The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-08-01

BIB WAb AVOAIN9 STRAIGHT AT ME-"
way to put food into my stomach. l
used to sleep anywhere at that time
l don't now remember, or, rather, /
don't wish to remember, where. /
recollect one place, hayloft over a
stable, to which 1 gained access by
making friends with the coachman.
1t is impressed on my memory be-
cause took my daughter there"
"Your daughterl What do you
mean?v
Il was going home one night
mean to the loft-feeling very blue. /
was thinking of my mother, who had
died few months before, and WISH
ing / might find her in my sleeping
place, even II it was a stable. Sud-
denly l heard the cry Of young
babe, which sounds more like young
ROSTERS first crow than anything else.
Turning, In an angle formed by a
stoop and basement wall of house
saw bundle wrapped in bathing
towel.
Il unwrapped it at one end and un-
covered the face Of girl baby. Twas
wondering what in the world to do
with her when she gave me some
thing like a smile This brought a
sudden desire to hold on to her. Fear
ing some one would rob me of my
find, covered up the face, and, rolling
the whole thing in some unsold news
papers, l tucked it under my arm and
went on to my home over the stable.
Fortunately it was summer, and the
weather was hot. say fortunately,
for baby can stand no end Of heat,
but doesn't thrive on cold didn't
know 1t at the time, but / did know
that the child must have something to
eat
"The mother who had abandoned
1t had rolled up in the bundle bottle
filed with milk. suppose she thought
that first feed would give her child
a better chance to live. / knew
enough to put the nipple into the ba-
by's mouth, and it began to pull right
away.
This was playing family man with
a vengeance. 1 don't know that / and
my family could have been more COM
Portable In brownstone house. / GER
tainly wouldn't have been as happy.
/ had wanted dog for company, and
I thought the baby beat the dog all
hollow.
Then I made a sheet of the bath
ing towel and put the baby to bed ON
a hay mattress. Then cuddled down
beside her and went to sleep. thinking
that l must tell mother all about my
adventure in the morning. For years
after mothers death i thought at
times must tell her things.
II didn't worry about the family
breakfast till the sun came In through
a crack and woke me up l heard a
cooling beside me and remembered my
find. Raising myself on my elbow,
there was the baby trying to get her
big toe in her mouth. She had kick
ed her legs loose and wasn't very much
covered. / bent over her, and she
smiled at me.
But it wasn't long before she began
that rooster Growing, and about the
same time heard my friend the
coachman below doing his morning
stable chores. / tried to quiet the
child. but, though l didn't know 1t,
nothing would do ii but some break
fast. There was the bottle, but moth
ing in it. The baby squalled louder
and louder, and /, fearing the coach
man would get on to my harboring a
family besides myself in the loft and
evict US, tried to stop the crying by
taking the baby up and walking 1t as
l had seen fathers do before. While
was thus engaged the trap at the top
of the stairs leading from below open
ed, and there were the head and shout
ders of Patsy. the coachman. He was
looking straight at me with wonder on
his face, which changed to an explo-
sion Of laughter.
BE dadr he exclaimed I've done
1t meself many night when the day
was breakin'. Where in the world
did We git the child anyway
II explained matters to Patsy and
begged him not to turn me out He
made no promise, but, taking my bot
tie. went away and presently returned
with 1t full Of warm milk This quiet
ed the baby. and Patsy went down