Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1904-04-15
q PAxLEY's BABY.

IHNlcN was very iona or children. EV-
erybody knew that, from the scrub
women who invariably did him out of
sundry dollars when there was an extra
cold spell I'm winter or a particularly I'M
healthy spell i'm summer. to the Chief
himself. who always showed him the
latest pictures of his own small flock and
let Flossie, the smallest, go to the big
outer Office to kiss "her Paxie' whenever
she came downtown to visit.
At the same time Paxley abhoi'red
women and insisted that he would never
marry People said 1t was too bad. for
| PaXley made a good, comfortable salary
was well enough to look at, and as steady
! a chap as one would care to meet. Pax
| ley himself always declared that he was
going to devote himself to an orphan
asylum, and actually haunted two or
| three until scared off from each by n
succession of willy and designing nurses
who made his life burden. Then he
| fell back on newsboys and stray ac-
| quaintances of the parks and street cars
| until one morning he electrified the office
with the news that he had acquired a
! baby.
! Il really suppose l ought to feel mourn
| full" said he. as he explained matters to
| the interested but bewildered crowd that
gathered about him. but I'm not-Tm
! gleeful You see it's this way. The ba-
! by's my cousins. You remember maybe.
| that | had a cousin who died last spring?
! Well this kid was only about a month
! old at the time. Now, eight months
later, the mother dies. too. she had no
! parents NV cousin hadn't any. There's
| no one for that blessed babv to fan bac.
on but me, And I've got him"
Jenkins who had been walking the floor
q good part of the night with his latest
! born was heard to grumble something
about fools attempting what angels well
! might dread. hut nobody ever paid much
attention to jenkins ANYHOW. ana tbev all
initiated with paxlev
| paxley went SYSTEMATICALLY to vyorl, to
| enjoy his new blessing.
lie left his comfortable bachelor apart-
ments. where he had been ensconced for
years, and set up a small house i'm the
suburbs because he said that CITY air
was bad for children
He imported an aged relative of the
feminine persuasion to look after the
baby. and hired waiter with whom he
had grown familiar at his restaurant to
| go out and do the cooking and re-build-
| ing.
Most of the people I'm the office felt
| rather sorry for Paxlev in spite Of his
evident low But he bore the hurried
rush for his suburban cars. the long rides.
and the lack of many of his old amuse-
ments with n smile. and. If he minded
he never told. In some WAYS Paxlev was
a hero
Whom tho b,b,. fret ,r,i,.o, ,,,,,, ,t,
sconn bo nod ,or,,ari ia 20 bt ',.,,,,',,
!
~, ~. az m "i'u pu. ~ ~, INA, -
IT,. ,i,,i5 ,,, '0'''''' '''ei e'''''S
MY '"'u'u N''it O"',
of them in turn 81 know very veu mat
q child of ton months &c ininferoetirfr to
the majority of mon Really don't
wonder r,ucb PM tIis ono ie , ,.a,,,
brirbt little cban-ve,v bripbt and IN
a few months moro saw nv Au,,,,st a.
any. rate hon bo Won worth n nric. ~
admission
! If was Jenkins who first noticad tb.
change i'm pavIev Janlzine ,yae too h,,s,.
both M home and M work to see ,nI,cb
/ nf tb. ntl,rr f.lIny,. 90, ,,.i,,,,, t,,, ,1,a -
pen to wake up and look at them he was
| the more apt to notice slight changes
! And in July he announced that PaXlev
was looking tired. When jenkins spoke
of it, the rest realized that it was true.
Il don't think very much of that kid
Of yours. Pax" announced Haynes one
day with so,ndiu,, tbvvacl. an paxl,,..,
/ shoulder He can't be very bright"
PaNleN. red as "a turkey gobhler, wheeled
| round, and nearly knocked Haines down
! before that astonished gentleman could
conclude,-"or he'd be more saving of
! the strength of his guardian angel"
When PaXley heard that he Gained
/ down and apologizcd to Haines, and took
| the whole crowd dinner Tho bpVs