used to walk
ing over the fields, but somehow
city streets have way of making
those from the country tired, and
so the farmer s wife WIS tired wien
with tho little 1-year-old and tho
farmer husband she had gone afoot
as far as the Asylum For tho Insane,
Over 700 of the oXcursionists had
called on tho good DR.. Kirby that
day, and so there was nothing odd
now about these two farmer folks
among tho others there.
And all of q sudden the baby was
gone.
"What did you do with him?'
asked Joe, the farmer husband, III
mans way, that camo like bolt.
She listened, and they all listened
and looked, but her car caught the
first sound of the child. 1t was
laughing somewhere from above.
1t was ever so happy, for the man
was tossing it up and up, higher and
higher, and its little heart leaped
for joy, and the eye of the kindly
man cleaned with the cunning con.
seriousness of now experience, and
perhaps n broken shaft of What was
once home light came through the
distant years to brain whelmed
beneath troubled waters.
There he stood on tho edge of the
roof, three stories up, tossing Tho
baby.
He was q maniac.
And tho baby was in frolic, ant
it was strange sport for the mad
man.
"What will he do?" The woman
fell under the horror of it in a doat
SWOOn.
Then the mon counseled, while
the baby went up and down and th'
counsel was not taken with waste
of word. Every word counted, FOL
tho baby was in Il frolic us he KEEP
tossing it away up in the air. Some
suggested feather bed in case thu
little one should bo thrown down.
DR.. McGoachy suggested ladder
to creep upon tho maniac, but where
is tho same man that can creep upol
maninc with oven ladlorsth'
mailman who secs every movcmon
quick as an ape? Tho fire alarm wa
| SUpntSlcut tijt NOlI'o lS'l tcSSNti-
hopelessly and with despair.
Meanwhile Mr.. Crawford was no
idle Ho had gone into the Office ant
he ran out with q great slice of wa
termelon, and tho baby was KEEP
still! in arms on the roof, whilo th
man looked down at Mr., Crawford
Come down, colonel" said Mr.
Crawford, "and let's have SOM
melon" He said it so quietly tina
tho man looked again and they al
wondered for an instant what b.
would do He hesituted-that We
, the supremolno!nent. Como down
colonel" said mir. Crawford coax
iDGly.
The maniac turned deliberately
walked to the scuttle on tho roof ant
camo down with the baby, and hi
face had lost tho wild CLEAN it wor
on tho roof. lie locked at tho farm
er mother in tho Same kindly wa,
IA no handed back tho baby. IRA
leigh Nows and Observer.