Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1897-03-25
MY LUCKY FIND.
Iwcs almost in despair.

Twas almost in despair.
What lot Of trouble have brought
on myself for my good naturel Police
Investigations and reports, annoyance,
chagrir, perhaps, at the outcome. Yes,
it was enough to make a man sweari
And the cause of it all was Baby
Mouse, hapless Baby Mousei 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 was coming home
with the evening shades. 1t was bitter
cold, and l rejoiced in anticipation of
my cozy, warm home and the simple,
dainty meal which my old housekeeper,
Johanna, knew how to prepare so well.
l was lost in Just such comfortable
bachelor reverie, when descended from
the L road to wend my way toward my
little Washington Heights home. /
walked rapidly and soon reached there.
Opening the iron gate that led into the
tiny garden patch in front CT tho house,
I saw. small package lying on the fro
zen snow.
"A present from somebody" said
half aloud, stopped and picked up my
find My hands, a bit numb with cold,
despite my fleece lined gloves, had
scarcely grasped the bundle when it be-
gan TO kick and squirm. Nor was that
all. 1t raised such lusty howls 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
face Just then in a convenient mirror.
All the nursery tales of cry babies and
bewitched castaways came to my mind
with rush. felt like depositing the
lively packet in the place where l 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 I had no desire to make the
acquaintance of the state attorney.
But, better than all, great pity swelled
my heart for the unfortunate creature
whom loveliness had cast away, and as
fast as could run with my burden l
ran into the house. Johanna met me in
the door.
"See what I have brought you," l
said, with laugh.
Il The good woman gaZed with horror
on the squirming, shaking babe and held
. out her hands.
Doctor, what does it mean?' she
!. gasped.
"It means, Johanna, that for the next
few days you are going to bathe and
feed and fondle this little waif, just as
you did me once upon a time"
And then told her the story Of how
had found Baby Mouse.
In the lamplight I examined the little
foundling, and Johanna, too, looked
him over with critical eyes, He was q
jolly little youngster, 8 Smonths old per-
haps, with chubby face, eyes as blue as
a summer sky and lips that soon took
on cherry hue, as their blue, pinched
look died away in the genial warmth of
the room and Johanna's embraces that
alternated with mine.
Johanna brought out fresh linen, ar.
ranged bed and bathed and washed
the founding. Tucking him comforta-
bly, away in an improvised crib, she
/ 1,sx N hot f1n
when he had appeased his hunger, he
fell into q peaceful slumber. kissed
the baby's brow and said to Johanna:
II am 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 an amazed look.
|. my life is SO lonely" 1 continued,
che may bring some color into itp'
, may have sighed as I walked away.
. "You haven't forgotten, DOCTOR" an.
swered the good woman, "no matter
I how hard you've triedP'
II Next day went to the chief of po.
. lice. He recorded the case and had nc
objection to my keeping the baby. This
is the way came into possession of a
lovely and beautiful child Johanna and
decided to call him Robert but his
; pet name Baby Mouse se-was Older
than that and it clung 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 q
king. Now and then Johanna would
a say, "You are spelling the child, doc,
torp' But she was as weak as I with
regard to Mouse.
ell He grew and prospered Like flower
, III the sunshine of our love and was the
lastiest youngster on the block.
But there must be rainy days as well,
One day Mouse was taken ill, and be.
fore night we knew that he had heer
attacked with diphtheria. With flaming
7 cheeks and trembling hands he lay il
!, 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
E door, and the doctor told me that the
{ danger was passed. But another blow
. came severer even than Mouse's illness
My old faithful servant had caught the
infection and had to take. to her bed.
There was, helpless man, with an
{ I'll woman and convalescent babe on
= my hands.
Surely it was desperate situation.