St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-02-24
KHxw THE BABY.s rRoUBIx
Wsnan In SeosAlng -
&e g Wailia1 Waif.

"It's . little cdd, when ron come +
think Of it, isn't 1t ?" said man thu
other night to a little group about th'
smoking-room fire, ''how eternally trut
it is that one touch Of nature make.
the whole world kin?' In its essential.
life is the same to every one of MS. Th'
wisest philosopher knows no more o
love than the simplest hind that kisse.
the lips OF The woman he loves; the mil
lionaire and the beggar shed the same
bitter and hopeless tears above theil
dead, and every human heart thrill.
to the same hopes and joys. and is tori
and broken with the same grief.
and disappointments. Broadcloth o.
wealth. or blue overalls of the day In
borcr. it is the same. You have but
to strike one of the simple chords Of
life to find that every soul vibrates Il
it. Not long ago in New York had I
little illustration of this that is worth
telling. One night I had started to my
hotel just at that hour when the thea
tiers are out and the crowd is densest
and the elevated trains are packed and
jammed with aMsorts and conditions oi
men, tB.s eTfgFas ssss
Among the passengers was 4 police.
man with q baby wrapped up in .
ragged old shawl. and he told q mum
ber Of us who had happened to be stand
ing near the door that he was taking il
up to founding asylum. 1t was the
most miserable-looking little creature
you ever saw-just bit Of that forlorn
human fotsam and jetsam that WASHES
up in q big city-from God knows
where. 1t had been abandoned by ita
inhuman parents and left under the
steps Of a big Office building, where il
had been found by a watchman, who
had turned it over to the police. The
little thing was crying with that feeble,
wailing noise that makes you think OF
a hurt animal-a dumb. despairing, in
articulate cry that seems to 60 through
you like knife. The policeman shifted
II awkwardly about from one arm to
the other and tried to hush ii, but with
out avail. A man in hashy clothes
reached over and put a dollar in the lit
tie fist, but the hand was too weak to
grasp anything. and the money rolled
on the floor. M
"Just then the car stopped and big,
osy-cheeked German woman got ON
with child Of about the same age in
her arms. She gave the little waif cs
she passed that comprehensive look .
woman who is mother bestows on
every child. and then some one gave her
seat and she settled into it, clasp
ing her own big. fat baby close to her.
Presently above the roar and rattle Of
the train the baby's walls made them
selves heard. She looked again at the
child. Then she leaned forward and
whispered to richly dressed woman
in front Of her. The lady's face flushed,
then grew soft and tender, and she took
OF fine wrap and handed It to the
German woman. 'Onicer. said the wom-
an, that baby is hungry. Give II to
me- The policeman passed the child
over. She took ii in her arms and threw
the opera cape over her shoulders, and
the feeble wailing ceased. After awhile
she gave the baby back to the officer,
sound asleep and with the ghost Of .
smile on its wan little face. In . few
blocks more the German woman got
out, and as she passed down the car
aisle every man took OF his hat and
stood uncovered until she had passed
as if she had been queen" O. Pic
ayune.