Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1915-09-22
Tending the Baby
But He'll Never Repeat the Performance
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1915, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

sitting beside an honest faced, mother.
| ~ woman of thirty-fve, who had a
baby about eight months old asleep in
her lap. She had asked about the train
up the river, when she suddenly cried
out that she had lost her portemonnaie.
She felt in the pocket of her dress and
in the pockets of her cloak, and she
| shook out the baby's clothes, and by
and by she said:
II remember now. l left it at my sis
ter's, in East Thirty-siXth street My
| ticket and all my money are in it,
MADAM" said l, 'you have fifty
minutes before train time. You can
easily go back and get your purse"
"But the baby?'
Hes asleep, and if you dare trust
him with me I'll take care of him."
I've most a mind to do so.''
Come on with him, and you needn't
hurry bit on my account. Well both
be right here when you get back"
| She gave me a long, lingering hook,
SO as to be able to swear to me In
court, and hurried out, and she was
scarcely out Of sight when ~Rock-a-
by Baby" woman about four seats
away, who had heard and seen all and
was no doubt jealous, got up and walk
ed around and said:
'That shows how much mothers
think of their offspring! Do you sup
pose I'd ever leave one Of my children
that way? Not muchv'
She was still walking around with
her nose UP in the air when an Old
man with a cane and a satchel stop
ped to yell at me:
''Do you know if this is the New
Haven depot or notT'
''No, sir, it isn't 1 replied as I held
up my hand warningly.
Young un sleep, eh?" he shouted in
still louder tones.
I nodded and cautioned him again.
At that moment the baby's eyes open
ed. rocked him to and fro and Groom
ed to him. and he'd have slept again
! but for a woman who came up and
loudly inquired:
Odd you notice hand bag on that
seat when you sat DOWN.
"No, I didn't see any hand bag, and
you woke this baby up!" I shouted at
the woman.
ooh, 1 have! State prison offense,
l suppose" she sneered as she made
| off.
By this time the baby's eyes had got
below my hat, and they began to be-
tray great deal Of anxiety. l kept
my knees moving and sang to him.
l had sung about rod of 'tThe Old
| Oaken Bucket" which have always
found to have soothing effect, and he
was looking at me with great curiosity,
when fat woman came sailing along
and stopped to exclaim:
''KitcheS, what a sweet little babyv'
Walking about with a baby in your
arms is rather monotonous on the spine
and knees and shoulders, but was in
vented as an offset for paregoric.
lifted up the baby and took a walk-a-
by-baby walk. AS l walked l tried to
! divert his mind into a new channel by
| telling him bear story. He was grad
ually becoming interested and had
probably made up his mind that I was
at least his stepfather when a little
old man who hadn't the slightest eX-
cuse for living blocked my way and
shrilly observed:
| My wife died and left a baby about
I as big as him on my hands, and l
know how to pity you. Are you rails
ing him On the bottle"'
| went On with the bear story, but it
was no use. The baby began to grow
red in the face and to kick and claw,
and he finally yelled out at the top Of
his voice. ! changed him to the other
shoulder, but it was no good. l got
him down on my arm and tossed him
up and down, but he piped the harder.
| No fewer than six full grown people at
once gathered around to discuss the
case, and because [ couldn't stand still
to answer their questions l heard them
say that l was a heartless father and
that the Humane society ought to sta
ton an agent at the depot.
l carried him over to the ticket Of
fee and the information bureau, but
he was not in want of Anything in
that line. | walked and waved him to
and fro; then stood still and tossed
him up and down; then l sat down
and bounced him on my knee until his
first tooth was almost shaken out. He
had made up his mind that things
We're not according to Hoyle, however
| and he stack to his tune.
| don't remember all that was said
by the waiting passengers, but here
are few sample specimens from the
stock:
mo one can make me believe that
| no iS thot obiId'S fat -
He doesn't seem to have a spark of
love for the poor little thing
Its curious that the police haven't
interfered before now
Dear me, but If he knew anything
at all about children he'd know that a
pin was pricking the poor thing to
DEATH
There was just one faint hope left.
and 7 Saizad ,1Oon If [ cantarad tha