The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1898-11-11
THE PRATT BHBy
XHHAT'S TO be done with the
wv Pratt baby?"
ey Sidney payrs.

h-AI - W DC dOAC Win thC
w Pratt baby?"
That was the question which was
stirring the small village. Answers
OF various kinds were attempted.
"Mis' Peters says she'd be glad to-
But she couldn't with her poor
health"
Mis- Bates might"
''But she won't"
"Mis' Lanes got her hands full
already"
"aIis' DR.. Miller hasn't thing to
prevent her doin' it"
"Not chick nor a child"
"And plenty of money"
But with all the cleverness displayed
in fitting duties for other people, the
Pratt baby remained hopeless, al
though kindly looked upon as sort OF
village protege.
It's father had been run over and
killed month after its birth. The
mother took it hard and wilted out Of
life, so that by the time the baby was
eight months old It looked out on a
world in which it was absolutely with
out possession, yet with eyes as bright
and blue and cheeks as fair and rosy
as if it had been the child of an en-
press-perhaps more so.
For the present the baby was 'stay-
ing on" in the family of Mrs. Garvey
in whose house Mrs. Pratt had rented
small room. Mrs. Garvey had six
children of her own, but there was still
room in it for another.
"a blessin' 'twould bring to nybody
the sweet cratur', wid it's eyes laughin
in and dancin' at We the day long. An
it's meself would niver let it out of the
house but for havin' nobody to stay
wild 1t when I'm out washin'."
During such absences Billy Garvey
was detailed as nurse, an arrangement
which suited the small boy well, for
he hated school and loved the baby
1t was his care day and night. Billy
knew no joy greater than lay in the
touch of its clinging little hands and
it's merry laugh as ne performed for
its amusement every antic known to
boys.
When the first snow came Billy
bundled the baby and took it out on his
sled. The baby and Billy both en-
joyed this, though it had its draw
backs. If Billy rounded corner
swiftly, the baby rolled off; if he
started up suddenly the baby tipped
over backwards. Consideration OF
these difficulties led to a bright
thought on Billy's part. He nailed a
soap box on the sled. This he filled
with hay, and when he drew it out with
his blue-eyed charge no child of an
empress was ever lovelier or more
tenderly smiled on, no charioteer
prouder than Billy.
Up and down the two or three short
streets he trotted one mild afternoon
1t was market day, and a number OF
farmers were in from the country
Billy varied his sport by hitching his
sled to the back of sleighs, mounted
on a narrow ledge in front of the
soap box. Quickly he sprang from one
vehicle to another as they came and
went, during which capers only the
tender Providence which guards the
helpless saved the baby's innocent life
from being trampled out.
The short winter afternoon was clos
Ing in-too soon, for neither Billy nor
the baby were tired of the fun. Teams
were scarcer and after a ride behind
ahomeward-boun farmer, Billy quick
ly detached his sled and as quickly fas-
tened it to one going the other way,
with prospect of another spin. But
disappointment waited, for just near
The edge of the village the sleigh
stopped.
Billy waited, for it was nearly at the
foot of a long hill. His adroit scheme
was to get himself hauled to the top
Of this and then take run down, ex-
cited to wild rate of speed by the
delighted crows and shrieks of the
baby.
The farmer stayed long time, and
Billy grew tired. Nothing but the
prospect OF this latest rush down the