The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-28
The flAppIEST TIME
Me- 8ln the Relgm ef DulntlA0.
BY MARY STEWART CUTTING. .
Copyright, 1903, by Mary Stewart Cutting)


way to the suburbs by boat and train,
the abstraction which the clerks had noted
grew upon him. At As. his leonine locks
;treaked with gray, the comfortable, stol-
i'd, prosperous father family, the
president of one corporation and member
OF, heaven only knows how many govern
ing boards, Mr.. Nichols was in love
deeply and Incidentally in love-with his
youngest daughter, an infant Of parts.
She was the sixth child, and the fifth
girl in unbroken succession, and her IA
her, like many another man in like case,
I'd not even looked at the baby until she
as nearly a week DID, only to fall a vic
m to the charms Of the little warm, help
IS being after he had once held it in his
ms and felt the tiny, rose-leaf fingers
lose over one of his. AS he gazed and
gazed at the face, with it's miniature fea-
lures the blue eyes suddenly opened and
gazed at him unwinkingly for space OF
seconds Then the lids closed over them
peacefully, and long sigh issued from
the parted lips, in its reflex breathing
giving the indication Of a ridiculous dim
pie at one corner of the mouth When
Mr.. Nichols looked at his wife, who had
been observing him, they both smiled,
with a tightening of a new bond Of at
lection between them.
pretty nice sort of a girl, isn't she?"
he remarked as he handed the child back
to the waiting nurse and when he went
down stairs his wife heard him whistiing
= a. tune that had been part of their early
betroth1 days.
1t was noticed after this that Mr.. Mich
! OILS contracted the habit of coming in each
night and gazing at the child lntently
when he thought himself unobserved, and
that he seemed to derive great and IN
creasing satisfaction from the perusal AS
the baby grew older her face lighted up
h for before
had reached her present age of years
they were sweethearts indeed, with a pas
sion on his part which made It unbear-
able pain to him If she bumped her head
or pinched her finger.
How is Quintilia?
The voica of a near neighbor arrested
Mr. Nichols attention. A slow smile over,
spread his countenance at the mention OF
the beloved name with which the doctor
had playfully christened this fifth GIRL
- to the exclusion Of her lawful cognomen.
20, she S all right. At least hope she
is to-night-she hasn't been very well for
coupled of days; it's bothered me gooo
deal"
my wife says that she grows prettier
every day. continued the obliging neigh
Mr.. Nichols beamed. "She does. I'm
coming home a little earlier tonight to
i see how she is. Her mother usually
keeps her Up for me when she's Well.
against hope that she would be up and
looking out for him. He knew so well
how the little lovely white thing with
the starry eyes and glinting curls would
to the stairway in her nightgown.
and, sitting down on the top step with all
the delicious fluttering and siding mo
tons of her babyhood would thrust her
plump, bare pink foot up against his
bare cheek with the delighted cry of:
Papa, kiss a footie! Kiss a footie,
pa PAL
Then how he would humble and kiss
that darling foot, and pretend to eat it,
finally snatching the adored baby in his
arms, laughing and struggling, to cuddle
close to him when he pressed her to his
: heart, with the infinite tender gentleness
of the strong, as he carried her to her
crib and laid her in it. His wife was al
ways there, too, watching him with an
indulgent smile.
Even as a young woman Mrs. Nichols
was a serious and conscientious mother,
who read all the literature bearing on
family health and education. The in
fants were trained with adamant1ne firm
ness from their birth, and as they grew
older Mrs. Nichols attended kindergar-
ten meetings where the child was medi-
tated upon with deep graspings of the
intellect, and also painstakingly sat
through recitations mixed with exas-
perating calisthenics in the higher schools
LII une, Sne SO OrueTeQ ner Gays lnaC WneI
pussy cats were under discussion in the
morning classes to which Ethel and Edit
belonged, she could still lead theil
thoughts intelligently pussywards in the
afternoon, beside holding the 14-year-o lt
Stan to that hours exercise in spelling
which was also like an exercise in break
ing stone. -tE
To the higher rule Quintilia promised
from the first to be an exception. Sh.
made her own laws. When she liftet
her little arms to be taken up it was no
in the heart of mortal to resist her; foo
was given her when she cried for it, ant
for the life Of her Mrs. Nichols could no
,. always combat the temptation to hole
the dear little clinging form in her arms
with the damp head and it's thistledowl
ourls nesting on her shoulder, and rocl
and sing her baby to sleep in the old
fashioned way.
fit mo, don't think she's any worse
Mr.. Nichols wife had met him at the doc
with the peaceful kiss of possession befor
reassuring him for the non-appearance o
Quintilia- She woman of medium
height, rather stout. with somewhat larg
features, a fresh complexion, thick blac
hair, brown eyes and an expression tina
was at once pleasant and capable. TIL
heart of her husband trusted in her i'm
plicitly and her tone was relief to him.
What did the doctor say?'
- He thinks that it's only cold bu
she must be kept very quiet. The nurs