Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-07-11
w hen Baby
Was Lost

her mother were visiting grandpa and
grandma and Uncle jim on the farm
Every morning at 10 o'clock mother
gave Baby Il glass of milk. Then she
look off the darling's shoes and stock
lngs and put her to bed in the spare
bedroom. The spare bedroom opened
Off the parlor and the parlor had an
outside door,
Baby was always SO sleepy at 10
o'clock that her eyes closed almost the
minute her curly head touched the pill.
low.
One morning, instead of sleeping
two hours, Baby awoke in fifteen min
vtes. For little while, she gazed
around the darkened room-at the
roses on the wall and cologne bottles
on tho old fashioned bureau. Then
she turned over, with her face down,
and squirned her plump little body to
the edge of the bed. Down she slid,
until, with soft little bump, she
reached the braided rug on the floor.
Baby wasn't hurt a bit, because her
head didn't bump.
The outside parlor door, leading to
the porch, was wide open, and the
screen wasn't hooked. Mother and
grandma were working in the kitchen.
doing the churning and the baking and
didn't know when Baby pushed the
screen door open and escaped into the
summer sunshine.
Baby was afraid of the big, shaggy
dog, whose name was but Shop was no.
where in sight. A humming bird came
the porch. Baby tried to catch him.
irL hit o,
over the pansy bed beside the steps.
Forgetting the humming bird, Baby
tried to catch the butterfly She fol-
lowed him through the gate and lit
tie way down the long, long lane, be-
fore he was lost in the sunshine.
Next the barefooted baby went pad
ding through the dust, with hands
out-stretched behind a toad; but, after
hopping along ahead of her a few
steps, that wise little toad hid behind
a stone while Baby travelled by.
She was singing "Da-da-da-da' as
loud as ever you please, when robin
on the fence turned his head on one
side and called, Cheer up! Cheer up"
Baby tried to catch the robin, but he
flew wee bit ahead of her, until they
passed the barn, where doves were
cooling ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS"
"Cook-cook-coo-o-oo!"
Back of the barn was the orchard,
and in the orchard were squirrels and
birds and bees and butterflies and
grasshoppers and crickets and at least
one little squirmy-wormy!
Baby had a beautiful time in the
orchard, until she thought of her moth
or and her grandma in the farmhouse
kitchen. At first Baby left lonely;
then she was scared and then she be-
gan to cry. You see, the dear Baby
was lost. She didn't know the way
home. She couldn't see the barn; she
couldn't see anything but apple trees.
Baby was standing still in the mid
die of the orchard, crying and crying
and crying, when Shep found her
that big, shaggy, good old dog. Shep!
He came bounding across the orchard
when he saw Baby, and stuck his
friendly nose in her face.
Don't cry, BODY, don't cry!" he said
in dog talk. But the Baby didn't un-
derstand, and cried louder than ever.
Come with me, I'll take you home!
Come with me, I'll take you home!'
urged the dog in big dog talk; but the
Baby only cried and cried, because all
she heard was "Bow-wow! Bow-wow-
wow-wow!" She never did like to
have Shep prance around on his four
big feet and say "Bow-wow!" like that!
Soon Shep ran away fast as he could
go. He couldn't make the Baby under
stand that he knew how to lead her
home, so he ran for Uncle Jim-good
old dog, Shep!
Uncle Jim was in the barn at work
when Shep came running in, calling
loud. Gomez. Come! Come Gomez"
Uncle Jim understood what Shep said,
because he was so we'll acquainted
with the old fellow.
When Shep began pulling Uncle Jim
by the trousers, only stopping to say,
Come, Come! Gomez" Uncle Jim
stopped his work and went with the
dog.
Straight to the orchard ran good old
Shep, with Uncle Jim close behind
The Baby was glad to see Uncle
Jim. She ran to meet him and put
her arms tight around his neck; and
those two, with old Shep. went skip
ping through the orchard to the house.
When they reached the farm house.
Baby was laughing and old dog Shep
was jumping around. and barking as If
he never was so happy In his life be-
fore.
When mother and grandma heard
the story, they patted Shep on the
head, and said: Good old Shep!
Good old dog!"
At noon that day, Uncle Jim gave
Shop a piece of beefsteak for his din
ner and Baby said, Good dog!"
That old dog was so pleased he wag-
ged and wagged his tail. Ever after
when Baby went to walk, old dog Shep
went, too.
Four Kittens, One Calf and