Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1897-03-15
MY LUCKY FIND.

chagrin, perhaps, at the outcome Yes,
it was enough to make man swear!
And the cause of it all was Baby
Mouse, hapless Baby Mousel But, be-
fore you, dear reader, will understand
why Baby Mouse should be to blame you
will want to know who he is. It's a
strange story, and yet sweet and tender
withal And it ends well-that's its
best part.
Three months ago Twas coming home
with the evening shades. It was bitter
cold, and I rejoiced in anticipation OF
my coy, warm home and the simple,
dainty meal which my old houseleeper,
Johanna, knew how to prepare so well.
/ was lost in just such comfortable
bachelor reverie, when descended from
the l. road to weEd my way toward my
little Washington Heights home. /
walked rapidly and seen reached there.
Opening the iron gate that led into the
tiny garden patch in trent Of the house,
saw small package lying on the fro
zen snow.
"a present from somebody" said
half aloud, stepped and picked up my
find My hands, bit numb with cold,
despite my fleece lined gloves, had
scarcely grasped the bundle when it be-
gan to kick and squi1m. Nor was that
all. 1t raised such lusty bowls that my
neighbors' windows flew up, and they
stuck out their heads to see what it
meant.
1t would have done me good to see my
OF +lor,
All the nursery tales of cry babies and
bewitched castaways came to my mind
with rush. felt like depositing the
lively packet i'll the place where had
found it, but that would have been
cruel.
Aye, it would have been worse than
murder to leave such little mite out
in the open with the thermometer at 10
above zero. had no desire to make the
acquaintance of the state attorney.
But, better than al, great pity swelled
my heart for the unfortunate creature
whom loneliness had cast away, and as
fast as / could run with my burden
ran into the house. Johanna met me in
the door.
See what I have brought you,''
said, with z laugh.
The gccd woman gazed with horror
on the squiIming, shaking babe and held
out her hands.
Doctor, what does it mean?' she
gasped.
1T means, Johanna, that for the next
few days yCu ere going to battle and
feed and fondle this little waif, just as
you did me Cncc upcn q time
And then l told her the story Of how
1 had. found Baby Mouse.
In the lamplight examined the little
founding, and Johanna, too, locked
him over with critical eyes. He was a
jolly little youngster, months old per-
haps, with chubby face, eyes as blue as
a summer sky and lips that sCon took
on cherry hue, as their blue, pinched
look died away III the genial warmth of
the room and Johanna's embraces that
alternated with mine.
Johanna brought cut fresh linen, ar
ranged led and bathed and washed
the founding. Tucking him comforta-
bly, away in an iErrovised crib, she
gave him bottle filed with milk, and,
when he had appcased bis hunger, he
fell into a peaceful slumEer. / kissed
the baby's brow and said to Johanna:
Il ana going to report that case to
the police in the morning, and I'll ask
them TO let me keep the little one until
his relations are heard from.
Johanna gave me I'll amazed look.
my life Is so lonely" continued,
''he may bring scmc colcr into itp' I
may have sighed as l walked away.
You haven I forgotten, doctor, T" an
swered the seed woman, mo matter
how hard yCu've triedr'
Next day l went 10 the chief Of po-
lice. He recorded the case and had no
objection TO my keeping the baby. This
is the way l came into possession of
lovely and beautiful child Johanna and
/ decided TO call him Robert, but his
pet name = Baby Mouse was older
than that, and it chung to him.
And now you know who Mouse is.
Nobody ever came to claim him, and
my heart opened to the tender waif as
it had never opened before.
Mouse, of course, was treated like
king. Now and then Johanna would
say, ''You are spelling the child, doc
tori But she was as weak as I with
regard to Mouse.
He grew and prospered like flower
in the sunshine of our love and was the
lustiest youngster ON the block
But there must be rainy days as we'll
One day Mouse was taken i'll, and be-
fore night we knew that he had been
attacked with diphtheria. With flaming
checks and trembling hands he lay in
his crib, and I bent over him with
breaking heart. Long nights of anxious
watching followed. At last care and
tender nursing drove death from the
door, and the doctor told me that the
danger was passed But another blow