New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-20

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bundle IN her arms appeared before me;
had not resided in France sufficiently long
10 imbibc the unadultcratcd French polite
ness; but | had progressed sufficiently 10
ask:
"Nladam. what can | have the pleasure
Of doing for YOU this morning!
"NIonsicur." she exclaimed, walking to-
ward me. holding out the bundle as It to
deposit it on my desk, "this IS an American
baby. What shall ! do with it,
Abashcd at the prospect OF so suddenly
becoming father with the orange blossoms
and rice omitted. and knowing that the
American government had established no
precedent Of maintaining orphan asylums
either at home or abroad, | hcsitated mo-
mcnt and replied:
"Wil the Madam please be seated over
there by the door, and tell me why, beng
a Frcnchwoman, she has become possessed
Of an American baby
II never occurred TO me to examine the
little bundle Of humanity. ! had in pre-
vious times rather pridcd myself on my
ability to distinguish the nationality OF pco-
plc. had even boosted ! could tell them by
Their shoes: but | had never tried my
pcrccptive powers on infant physlognom-
les.
~ToHd!" she said, seating herself.
shall never forget that word r0Hd.
II was one Of the first French words ! ever
learned. You know it means-oh, so many
things when used cxClamatorly, rs 1t gen
orally is Usually, however to the begin
ner in the French language 1t conveys the
meaning Of "Hcre it is. That was about
rs far as | had progressed IN my French
education at that time in regard TO the many
1 Il ola ~ |
that if il meant the baby then 1t would
retain its geographical location indefinitely;
that IS. in the Woman's lap over by the door
or preferably outside But her roHd re-
fcrrcd not so much to the infant rs to the
story of how it came to be in her posses
sion.
She talked volubly while | tried to as
sumo the defensive power OF silence. But
20 a Frcnchwoman well. silence simply
means what the Jockey gives the horse IN
the last heat, encouragement.
From the verbal French cyclone she
hurled at me | gathered few fragments
that enabled me 20 understand.
For three months she had been employed
as nurse bv an American woman who had
paid her good wages. -Four weeks pre-
viouslv. however, the mother had returned
10 New York, saying she was going over Tor
only two or three DAYS on an urgent bust
ness matter and would return at once. She
had not seen or heard Of her since. Being
a woman who had to work for her own living,
the baby was q burden on her hands. She
could hardly support herself, much less pro-
vide for the infant, and as the child was OF
American parcntagc she thought the repre-
sentative of the American government
ought TO take care of It.
! suggested that | would write 10 the city
authorities in New York asking as 20 the
ccnuincness Of the address that the woman
said the mother had LETT with her
and what shall do during all the time
YOU are waiting for an answer, -starve;7
Nv answer finally was a twcnty-tranc
gold piece, with which She departed, saying
She would try to take care Of the baby until
| could hear from the New York authorities.
Now the reasonable and the unrcason-
able part Of the story is that since her de-
parturc, though the sun has risen hundreds
Of times, she has never returned. Il had
not risen more than seven times, however,
before | learned the reason.
It was Just one week later at an informal
dinner Of the sixteen Consuls who resided
in the city, that in the course Of q converse
ton with my Italian colleague | told him
the story Of the woman and the baby.
What do YOU suppose he answered;
We'll, Wcll.' he laughed. Why, that
same woman came 20 my office. only she