The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-08
The Pars on's Baby.


early history. Imagined from the zest
Of his recitals that ne had been a pyinci-
pal character in many OF the string
| scenes he portrayed. He never tired talk
ing OF the Methodist minister VINO round
ed the first church. The bravery and elo-
| quence of this first parson were the sub
| jects of unending elogy. The beauty,
sweetness and courage OF the parson s
young wife were topics concerning which
| the old gentleman spoke With deep and
affectionate feeling. He was in the midst
| Of a loving panegyrie of the little woman
when I interrupted him a little bantering-
~:
You speak as if you had loved the par
son, but worshiped the parsons Wife
II have the best reason III the world for
worshiping her." ne replied earnestly. Il
owe everything I have in the next world
| to her. 1 was a wicked wretch who had
| only escaped the gailows which l richly
deserved by a streak of good luck. 1
| was on the road TO eternal ruin and was
| dragging down with me scores OF others,
when her little white hand stopped me
and turned me about face He was
| completely overwhelmed with emotion for
| a moment. After short silence ne fer
vently but softly said: God bless her lit
| tie hearth
'gTen me something about the parsons
wife I said.
| How would you like to hear the story
| Of tn parsons baby, when it was the
| only one in town?''
AS my silence gave consent, he pro-
| ceeded
1.-THE parsons baby was the first baby
| born in our town. 1t received a welcome
equal to the Fourth of July. Every bell
| was rung and every shop and store was
| decorated in honor Of the arrival Of the
new citizen. 1t seems childish now. but
| it seemed very proper and fitting then.
| The whole town was illuminated and
| torchlight procession marched through all
| of the principal streets. The Fourth of
! July was nowhere. AS soon as the par
| sons wife was able to sit up she was
| placed in the front room and sat there
/ for hours, singing to the haby. She was
! a cunning little woman. She knew that
! the boys We're wild to see the baby, and
| she sat by the window, where all who
| walked by could look in.
| Il was the fellow. Like a great fool
! stopped and LOGGED in. She just smiled
and shook her finger at me, and then held
! up the baby for me to see. I bowed and
threw the baby a kissandwasof like
| shot. 1 told a hundred fellows what
| had seen. Would you believe it? Hun
/ dreds had an errand that day that took
| them by the parsonage. I'll be blest II
! it didn't set the town almost crazy. II
you have ever seen pack of school chuld-
rem run to see an elephant you can i'm
agine how the boys hustled to see that
! baby The happy little mother knew how
| hungry we rough men were for the sight
of a baby's sweet face. She did not re-
| sent our curiosity but took pains to let
everyone have a good peep at the club
! by little creature.
at was several days before I received
| word that the baby need ride in the
ope nair. I put on my best clothes and
told everybody I met that If they would
be hn the lookout they would see our
| baby Before the little woman gave me
her baby she asked me if 1 was safe COM
tpany for her little one. knew she was
not joking. I felt hot all over. I knew
I was not fit company for anything good
or pure, and started for the door as
said:
" Madame, I am not worthy to be
| trusted with your baby, / am "a wicked
man and ought to be ashamed to ever look
you in the face
"'Her blue eyes were swimming in
| tears and her lips trembled as she said:
Jack, you were once a pure baby
yourself Your good, sweet mother loved
you as I love my child. 1t would have
broken her heart to have known that you
would grow up and become a wicked
man. 1 would rather bury my baby than
to have him become a man like you. 1
am going to pray for, you while you are
giving my baby a ride. I wish you would
pray for yourself. If you will ask God
He will make you as clean and pure as
you were when your mother held you in
he arms. Go, now, and take good care
of my darling
''Altho' I was so awkward In starting
that the parsons wife laughed like a
school girl at my clumsiness, managed
to get going without upsetting the car
ri age. I found every man in town on the
look out. I went up one street and down
another I found crowds everywhere.
Everybody was happy. Some shouted
and cheered and some bitterly cried. The
toughest toughs in town seemed to be
the heartiest in their cheers, and some
of them cried the hardest. One bloated
! old hummer, who hardly ever drew 4
sober breath, got right down on his knees
and took the hem Of the carriage robe in
lhis trembling hands and kissed it and
wept like whipped schol boy. He sopbed
out:
& I had a baby like that knce. It died
and its mother died; broke her heart. ]
wish 1 had died before had ever come to
this
Il had listened to many sermons by the
parson and had laughed at the little talks
OF the parsons wife, but I could not get
away from the silent preaching of that
baby. As I pushed the carriage along
saw my own sweet mother as she held
| me in her arms and rocked me and sung
| lullabies to me- 1 saw her face as plain
" as If it had been but yesterday that ]
had rested my head upon her breast.
I. heard her voice as shes ang 20 me. The
words all came back to me, and the tun,
1 and | found nv self humming.
II was so blind with tears that I had
to stop and wipe my eyes, and 70 conceal
my weakness I attempted to tuck the
clothes about the little one. The baby
looked up in my face and cooed and CUR
gled and caught ny finger In its chubby
little fist. The touch Of the little hand
and the trustful look from the baby eyes
did more for me than all the preaching
and praying OF q lifetime. I found N.Y.
self praying as I wheeled the carriarge
I became a new man while giving the
baby its first ride. When I took 1t back
TO its mother 1 said:
Madame. your prayers have been ans
7ered Your baby has done for me what
. neither Won nor the parson have been able
to do. 7 am going 70 begin q new Hfe.'
I'VE had some kind OF a celebration il
the Methodist church. and the parsou'
wife and baby made their first public ap-
pearance. As the little woman walked
il the men cheered and clapped theii
, hands. She smiled and blushed. but did
, not seem To De offended. During the ex
e~cises the brass band played a selection
They had hardly begun when the baby
friEhsened al the blaTe OF the horns and
the crash CT the drums. broke Into shll
cry 81 terror L would not Be quieted
: The horns blew louder the drums pound