Year: 1875

While the family of a Pittsburgh
merchant were quietly taking their
tea at their residence in AlleghaDy,
the other evening, a ring was heard on
the bell, and the door having been
opened, surprise awaited the house,
I'D. The hired girl carried iato the
the diuning-rOom not a delicately-tin-
ted and artisticaily-inscribed card
but a basket! Mr.. l.. looked Inquir-
iuTly at Mrs. L., who from the other
end of the table returned his glance
with a gaze so mild, so meaningless,
that be saw there vas no use in ask
ing her what the basket contained
The hired girl was directed to open
the mysterious package, which bore
no cover, but was apparently filled
with silk patchwork. Fold after fold
was removed ill, without as yet hav-
ing brought 10 light anything but
dry goods, Betaey held up he: hands.
and with horror depicted on her face,
exclaimed: ITS alive!"


Mr.. l.. arose from bis chair in de-
termined manner, and went over to
Investigate tie contents Of tl,e bask>
ct. The mystery WAS soon solved. 1t
was the old story. Bell rung-doOr
Opened-bGsket found suspended to
to door knob baby in basket.


That tells the whole story Of the
finding OF the basket, but words can
not express the anguish Of the look
which Mrs. l.. let fall upon her con-
fused and spe, Chless husband as she
raised her handkerchief 10 her eyes
and turned away TO conceal her emo
ton. This was too much for poor l..
who at heart is not bad man, but
given to staying away from home a
little too much, perhaps, i'm tie eve
ming. But he always lad good eX-
cuse for his absence. The lodge of
course, had TO he attended to. Then
the spelling matches ere something in
which he was particularly interested,
and these kept him away from home
frequently till bed time. There are
dozens of reasons which any man who
has been married a few years can find
always at command to excuse his alb
senCes, and all these had been used by
him with variations till he could as
easily account for six nights of the
week as the champion photographer
can answer every cOnundrum in Os.
goods speller.


Now he felt crushed. There was
iilC DdbN III LIlG tdShGI, pun iIbllt utdIs
kicking anG trying to eat its fists as
contentedly as if i'm its own home, but
there was no note, not line of eXpla-
nation. l.. felt that he ought to say
something, but he knew not how to
begin. He caught his wife by the arm
as she was about to retire to the soli-
tude of her own room and said earnest
ly, but in trembling voice, MARY.
on my honor am not responsible for
this"


"Oh, William" she sobbed, with
her handkerchief still upon her eyes,
as she struggled to get away, how can
you say this?


Ho dropped to his knees and. hold
ing her by the hand. implored her not
to go away, but listen to him. He
would be honest with her. He had
been careless and neglectful sometimes,
perhaps. but he was not guilty of this .


Still she strugG led To he free, hat he
would not let her go, and again she
cried out;


"Oh, what good can it do you to de-
ny it?"


But ne denied it again and again,
and vowed he would Go anything IN
the world for her who had always been
so loving to him. But he could not
bear to have her doubt him. He
would stay at home nights now as
long as he lived, or else take her
where he went. but he could not live
to see her breaking her heart with
doubts and suspicious of him. He
kissed her hand thousand times,
with tears in mis- eyes and assured her
that he loved her as ever, and then he
begged her TO dry her eyes and be hap
py. He was innocent now, and he
would not again be absent from his
heaTthstOne on any night during the
remainder of his life.


What could she do? She was only
a woman, and she believedVand for
gave him. Perhaps some will say she
was "eoft' or "spoony" in permitting
herself to believe in him again, but
she did it. She gave him her other
hand freely, and he arose and EN-
b.aced her as he was wont tn do when
they were young and conffding. He
felt happy i'm his forgiveness, and look
ing into her grave but not unhappy
face. he said, "Well, Mary. this adds
one more to our little family. We
have two of the little innocents to
cherish and protect, and we will do it
70 the best of our ability"


"!She shook her head and smiled.


''Is it not so, my own ?" he asked.


"Yes il is so, my own" she replied
"but it is the sG me one we always had
that is. for the past seven weeks"


1t was the old April joke of wife
on her lord, who was given to impor-
tant business out in the erenihgs.