Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-05-14
ONE OF LIFe's LESSONS.
THIS GIRL LEARNED 1T FROM Ex
PERIENCE.

81 always thought" said the girl in
the new brown tailor suit, "that all this
talk about people being dotty over their
babies was comic paper fiction like the
mother-in-law joke or the petrified pie
label, but that was previous to my
eek's visit to Harriett's. She and her
husband have an infant year and half
old which / had never seen and l was
anxious to make its acquaintance.
sit proved to be really cute, bright,
lovable youngster, and the first day l
was contented to join in the family pas
time of getting on my knees, putting on
an idiotically bright smile and beseech-
ing it to Say papar But the next day l
wanted to tell Harriet all the gossip
about the girls and folks at home knew
she would be interested in. had just
finished the story of Mays elopement,
and paused to give her chance. She
was smiling all over and looking at the
baby.
"'S-shr she whispered, Just see her
poking her toy dogs eyes out-isn't that
cuteg I watched the surgical opera
ton politely and then rehashed the story
about May, for knew it was not posi-
BILE for any sane girl not to be Interested
in it.
81 got a severe jolt and fresh theory
of possibilities, for las soon as l stopped
Harriet cut in with the information
that the baby, had walked for three
months now and her legs were Just as
straight as anything. began to realize
what was up against, but resolved to
try to drag Harriet back into the light
of day and realization that the rest of
the world still existed. 1 firmly told
her, and repeated when necessary every
thing could think of about everybody.
sometimes l was rewarded by a
faint, absent-minded smile of polite
interest and occasionally she got halfway
through a sentence in reply, but always
broke off because the baby needed to be
grabbed up, kissed and called you dar-
ling or rescued from meal of needles
and tacks found on the floor. l was eX-
hausted when the end of the day came,
but liked Harriet and resolved to save
her if possible, SO kept it up. Har-
riett's husband was worse. He used to
care for nothing so much as reading the
sporting page of the paper or telling
funny stories, but he was changed
man.
"'You cunnin' singn was his greeting
as he stepped in. He meant the baby
and not me. He acted glad to see me
for three seconds and then grabbed up
his daughter, chucked her under the
chin and let her pull his hair out by the
roots He smiled ecstatically when she
did this. At dinner he dripped gravy
on the tablecloth because he was direct
ing my attention to the baby's frantic
demands for 'plub-plub.' Isn't she
pretty smart to talk so young" he
asked.
"'Was she talking?' l asked in as
constituent before l thought Harriet
and her husband hastily concealed their
emotion and he answered with dignity,
She was asking for potato. / should
think any one would have known it,
apologized and tried to tell my best din
ner story. 1t was going beautifully
when suddenly Harriet shrieked and
her husband sprang from his chair.
"My heart turned over as | waited for
the worst to happen, but they sunk back
and merely cried: Did you ever' 1t
seemed the infant had made up par
Iticularly funny face. The rest of the
meal was taken up with an argument
over whether she would turn out a
coincidence or not, and how they could
keep her off the stage.
"Harrietts husband did not read his
paper after diner, because he found
the baby liked to have him hop around
the floor like frog. He hoped fol
half an hour, guess, until the people
below sent up word they didn't want to
have the ceiling plastered again because
it had been done only the week before
for the second time in two months
While this vaudeville was going on Har-
riett and / sat in an admiring circle
smiling. My smile was somewhat an
gular and mechanical, but nobody was
noticing me anyhow so it didn't matter
THAT night walked up from dead
sleep and heard the most curious sounds
was afraid some one was i'll, so l open
ed my door. Harriet was moving
about in a dim light collecting things
from the floor. What do you think!
she said excitedly, The baby woke us
up few minutes ago. She was stand
ing up in her crib and shouting she
wanted her mamma, her Dinah, her bow
WOW and her set of tin dishes. Wasn't
that cunning-and in the middle of the
night, too! I've found everything bu
the woolly lamb and 1 don't dare g
back without it!'
81 looked with speeches. sorrow al
Harriet prowling about in the cold. Shit
used to be such bright girl, too. Give
her a sound spanking and 90 to bed?
snapped. It'll do her lots more goot
than the woolly lamb and mother will
pneumonia!
"And next day overheard Harriet
telling her husband it was remarkable
how really sweet girl could develol
brutal tendencies. They are regarding
me at this moment as one of the LOST
Chicago News.