The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-26

This finally decided me to leave the
/ perambulator behind. Several ineffect-
ual attempts to drag it after me by the
/ strap had only resulted in nearly up
setting me altogether, for a really heal
| thy baby needs very little help to give
strong unmarried man all he can do
to keep his balance. AS / toiled upward
i thought of Sisyphus. and wondered IL
the infant would struggle free and roll
down again just as i reached the top,
when I'm a momentary lull, proba bly,
while it was gathering strength for
fresh attack. ! noticed the still pros
trate figure of the nurse upon the path
before me. At last, / thought, the end
of my trouble must have come. But
shesnever moved and 1 found the least
relaxation of my hold upon the child
only resulted in it's making another de-
termined attempt at suicide.
Never before had / imagined myself
to be an object so repellent. and my re-
Elections became the more bitter when
! considered the peculiarly unpleasing
aspect of the woman whom the child
had selected as its especial friend and
guardian. The nurse said she had the
horrors" that she could not move;
that If she moved she would fall over,
sure: that IL / left her / should be
murderer; that If l touched her she
would call for help; that 1 had no need
Irrelevant remarks. This nearly made
me angry. Keeping a firm hold on the
baby with one hand. / took her wrist
tightly with the other, turned her face
toward the wall of the cliff, and gently.
but firmly, continued the ascent.
How / turned the next corner and
finally surmounted the last path l can
not tell Between the punishment ad-
ministered by the baby's shoes and the
revilings of its miserable guardian, j
had better opportunity than has since
occurred to me for exercising Self-con-
troll. On my way to the top had made
up my mind to take the little creature
home. and after some trouble, i got
the address of its parents from the
exasperated nurse, who evidently sus-
pected / had the darkest of designs up
on herself the baby and the family in
general.
Though clearly unfit to take the most
rudimentary care of her little charge,
the girl refused to leave either the child
or me, and when l marched off along
the main street of the little town-the
still protesting infant on my shoulder
though l soon managed to put some
distance between us, she followed tear
fully behind like the chief mourner at
funeral. What the inhabitants of
that quiet seaside resort imagined to
be going on is more than / can say.
Ny attention was completely absorbed
in trying to hold the baby in my
arms.
AS I turned into the last street and
stood looking for the house a lady with
black hair. who had been standing by
garden gate. rushed down the path.
She had apparently recognized in some
extraordinary way the pair of tiny
shoes which continued to inflict unmer-
tied chastisement upon my person.
She began at once, breathlessly:
What does this mean? Why have
you got my baby?"
Madam" / ventured.
What have you done with the nurse?
Why did you take her away from my
baby?"
All the nurses most repulsive charac-
teristics rose wildly to my remem-
brance. as | heard her painting behind
me toward the house. With some dig
nifty, for / was no longer embarrassed
by the baby. / began to disclaim the
accusation; but | was interrupted by a
question even angrier than before:
Where is my perambulator? | shall
send for the police"
The baby seemed now TO enjoy the
situation, for, though it's head was
turned away. / could distinctly hear it
chuckling over my misfortunes, and, in
deed, If the husband with whom had
some slight acquaintance) had not ar
rived Just then, and, with a little in
considerate merriment at first, listened
to my explanations. l believe | should
have been taken into custody at once.
But when the creatures parents
learned how nearly their perambulator
had thrown me over the cliff; when
they had attempted in some degree to
sympathize with my feelings, during
the rest of the episode, matters began
to mend somewhat and | was formally
introduced
But the baby remained implacable.
To her my conduct continued to be a
mystery. She shrieked with indigna-
ton IL l ever was so indelicate as to
bring myself within her view.
That was all long ago; but the worst
of IL is that | cannot understand her |
any better now.