Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 May 1884 — THE WEATHERBY “WAVE.” [ARTICLE]

THE WEATHERBY “WAVE.”

Ting-a-ling-a-ling, rang the door bell at Captain Weatherfey’s. The captain and his wife were sitting in front of the cool fire in the back parlor, waiting until it should be safe to leave, and seeing many queer things in the glowing asnes. The “help”—they do not keep servants—had gone to bed, and the house was shut up for the night. No one was expected and it was too late for callers, so there was a mutual start of alarm on the part of the pair when the front door bell rang in that suddefi Tim Tin-a-ling-a-ling-aliug-aling-ling! It was really quite hostly; Mrs. Weatherby said. “Mercy me, who is there, do you suppose?” and the captain replied: “Like os not it’s a tellygram.” Then he went to the door. The wire of that indignant bell was still vibrating and the tongue itself had just stopped wagging and yet when the captain opened the door not a soul was visible. The soft, light flakes of the last snow of the season drifted into his face, and fell cold and wet on his cheeks. Mrs. Weatherby was close behind him, and exclaimed: “Mercy me! It was nobody!”

“Not even the cat,” said her husband. “Old Prim can do a sight of mischief, but she can’t ring door bell’s. It was some pesky boy, Xsuppose, who thought he’d play smart and then run for it.” “What's that on the door step?” asked Mis. Weatherby suddenly. “It’s a drift,” said the captain. “I tell you what, Mary, there’ll be a nor’ easter to-night, nor 1 east by nor’ with a wind that’ll make the sails rattle. It’s gettiii’ up now, ’-’ and he-drew- in- - his-tateevered-hand, and was about to shut the hall door. “There is something there Silas,” said hjs wife, “right on the top step. Looks like a bundle.’ - The captain j>eered out again. “It’s right you are, my hearty. Sure as _ you live it’s a basket,” and he touched it ' With his foot “Ob, it’s the groceries for to-morrow; that careless boy forgot them. No wonder be ran away when he rang the bell! Fetch ’em in, Silas, and leave them in the back parlor to-night Hannah will see thim first thing in the morning!” “Better take them into the caboose —I mean the kitchen,” said the captain. 1. — —: t “No; it’s locked up. Put ’em on that choir by the door. Ugh! I’m shiverin’ ’ with the odd air," and the good woman sat down in front of the comfortable coals ■gain. ■ '

—‘‘We’ve a heap to be thankful for, Mary,” said the captain thoughfully; “Y-e-s, I s’poae so,” sighed his wife; she was thinking just then of two little graves at Marblehead. Tl\ey had been made nigh on to twenty years ago, and the vacancy in her heart and life never been rilled. At that moment a queer little wailing cry rang through the room. The two started and looked at each other; “SakeS alive! What was it?” asked Mrs. Weatherby. , „ “Iteame out of that basket,” said the captain; "that fool,of a boy has stowed a hand in the fo’castle—l mean a kitten,” and he stalked,oVer to it and jerked off the cover. J) “By the great horn spoon!” he exclaimed as lie jumped back about four feet; "it’s a baby.” "Mercy me,’* said his wife; "where did it come from?” "From the skies, I should say, tliats what the bell rang for. Weil, I must say this is an imposition," Mrs. Weatherby was looking curiously into the basket ; all she saw was rags, two bright, smilling eyes, and a little round head covered with dark hair—a wee bit babv, desertev and alone.

"I’ll go for the police,” said the captain, angrilv; “shiver my timbers if I’m going to iiaVe people starving their babies on my door step when there’s places provided for them as are destitute. The police will make short work of it; Mary.” “They won’t kill it, will they?!’ asked Mrs. Weatherby in a horrid tone. — --7—----- ■■ - “Well, no, wife; that’s against the law. But they’ll take it where such waves (he meant waifs) belong. If you ain’t afraid to stay alone I’ll rim oat to the next corner and fetch one. When the captain returned with the policeman he had to stop and explain the exact spot where they found the basket, how the bell had rung, etc., and so it was a half hom 1 or more before they got into the back parlor. There Mrs. Weatherby sat with the object rolled up in a table doth, lying in her lap and basking contentedly in the rays of the fire. “Here we are,’’"said the captain in a brisk tone. "Now Mr. Policeman, you can take the youngster off in the basket it came in, can’t you?” “It’s a nice boy,” said the policeman, looking down on the tiny head basking in the tire light. “Girl,” corrected Mrs. Weatherly. "I tell yon wliat, Silas, I think I had better keep the baby till morning. It don’t seem exactly Christian to let it go out in the cold to-night again.” “That’ll suit me,” said the policeman. "It’s a good bit from here to the Fondlin’s, and it do seem at home, sir.” “Very foolish, very foolish, Mary; but have your own way; only don’t let me be bothered by its cryin’, that’s all,” said the captain as lie peeped over shyly, and stole a look at the “wave." The next morning at 10 o’clock the policeman was on hand for the baby, “Now, isn’t it too bad,” said M('s. Weatherby, “hot the fact is it ain’t ready,” and she slipped some money into the man’s hand for his trouble,

"I’m going to look over some things I’ve put away,” Haiti tlie poor little mother; "and give it some docent clothes to wear; Would it lie'too much trouble to ask you to come for it this evening?” “Certainly not, ma’am,” said the officer. As he went out Captain Weatherby looked up from his paper and winked at him The officer winked back and looked very knowingly at Mrs. Weatherby. Such a running and rummaging as there was in that house all that day! and by night, the baby had quite an extensive wardrobe ready; dressed out in the little tucked and embroidered baby gown that had been brought out and done up for it, from the stock that once had belonged to those other babies who no longer needed them, it looked like a very different baby from that in the basket, “It-ain’t such a bad looking wave, after all,” said the captain, bending his honest red face over it and holding out a rough and rugged forefinger, which the baby instantly grasped, and laughed and cooed over it. "Here’s the p’liceman, mum, for the baby,” said Hannah, rushing that functionary in. “Oh,” said Mrs. Weatherby, looking greatly disappointed, “I’m not . half ready yet!” A

“But ti’s only the baby, mum, they wants. One of (he fouudliugs died last night and this here one is to have its place,” said the man. “I can’t help it” said Mis. Woatlierby; “the child won’t go till it is ready. Its clothes air nbfW»faffifed up vet.’" “You see,” laughed the captain, ”my mate there will want a Saratogy trunk for that wave’s clothes before she gets through with it. Say, Mr. Policeman, just as soon as it’s ready I’ll send for you to come after it.” “Just so, sir,” answered the man; “just so, I’ll return to duty, and you can let me know when missis is ready.” There was an amused twinkle in the captain’s eye, when ho saw how je’ieved his wife looked as the man took liis departure.

All this happened a year ago. I was reminded of it by receiving the following card, which wus sent out generally by, good eaptaid and his wife: Where did you come from, baby dear? Out of i he everywceie, into the here. Where did you tret your eyes so blue? Out of the skies a-< I catne throu li. What makes your loreUead smooth and high? A soft ha 11 cl S' roked it, as 1 went by. What malt s y our cheek 1 ke a warm, white rose? I saw som-thing better than anyone knows. Whence that three-cornered smile of bliss? Three angels gave m - at once a k ss. i Where 4* l yon get that coral ear? —»• Where d <1 yon ge* those at ms and hands? Love made itself into bonds and bands. Whence came yonr feet, dear little things? From the Same box a* the cherubs* wings. How did they all first come to be yon? God thought about me and so 1 grew. But how did you come to us. yon dear? * God thought about you, and so lam here. * •••%••• : YoUr presenoe is desired at the christening : _i party of onr adopted daughter. : ETHEL, i Wednesday afternoon, January 30, 1881. : Ce cmony at a, MB. AND BIBS. SILAS WKATHKBBX. I. If any one expected a fashionable gathering it was simply because they did not know their host and hostess very well. The great, comfortable house, was full of guests, but they were mostly people of the Weatherby stamp; good, plain, sensible souls who did not go through life junketing and dancing, so they carried into any occasion <S>f enjoyment in 1 which they participated on almost, childish zest.' And ail the ladies purred over

that blessed baby, and all the gentlemen button holed the captain and made him tell the story over. "Found it on the door step, you say; f-o-ti-n-d it on the door step? How very remarkable!” - Arid in that very boat basket, I mean—grounded as it were at my feet—the pretest wave that ever struck the shoals for me—my eyes, sir!” It was hard to recognize the baby in its pink slip arid coral ornaments, but harder to recognize the basket, for it was one moss of flowers and, tied with rose pink ribbons, looked as gay aa a peacock. There was only one thing that came near marring the perfect enjoyment of the occasion. It was when the minister, a pale, slight intellectual looking young man stepped forward to begin die ceremony in which the “wave” was to have a Christian name, and Captain Weatherby called out; “Ship ahoy!” The good man stopped and looked perplexed. —“Stow the prayer, parson,” said the captain; “short services nn this ship, if you please. ” The minister smiled arid the ceremony proceeded, and all the prayers and remarks of the occasion were condensed by the celebrant into a single quotation. “When my father and mother forsake me then the Lord will take me up.”