The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1900-10-11

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The Msihodisi church 10 spburbsn TOW
Thirty ios, babies were "tnlersd." and
course ell their mothers were there, ~ We
% msny OF their snnts
did not realize until got yell insis
that VI. The only m 20, young OF old,
The ball. !, seems ihst the ret OF u
nen vere btigh, eDonsh TO stay avs
The place was bIvef Of youpg maten
~. snd fafy pipk and baby blue III
air vas vocal with cooips aud tsitterin
souuds. Thirty four perfectly lovely
baby carrisses were ranged round 10
seut.oitele. each sgsinst . background
pink dimiiy aud each conisiuins bert
fled aud tepowdered bsby. Some Of ih
yonns.tsp we're shskiog nttles. som
we're srsspips wonderful bottles OF -hii
faid, some were gureling add some wer
lespiue uesrly on, OF their nests 10 On q
Gees OF sleeiul he.Itb.
A msnntscinret OF iaisnts food bH'
offered prizs for the bspdsomest baby
.nd every one OF those youns mothers hs'
hisa hopes OF taking It,
Some srti.t should try TO depict tht
fcoish smile that oversprssds mans fact
shen be 6nds himself. inadvertently smit
such Surroundings. / was sneskinf
/ ha Hap IA nj 4
mothers. who knew me. ouiasnked my
line Of relres', and with much laughter
drew me bach to be umpire"
Umpire st a baby.showl Arbiter and
Judge as 10 which OF thirty four babies
were the prelties,l Thing OF The eonse
quences The undying friendship Of one
young mother. and the eternal epmity and
reptobs,ion OF the other thirty tbreel
Before / had been led half round the
cooiug semi.circle saw my danger and
bit on the trite eIpedien, Of declaring
that they we're oil so pretty that | could
see no difference 10 them. AS the moth
ers we're incredulous, ! grew insisteni,
and declared vehemenily that could not
tell the babies spsrt,
Thev tried, to instruct me- Oh. but
look OF their hsirl cried one.
| have looked st ii, said l. IL differs
abont as much ss the down on so many
peaches.
Isn't he horri12 Bat compare their
eyesl cried another.
Jnst like so many beautiful little goose
berries. Insisted.
Obi Oh -h-h.h Oh-h.h-h.hl burst forth
IN oil sides.
Ladies, ! cried. desperately, you know
'ery we'll that II these babies we're shifted
rom carriage to carriage. while you sll
hut your eyes, you couldn't tell them
part to save your livesl You may think
ou could. but You couldn't. Let me tell
Iou what happened at the FIRE at Norland
ast spfinsl Let me-let---
II was st this point that | was stopped
y the mothers. They would not hear
mother word. In fact. they turned me
at OF the vestry.
Denied the privilege Of telling them
bat story Of the FIRE at Norlsnd, l offer it
ere 10 vindicste myself.
Norlsnd was one OF those little villages
q the borders OF the lumber country
hich are predestined to up once in about
N years, or may be fi.eer. or with ex
'eme good luck. twenty. The houses.
ores and mills we're ell built OF wood.
ith sbingle roofs; and oil about we're
reat "ysrds' filled With piles OF boards,
spboards. shingles and lumber waste.
q fire started 10 one OF these mill yards :
ith the wind high. during dry week, o
,thipg except the hand OF Providence q
,nld save the town. :
Az Norlsnd the inevitable happened |
,e afternoon in May, ayesr ago, II was b
Inn berysrd FIRE, with fine northwest I
ud. which whirled blazing embers sloit, d
wing them broadcast over the village @
d. we'll, the poor people had about 0
Ien,y minutes to save what they could.
lere were lots OF babies. and OF course e.
ey saved the babies first, and ran d
ok for other household treasures after b
'rd.
Nov II was the time Of the day when v
my OF the infants we're taking their Of
moon nsps. They we're snstched out OF o
cir crodles or cribs, along with such OF
cir little wrsps, blankets and other Al
,ttts as csme bsndiet', and carried as m
ickly as possible along the ''slder brook u
,dn to windwsrd OF the burning village.
d for want OF 9 better place 10 leave Ii
IN while the excited mothers and
hers ran back TO save their goods they 10
re laid 10 IN empty grsnite.worker's v
ID, and left in charge OF 90 old woman, or
led Amt Anice Roe. Who had made her "a
o escape 10 q slightly singed, somewhat Ia
led condition. "A
The villsge burned. oil save moiety OF b,
outskirts. TO vindwsrd; and for 40 hour dr
Two evsu the babies mothers were too All
ch occupied With their now homeless
ni,ure. bedding and beet bonneis 10 go bo
b. shed for the babies. II wss time al
flietiou and distress. But ss the Ere he
out and the smoky evening drew M
the parental instlnc, revived. snd the ~,
hers came hsstenios to the shed, ..
lssawbile poor. confused old Aunt An m,
Roe bad done what she coud. She
spread blsnke,s on the grsni,e chips; IN,
.. the wind wss blowing cold. she bad .u
ssed and IN tfi.d Up each Of the little bv
ng cres,arss 10 What she thought M,
g With each one. Bat il is noi strsnse NO
!, deslins With the collection OF little
he, socfs, blankets aud bottles. she
ie misiskes; and . mis,ske OF that sort po