, 1897-03-20

/ was almost III despair.

What Il lot Of trouble | have brought
on myself for my gcod nature! Police
Investigations and reports, annoyance,
chagrin, perhaps, at the outcome. Yes.
it was enough to make Il man swear!
And the cause Of it all was Baby
Mouse, haplcss Baby Mouse! But. be.
fore you, dear reader, will understand
why Baby Mouse should be to blame YOU
will want to know who lie is. It's Il
strange story, and yet sweet and tcndc.
withul. And it ends well-that's its
best part.
Three months ago l was coming home
with the evening shades. 1t was bitter
cold, and | rcjoicCd i'll anticipation OF
my coy, wa1m home and the simple,
dainty meal which my old h~ouseEccpcr,
Johanna, knew how to prepare so well.
| was lest i'll just such comfortable
bachelor r~cveric, 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 i'll front Of the house,
l saw a small package lying on the fro
zen SLOW.
"A present from Somebody l said
half aloud, stepped and picked up my
find. My hands, Il bit numb with cold,
despite my fleece lined gloves, had
scarcely gruspcd the bundle when it be-
gan to kick Ind squilni. Nor was that
all. 1t raised such lusty bowls that my
n~eighbors' windows flew up, and they
stuck out their heads to see what il
meant.
1t would have done me good to see my
face just then in Il convenient mirror.
All the nursery tales of cry babies and
bewitchcd castaways came to my mind
with Il rush. l felt like dcpositing 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 Il little mite out
in the open with the thermometer at 10
above zero. l had no desire to make the
acquaintance of the state attorney.
But, better than all, great pity swellcd
my heart for the unfortunate creature
whom lovciinCss had cast away, and rs
fast as | could lun with nay Lurdcn |
ran into the house. Johanna met me in
the door.
"Sec what l have brought YOU" l
said, with Il laugh.
The good woman gaZCd with horror
on the sQuirming, shaking babe and held
out her hands.
Doctor, what does it mcan?' she
gaspcd.
ut means, Johanna, that for the next
few days you are going to battle and
feed and fondle this little waif, just as
you did me once upon Il time
And then l told her the story of how
l had found Baby Mouse.
In the lamplight l examined the little
founding, and Johanna, too. looked
him over with critical eyes. He was n
jolly little ~youngster, s months old per-
haps, with chubby face. eyes as blue as
a summer sky and lips that soon took
on cherry hue, as their blue, pinchcd
look died away i'll the genial warmth of
the room and Johanna's embraces that
alternated with mine.
Johanna brought cut fresh linCl, ar
ranged Il bed and bathcd and washed
the founding. Tucking him comforta-
bly, away i'll an imrrovisCd crib, she
gave him a bottle filed with milk, and,
when he had appcasCd his hunger, he
fell into II peaceful slumbCr. l kissed
the baby's brow and said to Johanna:
q 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" l continued,
she may bring some color into it!' l
may have sighed us l walked away.
"You haven't forgotten, doctor" an
swered the coed woman, "no matter
how hard you've tried!'
Next day ] went to the chief of po-
lice. He recorded the case and had no
objection to my keeping the baby. This
is the way / came into possession of u
lovely and beautiful child. Johanna and
l decided to call him Robert, but his
pet name Baby Mouse was Older
than that, and it chung to him.
Anu hoN Npu hHoN wiz NiouSt Is.
Nobody eycr came to claim him, and
my heart opened to the tender waif as
it had never opened before.
Mouse, Of course, was treated like II
king. Now and then Johanna would
say, "You are spelling the child, doc.
tori But she was as weak as l with
regard to Mouse.
He grew and prospered like n flower
in the sunshine of our love and was the
lustiest %younsster III the block.
But there must be rainy days as well.
One day Mouse was taken i'll, and be-
fore night We knew that he had been
attacked with diphtheria. With flaming
cheeks and trembling hands he lay III
his crib, and / 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
~ ANN E00El0k