The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1895-12-13
A LITTLE WALLER BABY.
BY EUGENE FIELD.

hev allus he'd a good opinion Nv the
wimmin folks. | don't look at EN- as
some people do: Wv course they're a
necessity-just as men are. Nv course
If there Warn't no wimmin folks there
wouldn't be no men folks-leastwise
that's what the medikil books say. But
never wuz much on discussin' humin
economy; what hev alus thought nd
said wuz that wimmin folks wuz kind
Nv luxury, nd the best kind, too.
Maybe it's because hain't he'd Much to
do with EN- that I'm sot on EN-. Never
did get real well acquainted with
more'n three or four NV EN- in all nv
life; seemed like it wuz meant that
shouldn't hey EN- round me as most
men hey. Mother died when wuz Il
i little tyhe, an Ant Mary raised me till
] wuz big enuff to make my own livin'.
Down here in the southwest, you see.
most Nv the girls is boys; there amt
none NV them civilian Influences folks
talk uv-nothin' but flowers nd birds
nd such things as poetry tells about.
SO | kind NV growed up with the curis
for our part NV the country, nd | hewitt
/ quite got that notion out'n my head yet.
One time-wall. reckon twuZ about
/ four years ago-I got a letter frum oil
Col SiblcT to come up 70 Saint Louey
nd consult with him bout some stock
interests we he'd together. Railroad
travelin' wuz TO new thing to me.
he'd been pruttY posperous-hed got
past heyin' to ride in a caboose nd cit
out at every stop to punch up the steers.
He'd money in the Hoost'n bank nd use
to 60 to Tchicargo oncet year; he'd
met Fill Armer nd shook hands with
him, nd oncet the city papers he'd q
colume article about my bein' million
aire; wv course t warn't so. but Teller
kind Nv likes that sort Nv thing, YOU
know.
The mornin' after l got that letter
from Col Sibley I started for Saint
Louey. | took bunk in the Pullman
car, like | he'd been dom for six years
past; nd ] reckon the other folks must
hev thought I wuz heap Nv a man.
for every haff-hour give the niger hat
a dollar to bresh me off. The carwuz full
Nv people-rich people, too, I reckon, for
they wore good clo'es nd criticised the
scenery. Jest across frum me there
wuz lady with a big, fat baby-the
pruttiest woman he'd seen in month
wv Sundays; and the baby! why, dog
gone my skin when I wuzn't payin'
money TO the niger, darned If didn't
set there watchin' the big, fat little
cuss, like he wuz the only baby l ever
seen. amt much of hand at babies.
cause | haint seen many NV 'em, nd
when it comes to handlin' 'em-Why.
that would break me all up, md like
s not t would break the baby all up.
too. But it has allus been my notion
that mex to the wimmin folks babies
wuz just about the incest things on
earth. So the more | looked at that
big, fat little baby settin' in its mothers
lap cross the way, the more | wanted
to look; seemed like | wuz hoodooed
by the little tyke; nd the first thing
knew there wuz water in my eyes
don't know why it is, but it allus makes
me kind ur slop over to set nd watch
Il baby cooin' nd playin' in it's mothers
lap.
Look a hyar, SAM" says to the
niger, come hyar nd bresh me off
agin! Why amt you tendin' to biz
niss?"
But it didn't do no good t all; pre-
tendin' to be cross with the niger
might fool the other folks in the car,
but it didn't fool me. Iwuz dead stuck
on that baby-gol durn his pictur'.
And there the little tyke set in it's moth
er's lap, doublin' up it's fists nd tryin'
to swaller 'em, nd talliin' like to its
mother in lingo couldn't understan',
but which the mother could, for she
talked back to the baby in a soothin'
lingo which couldn't understand, but
which liked to hear, nd she kissed
the baby nd stroked its hair nd pctted
it like wimmin do.
1t made me mad to hear them other
folks in the car criticism the see merry
nd things. A mans in mighty poor
bizness, anyhow, to be looliin' at scenery
when there's a woman in sight-a wom-
an and baby!
PrUtty soon-oh, maybe in hour or
two-the baby began to fret nd worrit.
Seemed to me like the little critter wuz
hungry. KNOWN that there wuzn't
no eatin' house Ahis side NV BONNEVILLE.
| jest called the train boy, nd says l to
him: "llev you got any victuals that
will do for baby?"
How is oranges nd bananas ?" says
he.
THAT ought TO do" SEE |. "Jist do
up a dozen NV your best oranges md a
dozen NV your best bananas nd take
'em over to that baby with my compiler
ments."
But before he could do it, the lady
he'd laid the baby on one NV her arms
nd he'd spread n shawl over its head md
over her shoulder, nd all NV a suddin'
the baby quit worrin' and seemed like
he he'd gone to sleep.
When we got to York Crossin'
looked out'n the winder nd seen some
mel carryin' a long pine box up towards
the baggage car. Seem their hats off,
| knew there wuz dead body in the
box, nd | couldn't help feelin' sorry for
the POOR creetur that he'd died in that
lonely place Nv Yo Crossin'; but
mout hev felt d heap sorrier for the
creeters that he'd to live there, for I'll
allow that York Crossin is leetle the
durndest lonesomest place ever seen
Well, just afore the train started agin,
| who should potna into tho car hut