Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-04-20

u
(aEHINWAS outcome. Yes,
it was enough
to make man swearl
And the cause of it all was Baby
Mouse, hapless Baby Mousel But,
before you, dear reader, will under.
stand why Baby Mouse should be to
blame you will want to know who he
is. It's strange story, and yet sweet
and tender withal. And it ends we'll
that's its best part,
Three months ago / was coming
home with the evening shades. 1t
was bitter cold, and I rejoiced in
anticipation of my cosy, warm home
and the simple, dainty meal which
my old housekeeper, Johanna, knew
how to prepare SO we'll. was lost
in just such comfortable bachelor
reverie, when I descended from the
L road to wend my way toward my
little Washington Heights home. L
walked rapidly and soon reached
there. Opening the iron gate that
led into the tiny garden patch in front
of the house, I saw small package
lying on Une frozen SHOW.
"a present from somebody" said
half aloud, stopped and picked up my
find, My hands, bit numb with
cold, despite my feeco-lined gloves,
had scarcely grasped the bundle when
it began 10 kick aud squirm Nor
was thatau. III raised such lusty bowls
that my neighbors' windows flew up,
and they stuck out tbeil heads to see
what it meant.
1t would have done me good to see
my face jus. then in a convenient
mirror.
All the nursery tales of cry-babies
and bewitched castaways came to my
mind with rush. felt like depos-
iting the lively packet in the place
Whele ho1 feuuu 1t, but that would
have been worse than murder to leave
such little mite out in the open with
the thermometer at ten above zero.
| had no desire to make the acquaint-
ance of the State attorney.
But, better than all, great pity
swelled my heart for the unfortunate
creature whom loneliness had cast
away, and as fast as [ could run with
my burden I ran into the house.
Johanna met me in the door.
''See what have brought you,"
said, with laugh.
The good woman gazed with horror
on the squirming, shaking babe and
held out her hands.
doctor, what does it mean?" she
gasped.
1T 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 time. u
And then | told her the story Of
how had found Baby Mouse.
In the lamplight I examined the
little founding, and Johanna, too,
looked him over with critical eyes. He
was jolly little youngster, eight
months old; perhaps, 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,
arranged bed and bathed and washed
the founding. Trucking him com
fortably away in an improvised crib,
she gave him bottle filled with milk
and when he had appeased his hunger
he fell into peaceful slumber. ]
kissed the baby's brow and said tc
Johanna:
81 am going to report that case tc
the police in the morning, and Til ask
them to let me keep the little one un.
til his relations are heard from"
Johanna gave me an amazed look.
"My life is SO lonely" I continued
che may bring some color into it!'
may have sighed as I walked away.
"You haven't forgotten, doctor, y
answered the good woman, "no matter
how hard you've tried"
Next day 1 went to the Chief of Pc
lice. He recorded the case and had
no objection to my keeping the baby
This is the way / came into posses
sion of lovely and beautiful child.
Johanna and ] decided to call him
Robert, but his pet name-Baby
Mouse-was older than that, and il
chung to him.
And now you know who Mouse is.
Nobody ever came to claim him, an6
my heart opened to the tender waif as
it had never opened before.
Mouse, of couse, was treated like {
king. Now and then Johanna would
say, "You are spelling the child, doc
torl' But she was as weak as L witt
regard to Mouse.
He grew and prospered like flower