Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1904-01-13
Little Mother.

Lizzie was a little mother" There
was nothing remarkable in that. for the
playground swarmed with little mothers
Of several ages and sizes. 1t could hard
ly be otherwise, when c..e considered
the neighborhood, where Mrs. Arpt, who
lived in the corner house, had ten chill
dren; Mrs. Holmes, just down Marsle
street, had ten; Mrs. Barker, nine; Mrs.
Alderman. six. and Lizzie's mother, five.
The big mothers were all more or less
busy at one thing and another: if it
wasn't washing it was scrubbing; if not
scrubbing, mending, or, if none Of the
three, there was always something going
on in the street that required their at
tention, and if it wasn't going on, it was
likely to go on at any particular minute,
SO required a somewhat constant looking
out for from the front door.
And there was always a baby. So In
this neighborhood little mothers were a
necessity, and they abOunded. The Pc
cuIiarity about Lizzie was that she took
the duties of her position SO seriously.
The whole duty of a little mother in
Lizzie's eyes was minding the baby.
What first brought her to the notice
of Miss Frost, teacher at the play
ground, was the fact that she came regr-
larly every day, but neither worked nor
played. She seemed to think tho :;9a::
ground was happy hunting ground for
the baby to sprawl in, and to hold I'M
limited space for the exercise OF the
baby's lungs
! what is he crying for?" Miss Frost
asked one day, and Lizzie's grave reply
was: Hes gettin' teeth Miss Frost
never bothered about the baby's crying
hot hut oh f1n
healthy screams throughout the summer
that to the last play day the teeth had
not been gotten.
Lizzie was small, and very small even
for that age, and she seldom smiled. One
day Miss Frost, coming to the play
ground, found Lizzie. on the street an
front of her mothers house with the
baby seated in large wicker baby car
rage Miss Frost took the handle OF the
cart and begged to be allowed to roll
the baby over to the grounds.
Lizzie mother, after a careful warn
ing that the front spring was broken,
looked smilingly on as Miss Frost trun-
died the shaking carriage and heavy baby
over to the playground. Lizzie ran
alongside Once within the enclosure,
Miss Frost, elated with ner success at
the partial separation of Lizzie and the
baby, grew crafty, and made a daring
determination that Lizzie should play.
1t was broiling August day. Miss Frost
was hastily wiping her damp face while
Lizzie was waiting, serenely calm, with
her tiny body covered with heavy wood
EN- jacket, when suddenly Miss Frost
peunced down upon an unofending child
who did nothing but play. and was at
that moment preparing for her fourteenth
time in the swing, murmured a few
honeyed words to her, put her out and
Lizzie in, all in the twinkling Of an eye.
A great light broke over Lizzie's face;
the big. brown eyes shone, she could
smile after all; but instantly a shadow
fell. and she cried. the baby But l
will take care of the baby cried Miss
Frost. Swing, swing!'
Somebody gave the swing a toss, and
Lizzie Went flying into the air. as happy
as any bird on the wing. Miss Frost
went to the baby, who by this time was
getting some more teeth, and after
soothing him, not having her sense of re-
sponsibility so we'll developed as Lizzie's
deserted her post and ran to look at Liz
zie's changed and excited face. But Liz
Zie at play was more than human nature
could stand, and the children began to
gather around the baby with cries of
Lizzie White, Lizzie White, come take