The Elbert County tribune., 1899-04-27
WHERE'S IT'S MOTHER. ANYHOW,

growls; the coughing seemed to In
crease with the renewed irritation and
everywhere was the rustling OF ill-at-
ease and impotent humanity. Curtains
were pulled angrily aside. the rings
shrieking viciously on the brass rods
and cleaning eyes and hardening
mouths glared savagely at the intruder
on our quiet. for so we now had tardily
come to consider by comparison him
and II. The newcomer did not seem
to take the least notice OF anything.
and went on in stolid way trying to
quiet the child, shifting It from one
arm to the other. dandling 1t up and
down. and rocking 1t sideways.
All babies are malignant; the natural
wickedness of man. as elaborated at
the primeval curse. seems to find an
unadulterated effect in their express
sions of feeling.
The baby was a peculiarly fine spe-
cImen of Its class. 1t seemed to have
no compupction whatever. no parental
respect, no natural affection. no miti-
CATION In the natural virulence OF It's
rancor. 1t screamed, II roared. 1t
squalled, It beloved. The root ideas
of profanity, of obscenity of blasphemy
were mingled in its tone. 1t beat with
clenched fists its fathers face, 1t claw
ed at his eyes with twitching fingers,it
used his head as an engine with which
to buffet him. 1t kicked, II struggled.
Il wriggled, 1t writhed. 1t twisted IT.
self into serpentine convolutions. till
every now and then, what with Its
vocal and muscular exertions, 1t threat
ened to get black in the face. All the
time the stolld father simply tried to
keep II quiet with eternal changes OF
posture. and with whispered words,
There, now, peti' Hush; lie still,
little one" REST, dear one, resti" He
was a big, lanky, patient looking. an
gular man, with great rough hands
and enormous feet. which he shifted
about as he spoke. so that man and
child together seemed eternally rest
less.
The thing appeared to have sort of
fascination for most of the men In the
car. The curtains of lot OF berths
were opened and lot OF heads ap-
peared, all scowling. | chuckled softly
to myself and tried to conceal my mer-
riment lest / should spoil the fun. No
one said anything for long time. till
at last one wild-eyed. swarthy. long.
bearded individual. who somehow look
ed like Mormon elder. said:
"say master. what kind Of bowling
piece is that you've got there? Have
none of you boys got gum
There came from the hunks regn-
lar chorus of acquiescence: THE durn-
ed thing had ought to be killed. Il
Beats prairie dogs In full moonf
when | woke up with It howlin'
thought had got 'em again.
Never mind, boys. II may be a
blessin' in disguise Somethin' bad IS
comm to us on this trip. an arter this
twill be easy work to die.'
The man spoke up:
.rm sorry, gentlemen. II she incom-
modes you." The words we're SO man
Ifestly inadequate that there was a
ro.r n, laughter which seemed to shake
the car. West of the Mississippi Things
are. or at any rate they used TO De-
bIt rough. and ideas followed SUIT
.uphter. when 1t came. was rough
,,d coarse: ard on this occasion even
the Ianky man seemed to feei IT, ne
,nlv tried TO hold the child closer 10
,Tr, ne II 10 shield It. from the haii OF
or;ral chan which followed
..Ianrnr,ode o us. oh. -ct at all. It's