Year: 1878

JOY in the House Of Giddings.


Mr.. Giddings has Just discovered
how near heaven can get to earth some
times, and it now looks tq him very
much as though q large siice of the
kingdom of bliss had cut loose from its
moorings and anchored in his own
home.


Mr.. Giddings is a father-the father
of boy, and It is his first offense.


There amt word in the dictionary
big enough to tell how happy Mr.. Gid
dings is-not even if put in capitals as
long as cane.


The morning after the little stranger
took up its residence under his roof Mr..
Giddings was changed man. The sky
had a brighter glow, the fire burned
better, and it took very little food to
satisfy hunger. His heart was SO full
of Joy that his wits were crowded out,
and it was several hours before he could
bring himself to believe that it was not
all a tantalizing vision, too bright for
earth. He-Thomas Harrison Giddings
"a mere boy in the worlds battle,
blessed with the ownership of the little
cherry-colored cherub who was at that
moment experimenting with its lungs
in the next apartment! No; it couldn't
be. He was asleep, and would soon
wake up and find it all dream. He
seemed determined, though, to get the
full benefit of the vision while it lasted,
and every five or ten minutes would go
into the chamber of honor, and insist
that the nurse should let him look again
upon the face of the babe, and then after
chirruping to the youngster for mo-
ment or two without receiving any more
notice in return than if he had been the
least important person in the world, he
would go out into the fresh air, and walk
around more dazed than before. But
presently he was back in the room again
feasting his eyes and building castles in
the air. Looking up suddenly after
watching the child for several minutes
trying to swallow its chubby fists, he
said to the companion of his ecstacy:


"Linda, amt it a pretty one p
Z Yes, dear, and the very image of
you, teo, think" said Mrs. g.


It seems to me as though it looks a
good deal like Uncle Nate, y suggested
Mr.. g., referring to the only wealthy
relative he could claim kin to.


"Perhaps it does across the forehead,
but its eyes and nose are yours exactly;
and any one could see that its mouth
and ears are shaped like yours"
Mr.. Giddings felt that his mind was
in too much Of abewildering whirl to at
tend to his business duties that day, and
so after breakfast he went down to the
store to get excused. No wonder the
people looked at him in the most in
terested perplexity that morning as he
strobe along, lifting his feet as high as a
flour barrel at every step. Mr.. Giddings
felt his Importance and made it manifest
to all who saw him.


On the way down town he
stepped into a barber-shop to get
shaved, and ordered the barber,
in voice that well-nigh smote him to
the earth, to set his whiskers Victor
Emanuel style. Up to this time Mr.. G.'s
first mustache had been too timid to
Withstand the bufeting jeers of cold
and unsympathetic world more than
four or five weeks at stretch.


The bootblack was also aroused from
doing in the corner and ordered to give
him such shine as eye had not seen be-
fore. This was a new piece of extrava-
gance to Mr.. Giddings, for his salary
was not fat, and his own muscle had
hitherto inspired whatever brilliancy his
boots had known.


Mr.. Giddings went to the store and
shook hands with the other clerks until
his arm ached, and for the first time he
found himself able to stand in the pres
ence of the great proprietor without
feeling like poor boy in his first new
coat. He seemed walking on air, and
smiled until his mouth got sore and his
ears felt crooked. But several of the
clerks who had been married so long
that their hearts had petrifed, collected
in one corner of the store and put on
long faces, and cast ominous looks oi
mock sympathy upon the joyous par
ent, and when he came over to be con
graduated by them, they all looked a
sad as cold dinner and sighed like ths
echo of blighted life, while one O.
them remarked in voice as cold anC
cherries as the edict of fate


You needn't smile in this crowd
young man." 5sl ..ss


And then they all sighed and shool
their heads, and said it was too bad tha
trouble should overhaul him SO early il
life. This threw something of dampel
upon Mr.. G.'s buoyant spirit; but he go
free of the depressing company as soor
as possible, and hurried back home t.
see if the child had grown any
On the way he stopped to buy /.
high chair and some other thing
he thought would be needed, no
forgetting rattle-box and a gum
ring, and partially closing the bargain
for baby carriage on weekly payments
When his purchases were shown to Mrs
Geasely, the nurse, she looked at him j
pity and said:


"Well, what fools men is, anyhow"
Dream on, Mr.. Giddings, and bask i


the bright sunshine of hope while yo


can. May the day never come whe
your castles of golden promise wi
, crumble and tumblel z4aa