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*4 ; THl
The Family
: THE TENTH.
? j Caroline Kellogg.
Tnc tenth was not welcome.
Nine time3 Mrs. Kramer had gladly
opened her arms and heart to one baby
after ajiother, and she rejoiced contlnally
in them all. from the handsome
man, who cast his first vote this? year,
down to tae sturdy founyear-old boy
whom she caught up in her strong arms
anil kissed passionately. exclaiming:
"He's mother's baby! She does not want
anotner!"
The child looked into her eyes puzzled,
but the eyes were just as kind and
laughing as they always were, and, reassured,
he gave her a cnoking hug and
scrambled down.
ike father heard, and came over and
kissed his wife.
"Never mind, dear people say cliiloren
in the nouse keep the old folks
young, and you're the youngest woman
I know."
Mrs. Kramer felt that she was entitled
to a rest. When the first tive babies
came tumbling info the home in quick
succession, she said, "Uh, 1 don't mind.
I'll get my rocking all done at once."
Now it seemed to her as if in all the
twenty-two years of her married life, she
had done nothing but reck babies, and
she was not glad the tenth was coming.
She was not glad when it came. She
lay looking dreamily out through the
swaying white curtains, into the June
sunshine, and wished she might go out
among the roses. Why had no one
ibrought her roses tnis morning? ah,
they didn't think it was worth while. So
many times had she lain like this, with a
shapeless bundle beside her; it was commonplace
to them all. Only the nurse
had come to her since daylight! Was
it late? she wondered.
The bundle beside her stirred, and
she instinctively put out her hand to
touch it- Was it a girl or a boy? She
bad not heeded, if tney had told her.
What would she name it? Perhaps one
of the girls would want to name it, if
they cared enough about It. They didn't
seem to care enough to come to see it.
Her door opened softly, and in it stood
her husband, holding her baby boy by
one -iand, and in the other he carried
a white rose.
"Can we come in, mother?" he asked
gently. "We have brought you the most
beautiful rose we could And. ??e looked
at every one, because we wanted you to
have the best on the new baby's birthday."
lie kissed her and laid the roee on the
piHow. The boy stood off, with his hands
behind his back, and watched. Finally,
curiosity triumphed. "Where is it"?
The father and mother laughed; nurse
came and lifted out the bundle, and gave
me Doy a peep at the wee, red face.
He carefully touched It with the end of
a chubby finger, and then he said: "Muddy,
I'm awful glad now. Now I don't
have to be the baby any more."
"Rless his heart. Mother's glad somebed
y welcomes the baby cordially.
*"Ocme, boy,"' the father said. "The
rest are impatient to see mother. Wj
must go away."
E PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOU!
w - -
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"DON'T HAVE i o I
The mother lay content. They did
think it wonu while to come, then.
Her son came next; her great, broad
shouldered "man-child." What a good
name the mothers of old used, was her
new baby a man-child? She had forgo
ten to ask. .
Martin brought a rose, too, a pale yellow
one, her favorite. He knew, because
they had so often looked at them together.
He knelt beside her, and let her
feast her eye3 on his face and touch his
cheek with her hand, and then he said,
"Nurse, can I see the baby?"
She turned back the soft while covering,
and as he leaned across to look at
the little face, the child cried lustily.
"All right, youngster. I'm glad you
can make a noise. But we'll fight it out
laitter. We'll have some good times to
gether. I'm glad you've come."
The mother saiiled, and touched and
easily quieted the child, as she said
softly: "Another welcome to you, little
stranger."
After awhile, when the nurse said she
was rested enough, Madge came, Madge
her second daughter, her harum-scarum,
happy-go-lucky Madge.
"Oh, Mud," she said, "I've just been dying
to come in. " I brought you a bud
from the new rose-busa. Sis said maybe
you wouldn't want it cut, but I wanted to
cut it, so I did. How's the kid? Can 1
see it? O, you red-faced monkey. I'm
so glad we've got it, aint you Mud"? It's
kinda lonesome without a baby: '
Ruth came next, and John, and each
brought a rose, ana both rejoiced at the
same time, over the new baby, and the
fact that father hnH com ~i_w?
?? >?< inigui siay
at home from school in its honor. After
awhile David came and brought his* rose,
and had his look at the baby, and said, in
his quiet way, "I'm awfully glad, mother.
I wasn't old enough to enjoy Hob, wnen
he was a baby, you know.'
Again ihe mother smiled, aud thougat
gladly: "The dear little babv dees not
lack a joyous welcome, even if It's mother
gives It none. How funny! Not one
TL May 19, 1909.
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IE THE BABY ANY MOtlB."
has asked if it is a hoy or girl."
"O moth', 1 couldn't haruly wait for
school to be out, I wanted to see von
so much, and can I see the baby, and l
brought you a rose, 'cause there s such
I iad-3 of them, and you can't go out to
see 'em, but you'll be well in a day or
two, won't you, ana I'm glad we got a
new baby, ain t you.' l guess Bob won't
get everything now.
"riere's .Marion. She's been over to
Aunt Lou's all day. She cried this morning
'cause she couldn't come and get in
your bed, and Sis told her she must go
and tell Aunt Lou about the new baby."
The little six-year-old girl came in shyly.
"I brought you a rose, mother, 'cause
Martin said I could, can 1 see the baby,
too? O, ain't it cute. I'm so glad,' cause
l^aura Evans is always sayin' 'We got a
new baby, and you ain't, and now ours is
newer'n hers."
The mother lay and rested in the quiet
room, and waited for the last visitor,
looking out, now and then, into the leafly
auiim worm oeyond her windows. 1
At last the door opened, and tne mother's
breath came quickly at sight of the
beautiful picture framed there; a girl
woman, with fair hair and shining eyea,
her arms filled with red roses.
She dropped the roses on her mother's
bed, and put her arms around her mother's
neck, and kissed her over and over.
"O mother," she whispered, "I wanted
to be the last, but it has seemed so long
to wait."
She leaned over, and took the baby in
arms, and put her cheek against its soft
iaue, ana cooed to it.
"Mother, please may I name it?"
'ine mother nodded, smiled througn
moist eyes, and waited.
"Let's call her Rose, mother."
When she would have laid the child
back, the motner held up her arms, saying
softly, as she took the dittle one:
"Mother's precious Rose. I'm glad, glad,
glad you've conte. Tlii^ has Leon the
happiest day of all my life.?i?Yoin The
P'lgram for August, 1906, by permission.
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