The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1908-03-05
They we're
BIN

cruel to think that you will not see
her again for whole week, but we
must remember all the friends down
| to Bixby who have never seen her
even once"
"That's q fact" Herrick agreed
generously. You write me every word
they say about her. Bessie-especially
Uncle Doctor. l bet he'll be aston.
ished to see such fine, angelic baby
Il know he will. The truth Is. one
reason I'm so eager to take the baby
down there is that she's never had
any real appreciation outside Of ours.
IT'S no wonder, in a big, selfish city
like Chicago, where every one 10 alb
sorbed in his own affairs. Why, even
the grocers boy acts as II he were
doing me a favor when tell him he
may look at her asleep in her basket!
I'm just going to revel in seeing IA
Their and mother and all the Bixby
friends go wild over the little darling.
There's the train
The next morning, arrived at the
home of her girlhood, Mrs. Herrick
waited in a flutter Of anticipation,
while her own mother cuddled the
wonderful baby.
You haven't once said how pretty
she Is, MOTHER" she complained at
last
The grandmother smiled. you
see, my babies all had dark hair and
great deal Of it right from the start, ="
was her apologize reply. She's a
NICE healthy little girl, though. dear.
Don't you mind"
Hello, there!" broke in q boyish
voice as Mrs. Herricts young brother
bounced in at the door How do,
sis? Where's that kid? Gee, but
isn't he funny! This is your Uncle
Dan, sir"
What are you thinking Of, Dan?
Your little niece Is girl"
"Oh, it's a girl, l know" sheepishly.
Il wasn't thinking for minute.
Wasn't Chester awful disappointed
cause it wasn't eoy?"
"Of course not! We both wanted
a little blue-eyed, golden-haired daugh-
ter"
Call this golden hair?" inquired
the baby's grandfather, whimsically.
as he bent and stroked the scanty
down. I'm my day we'd have called
that a towhead."
Tow" echoed the ruftied little
mother. You ought to see the babys
hair CLEAN and CLINT in the sunlight!
This house is so shaded with trees
that you cant half see her. Here,
I'll take her, mother. She's tired and
sleepy-little blessing! Do go to
my own old room?"
From her own old room Mrs. Her
rick issued that afternoon proudly
bearing freshly dressed baby. On
the stairs she stopped to pull down
one of the petticoats. so that its fine
lace and infinitesimal feather stitch
ing should peep from below the dainty
dress.
Nan Fielding was always SO crazy
about pretty clothing that she'll ap-
preciate the work on that petucoat,"
she was thinking, as she hurried down
to the parlor, where one OF the friends
of her recent girlhood Wa waiting to
see her
We'll, well, Bess,' was Mans greet
ing. "Awfully glad to see you, IL you
do look like ghost Of yourself. So
this Is the wonderful infant? Let
me get a look at the little tike. Well,
l declare! My goodness! Did you
ever!"
With that Nan definitely dropped
the subject of the baby and began to
tell about the course Of study in the
literary club.
If Mans call was a disappointment,
the visit of the married friend was .
tragedy
What a mite!" she exclaimed. Il
suppose she looks SO little to me
because my Harold was always so
big. And / don't think she's as strong
as she ought to be, Bess. At her age,
Harold would straighten himself right
up. but luCu ilalo hou W. WV
teeth when he was as old as she is;
he's a sort of a prodigy. can hardly
wait for you to see him.
The event of the day was still to
come. Dear old Uncle Doctor, the
man who had officiated at the advent
of little Mrs. Herrick herself and who
had made a tremendous pet OF her
ever since, was coming to view her
baby. She was especially eager to
hear what he would say.
When he walked In the first thing
he did was to pick up the child and
carry her to the window, where he
studied her at arms length for fully
a minute. Then he turned to the
little mother, who stood. awaiting his
comment, her heart in her eyes.
Her face he said, aniably, Seems
to be perfectly symmetrical, except
that one eye is slightly strabismic."
That evening, in her room alone
Mrs. Herrick sat down at desk &c
fulfill her husbands request, but a
lump sweled in her throat as the va
rious comments on the baby crowded
into her mind At last she laid down
her pen abruptly and tiptoed over tC
the bed. There lay the baby, wide
awake. Regardless Of rules, her moth
er snatched her up and dropped into
rocker.
Let them be blind II they wan
to-" she whispered to the soft little
neck. Your mother knows tina
you're the beautifulest, loveliest baby