The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-10-29
BROWNS BABY.

Brown was returning to Toronto
from business trip of several weeks.
II had been successful, and Brown was
in his best spirits and temper.
A little over an hour would finish
his journey, and when the conductor
sang out at the last stopping place,
Ten minutes for refreshments
Brown embraced the opportunity to
compound with his appetite on the
terms of cup of coffee and sand
wich, for he didn't care to spoil the
good dinner which he knew Mrs. B.
would have in waiting.
Just before him, as he elbowed his
way back to the car he had left, his at
tention was drawn by a pretty woman
carrying q baby, who seemed much in
,onvenienced by the jostling crowd.
Now, Brown, be it remembered, was
in an amiable mood. He took an in
.erest in babies, withal, having one Of
mis- own. an infant paragon, for whose
babies generally.
"Allow me to assist you, madam"
ne said extending his arms for the
pretty woman's charge.
"Thankee, sir" she replied handing
It over at once, and tripping briskly
into the train.
Brown followed as closely as he
could but, encumbered as he was, sew
sral passengers got ahead of him. In
= He therer~was o general scramble of
he newcomers for seats, and Browns
attention for the time was fully occu-
pied IN maintaining his right to his
own.
The confusion over, he looked about
,or the pretty woman but she was no
where % ne seen. Brown felt nervous,
or just then tHe whistle ble.y, and the
rain began r. move.
Maybe sr- gone forward to an
other car finGiT2 no room here" said
Brown TO himself, expecting me to
ollow."
Catching at the thought, he rushed
through. from car to car, scanning
Eagerly every face he passed. till he
reached the smolng-car and from
that he would have passed into the
oaggage-car, but that he found locked
and mo admittance" painted on the
loor. But all in vain; the pretty wo-
nan was not to be found.
A backward search proved equally
ruthless, and poor Brown, in helpless
lcrpleXity, returned to his seat, and
vat down to ponder.
Brown was accounted a shrewd man,
| reputation on which he had prided
himself. He would have laughed to
scorn the wiles of the most cunning
sharper in a trade; knew when to bel
ow with the bulls, and when to growl
With the bears; when to go short in
Moonshire Preferred, and when to be
ong in Gossamer Common. That l-e,
he wary Pe!eg Brown, should have a
counterfeit baby passed upon him
should have been taken in by trick
80 stale-was too CALLING to be thought
of calmly,
The baby had slept hitherto, but now
It woke up. Something in Browns
lace frightened it, and it began to cry.
This added TO Browns embarrass-
nent by attracting the notice of the
passengers He endeavored to quiet
he little wretch; dandied it furiously
sven tried to sing to it, in a low tone,
rs much as he could remember of DR..
Watts's Hush, Ny Babe" to a tune
which resemblcd yankee Doodle;"
out his ri ht ned the baby still moe
and its SCREAMS became continent.
In despair, Brown hailed the prize
candy boy, invested in a package, tore
t open, and thrust half the contents
into the bahy's mouth, at the risk of
choking It witt the god dollar which
might have oeen among them. But
hahy vas too young to like candy and
Sputtered it over Browns doeskins,
to- 70 = t,I
disgust, and roaring lauder than ever
"Hello, Brown! what have you got
ihere?' SAID Sam Twggs. coming for
ward and clapping a hand on his
friends shoulder.
A gleam of hope flashed upon Brown
Sam was a well-to-do bachelor, with.
out relatives, and would, some day
want an heir to his handsome fortune
Maybe he could be induced to adop'
the little stranger. Brown put the
case strongly, but Sam failed to see it
"At any rate, hold it for me a min
nte," requested Brown, Offering San
the baby "till I see if somebod.
hasn't such thing as a bottle or ;
paregoric, or something to put an ent
to this confounded din"
mo more at present; yours respect
fully" said Sam, turning on his hee
and hurrying away abruptly.
what pity it hadn't been borl
three thousand years ago, and foun
by Pharaohs daughter in a bunch O
bulrushes" muttered Brown, lookin
down scowlingly at his vociferou
burden.
"For my part" he growled, 81 can
imagine whatver put 1t into the littl
imps head TO be born at ALL"
But babies can't cry always. Tner
is a limit to even their laohrymal Ell
durance, and Brown't baby-it wa
his, at least, by possessory title-su'