Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-03-12
A LITTLE WALLER BABY.
BY EUGENE FIELD.

wimmin folks. / don't look at 'em as
some people do; NV 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-lenstwise.
that's what the medikil books say. But
1 never wuz much on discussin' humin
economy; what 1 hev allus thought md
said wuz that wimmin folks wuz a kind
NV luxury, nd the best kind. too.
Maybe it's because I hain't he'd much to
do with 'em that Tn sotpn 'em. Never
did get real well acquainted with
more'n three or four NV 'em in all NV
life; seemed like it wuz meant that I
shouldn't hev 'em round me as most
men hev. Mother died when l wuz a
little tyke, an Ant Mary raised me till
! wuz big enuff to make my W livin'.
Down here in the southwest, YOU see,
most NV the girls is boys; there amt
none NV them civilizin' influences folks
talk uy-nothin' but flowers nd birds
md such things as poetry tells about.
So | kind NV growed up with the curis
notion that wimmin folks wuz too good
for u part Wv the country, nd | hevn't
quite got that notion out'n my head yet.
One time-wall, l reckon t wuz about
four years ago-I got a letter frum Oh
Col Siblc.,' to come up to Saint Louey
nd consult with him bout some stock
interests we he'd together. Railroad
travelin' wuz no new thing to me. l
he'd been prutty posperous-hed got
past hevin' to ride in a caboose nd git
out at every stop to punch UP the steers.
He'd money in the Hoost'n bank md use
to go to Tchicargo oncet a year; he'd
met Fill Armer nd shook hands with
him, md oncet the city papers he'd a
colume article about my bein' a million
aire; NV course t warn't SO, but a Teller
kind NV likes that sort NV thing, you
know.
The mornin' after / got that letter
from Col Sibley I started for Saint
Louey. / took a bunk in the Pullman
car, like ! he'd been doin' for six years
past; nd / reckon the other folks must
hev thought l wuz a heap NV a man.
for every haf-hour l give the niger hat
a dollar to bresh me off. The car wuz full
Nv ~people-rich people, too, l reckon, for
they wore good clo'es md criticised the
scenery. Jest across frum me there
wuz a lady with a big, fat b~aby-the
pruttiest woman l he'd seen in a month
Nv Sundays; and the baby! why, dog
gone my skin when I wuzn't payin'
money to the Niger, darned il I didn't
set there watchin' the big, fat little
cuss, like he wuz the only baby l ever
seen. / amt much of o hand at babies,
cause / haint seen many Nv 'em, md
when it 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 I looked al that
big, fat little baby settin' in it's mothers
lap cross the way, the more l wanted
to look: seemed like I wuz hoodooed
by the little tyke; md the first thing I
knew there wuz water in my eyes;
don't know why 1t is, but it allus makes
me kind ur slop. over. to set nd watch
a baby cooin' md playin' in it's mothers
lap.
Look "a hyar, SAM" says I to the
niger, come hyar md bresh me of
agin! Why amt you tendin' to biz
Miss ~
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 its moth
er's lap, doublin' up its fists nd tryin'
to swaller 'em, nd talkin' like to it's
mother In . lingo / couldn't understan'.
but which the mother could, for she
talked back to the baby in q soothin'
lingo which I couldn't understand, but
which / liked TO hear, md she kissed
the baby nd stroked it, hair md petted
il like wimmin do.
It made me mad to hear them other
folks In the car criticism the scenery
md things. A mans in mighty poor
bizness. anyhow, to be lookin' at scenery
when there's . woman In sight-aw om'
an and q baby!
Prutty soon-oh, maybe in Q hour or
two-the baby began to fret md worrit.
Seemed to me like the little critter wuz
hungry. KNOWN that there wuzn't
no eatin'-house this side NV Bonneville,
I jest called the train boy, md says l TO
him: ..Hev you got any victuals that
will do for . baby?"
sHow il oranges md bananas?' says
he.
"That ought to do reg !. 'Jist do
up q dozen NV your best oranges md .
dozen NV your best bananas md take
'em over to that baby with my compiler
ments."
But before he could do II, the lady
he'd laid the baby on ons~llv her arms
nd he'd spread . shawl over it, head md
over her shoulder, md al Nv . suddins
the baby quit worrin' and seemed ltke1
he he'd gone to sleep.
When we got to York Crossins !
hooked out'n the winder nd : some
men carryin' 8 long pine box up towards
the baggage car. 6eeins their hats @.
- 49, -. &SEEE.EA N = 80 -