The Topeka state journal., 1903-06-19
Christening the Baby.

waiting to hear the verdict from up
stairs. Presently the doctor entered,
his face all wreathed in smiles.
rs it a b-baby doctor. No. confound
it L mean, is it boy, doctor?" splut-
tered Gerald.
1T is, Mr. Sinclair, and very fine
! specimen, too" replied the doctor, as
though he were commenting on the
merits of a prize bull calf; but that is
beside the question
Hal" almost screamed the delighted
/ Gerald; "a boy is it? An I've got his
name all ready. Gerald Arthur Sin
clair, he Will be- And how's Mrs Sin
clair, doctor?"
First rate. couldn't be getting along
better. Now here's the nurse with
your son and heir.
Then Gerald displayed a large amount
of lunacy.
After having decided that there was
something alive in all that mass of
/ wrappings, and having been sOlemnly
assured by the nurse that it was his
own and they weren't trying to subsu-
tute some inferior infant on him, For
I've read of such things" he said, he
held it up in his arms, until the terri
fed nurse took her charge again and
retreated-
Thenceforward Gerald was an author
ity on children, and the next day ne
took a father of fourteen children to
lunch with him, and gravely contra
dicted all mis- views on the bringing up
..Fron experience" was his favorite
remark. Still, the man who had nad
experience didn't mind, he'd been IKE
it himself and, as Gerald was paying
for his luncheon, he ate great zeal
soon. however. time for christening
the juvenile Sinclair drew near, ana
Ethel mooted the subject to her hus-
Certainly. my dear. by all means
have him christened," was that gentle
mans lordly reply. as though he were
granting great favor
-Of course we must have the sWeel
little dear christened, you silly man, but
what name shall the precious daring
have2"
Hereafter I viii not chronicle the en-
dearing names Mrs. sinclair useu VIZ ne
speaking of her offspring. It IS a pc
culiar thing uncommon to most young
mothers. ] believe. but Mrs. Sinclair had
come to the conclusion that there never
was a baby like hers in the whole Wlae
We ..lSame-er-oh yes. I've already got
that-Gerald Arthur.
"Oh you've already got 1t, repeated
Mrs. Sinclair, somewhat nettled, theh
presumably, I have nothing to say IN
peculiar thing if you don't; I never
knew any matter before but What you
had a great deal to say in -
That's it. now be a brute 70 me
But Gerald cut her short
NV dear there's no logic Whatever
in your remarks you -
u. T.0gfc2" broke in Mrs. sinclair; l
don't want to know anything about your
old logic Why don't you want the paoy
called Logic; you're always taking
nv dear. [ could hardly misname a
'i!.1q .iYour n sarcasm is wasted on me, and
now once for all [ VIII not have my
son called Gerald A thur
Your SOM" repeated Mr.. SlnclaH-
s.I,T have YOU know he's as much mlne
as yours. Now, then, what's TINS looi-
ishness about the kids name ,.,a..
CHOW dare you call my son KID!
We'll he bleated like one an iase az
night so neither of us could sleep, re
isp0nded her husband unsraclously-
Which lack of sleep may perhaps acs
count for the peculiar tempers tnat
particular morning -.
..rThat was the way you held nm
You can't expect a child to do anyLhlh
else but cry when you grasp him tlght-
Inv round the middle like a-er-crlcket
bat" People are not In the hapll q
erasDing a cricket bat tightly round
the middle. but still we will pass that
over. ,.
Through a course of nursing lessons.
lnor did they include that in my early
Now you're getting ridiculous. ard,
once Tor all, VIII not nave lily HOA&
called Gerald Arthur"
You have your son called what you
like, but my son shall be chrlstened
Gerald Arthur Sinclair
Fancy how every one would laugh
Look what his initials would Bee. a
5. Why, everyone would be calling him
And every one would say, How like
sBrutei' responded his wife.
And that was the last word spoken
on the subject that morning. for pres
emily the maid brought in the break
Gerald sat down to the table and
helped himself to various edibles, and
then got up and poured out his coffee.
This being done he commenced to eat.
Then Ethel came to the table and did
exactly the same thing
For some unaccountable reason the
morning paper had not arrived. so that
Gerald was unable to take refuge in
mans natural morning retreat So they
both sat in stony silence.
Presently Gerald wanted some salt
Laboriously he got UP and walked
round to where it was just by Mrs. Sin
clair's side. Noticing what was want
ing. Mrs. Sinclair picked up the salt
and began to leisurely help herself
Gerald waited five seconds and then
with a snort rushed out into the kitchen
and returned with a great lump of
cooking salt. and taking uD the bread
knife proceeded to shave some off on
to his plate
Then Mrs Sinclair wished to cut
some bread. and picking up the bread
knife (Which Gerald had used for the
salD, gazed at it critically and laid it
down again. Then she rang for the
maid and told her to bring a clean
bread knife.
This sort of thing would have gone
on all breakfast time if it were not
for the fact that both husband and
wife noticed book in the room As
it happened it was the only book in the
breakfast room that morning. It was
Nuttals dictionary a present to Gerald
from a friend of his. A dictionary by
the way, is always such a nice. friendly
present to give.
Wen. as said husbands and wife's
eyes alighted on this volume together
LII -.c.r,s-.c...o-c.-