Newspaper Page Text
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The Family
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THE TENTH.
Caroline Kellogg.
Tlii' ten lit was col woliiiiHi'
Nino rar.es Mrs. Kramer }i;t 1 gladly
opened her :?rirs and heart to one baby
after .mother, and she rojn.ed . entra
ually in them all. from the handsome
man. who <ast his tirst \o:o tins- year,
down 10 1.10 sturdy fouryear?>ld boy
whom she caught uj> i'.t her strong arms
an,! kisssd passionately. exclaiming"He's
mother's Italy' She do.s no: w an
anot nor!
The child looked inso in.- eyes ;?:iz
zlod. bnt the eves were just as kind and
laughing as they always ware. and. i<assured.
he gave her a cruising nag and
scrambled down.
iho father hoard, and came ovet and
kissed h.s wife.
"Never niind. dear jienjiV say ch.loren
in the nouse keep the old tolks
young, and you're the youngest woman
1 know."
Mrs. Kramer felt thai she was entitled
to a rest. When the first tive babies
came tumbling into the home in quick
succession, she said "Oh. 1 Juii'i mind
I'll get my rocking all done at once.
.\ow it seemed to tier 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 coining.
iShe was not glad when it came, She
lay looking dreamily out tnrongh the
swaying white curtains, into the June
sunshine, and wished she might go cut
among the roses. Why had no one
(brought her roses tnis morning? .^h.
they didn't think it was worth while. So
many times had she lain like 111i. with a
shapeless bundle bes de her: it was commonplace
to them ail. 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
had not heeded, if tuey had told her.
What would she name it? Perhaps one
of the girls would want to name it. if
they cared enough about it. 'J hey d dn't
seem to care enough to come to see it.
tier door opened softly, and jo ;i stood
her husband, holding her baby boy by
one iand, anu in the other he cai'ried
a white rose.
"Can we come in. mother?' he asked
gently. "We have brought you the most
beautiful rose we could find. >?e looked
at every one, because we wanted you to
have the best on the new baby's birthday."
He kissed her and laid the rose on the
pillow. 'Hie boy stood off. with h.a hands
behind bis back, and watched Finally,
curiosity triumphed. "When- is it"?
'I he father and mother laughed , nurse
came and lifted out the bundle, and gave
the boy a peep at the wee, red face.
He care-fully touched it with the end of
a chubby finger, and then he said: ".Mud
dy, I'm awful glad now. .\'ow I don't
i, ij*z un: uauy any more.'
"lil?*88 his heart. Mother s glad some
!> '1 y welcomes the baby cordially.
' O TTit*, boy, * tl:c fath'r wui<l. " n>?
reel are impatient to see mother. \V;
must K') away."
PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOU'
:
v: '
HON i HAVK . o
1 lie mother lay content. They din
think it worm while to come, then.
Her son came next; her great, broad
shouldered "man-child." What a good
name the mothers ot onl 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 hi r
feast her eyes on his face and touch ins
cheek with het hand, and tilt si lie said.
.Nurse, can I see the baby?"
She turned baek the soft white 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. Hut we'll fight it out
latter. We'll have some good times together.
I'm glad you've come."
The mother smiled, and touched and
easily quieted the child, as she said
softly: "Another welcome to you, little
stranger."
After awhile, when the nurse suhl 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 hud
Irom the new rose-bus.*. Sis said maybe
you wouldn't want it cut. but I wanted lo
cut it, so I did. How's the kid? Can I
so#* itv v*??i 1
_ ... ..... ..-?? liii iii mousey. I'm
so glad we've got it. aim you Mu-I"? It's
kinda lonesome without a baby:
itutli came next, and John, ami each
brought a rose, ami both rejoiced at the
same time, over the ri'*w )>abv, and the
faet thai father bad sard thev might stay
at home from school in its honor. After
awhile David came aid brought his' lose,
and iiad bis 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.
\goin he mother smiled, and thougnt
v'adl.. : "The dear ! ttle b'.bv does net
Is' k a Joyous welcome, even if it's mother
gives it in r e. How tunny! .Not one
TH. May ig, igog.
...... . .
> '
i*
UK THE I'.AHY ANY MOdE."
has ask? <1 il it is a boy or girl."
"O moth', I could 11 c haruly wait for
school to he out. I wanted to sec you
mj murti. and can I see the baby, and 1
brought you a rose, 'cause Uteres such
I >uds of tin in. ami you can't go out to
see 'em, but you'll be well in a day or
two. won't you, aim I in glad we got a
new baby, ain t you: I guess Hob won't
get everything now.
"iiere's Marion. She s been over to
Aunt Ism'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 Hon about the new baby."
The little six-year old giri came in shyly.
"1 brought you a rose, mother, 'cause
Martin said I could, can I see the baby.
kid. m. am i it cute. I'm so glad,'cause
l*aura Kvans 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 tiie quiet
room, and waited for the last visitor,
looking out, now and then, into the leafly
sunni world beyond her windows.
At last the door opened, and tne mother's
lneath came quickly at sight of the
beautiful picture framed there; a girl
woman, with fair hair and shining eyes,
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 lie tlie last, but it lias seemed so long
to wait."
She leaneil nv<> ?*
, .iiiii ui'in wie uany in
anus, and put her cheek against its soft
face, and cooed to it.
"Mother, please may I name it?"
'i ne mother nodded, smiled through
moist eyes, and waited.
"Let's call tier Rose, mother."
When she would have laid the child
hack, I lie mot nor held up her arms, saying
softly, as she took the little one:
"Mother's precious Ros". I'm glad, glad,
gird you've come. Till* has beer, the
happiest lay of all my life?rYom "'lie
I'Jgvani for Augmd, Hi-tG, by permission.
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