Rensselaer Union, Volume 10, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 July 1878 — “HANG THE BABY.” [ARTICLE]

“HANG THE BABY.”

“ Then you won’t go, Alice?" “ No, Herbert—l am sorry—but the baby!” “Oh, hang the baby!” and Herbert Hung out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Alice stood looking at the door, growing whiter and whiter. Then she gave a heart-breaking cry, fell on her knees by the cradle, and hiding her face in her hands, sobbed bitterly. She had looked forward so long to going to this particular party. It was given by Mrs. Mountjoy, one of the leaders in society, and all who were eminent in politics, diplomacy or literature, as well as distinguished in the fashionable world, were sure to be thero. She had been kept at home so much since baby had been born that she really felt the need of a little variety and relaxation. But baby had beeu threatened with croup a week before, and the fond mother had not yet recovered from her fright. Baby, she admitted, was now better, “ but not lit," she declared, to be left, at least with only the nurse to look after it. Nurses are so careless, everybody had told her, even the beat of them. So she felt it her duty to give up the party. She had not asked Herbert to give if up also, and even said there was no reason he should stay at home, but still, in her hearts of all hearts, she hoped he would. T ‘‘ He said, ‘ hang the baby;’ yes, he did, darling,” she murmured, with indignant emphasis, as she bent over the little unconscious sleeper, “It was your papa who said that, and ho has gone to a brilliant party, with such thoughts of his wife and child! Did you come, dearest, to estrange us from each other?” This awful idea called for bitter sighs. Herbert had said such beautiful things in her trusting young maidenhood. “ Never should their lives run in separate channels, as those of some married people of their acquaintance did ” —“ never a joy accepted that did not make them one”—“ never a barrier should come between them.” And now to think that thi#‘, wee babe, with its golden curls, this beautiful little helpless creature should part them, as never strong hands could! She pictured the gay assemblage, and her Herbert dancing with fair young girls, smiling on others, and leaving her to die of heart-break. Her imagination, always too vivid, viewed him in his triumphs, until her misery took almost the form of madness. “Ho didn’t want me to go,” she said; “he acted as if he didn’t, and then he pretended to throw all blame on dear, helpless baby.” Suddenly she heard the sound of car-riage-wheels outside; they stopped at the door; the bell rung; and a fairylike figure stood on the threshold of the room, in all the wistfnlness of expectancy, with dimpling smiles and laughing eyes. “Oh, Mabel!” cried Alice, starting i to her feet with a glad cry. “ This is indeed a surprise. I’m sogladyon’ve come. My uaiiing sister!” Forthwith ensued a scone of rapturous welcome. Then the baby was *exhibited, and one would not have dreamed that a tear had evor stained the cheek of the proud mother. Then the visitor’s trunks were ordered to be carriea up-stair?. “B* where’s Herbert? In the study?” said Mabel at last. All the light went out of her sister’s eyes; her hands fell. “He’s out -outrdear.” “ Good! Don’t ( be angry, because rm glad, far4sainan havßsuch a nice little chat. You didn’t expect me.” “ Of course I didn’t.” “ Well, I didn’t think of coming, as you know, for -a month yet. But I thought it would be so nice to surprise you.” “Oh!l’m so glad.” “And then Paul Is coming,” she said, blushing, ‘‘next week, to stay a month; he has business here; and to wanted me so badsy to be here too. 1 declare,” she saiit, laughing, " I’ll have to marry him soon to get rid of him.” “Oh, Mabel! don’t marry him unless you’re certain you’ll be happy!” cried Alice, hysterically. “Be sure, first, he won’t go to parties, and le—ave you a—lone with ba—baby,” she sobbed. “ Whatl Is Herbert at a party?” queried Mabel, quite subdued. “ Yes, he is; and when I told him 1 couldn’t go on aocount of baby, he said, ‘ hang ba—baby!’ Ye»( yon little angel, your own father Bald those awful words—and then he si—slammed the door.” “ He’s a viper!” exclaimed Mabel, with sudden vehemenoe. “ A nice way to treat a wife like yoq—a baby like

that! But why couldn’t you leave baby?” “Because he was threatened with croup last week.” ’ ; “ But he’s well enough now—sleeps deliciously. He’ll not wako up all the night, perhaps. And the nurse would* have taken good care of him.” “ I should have been thinking of fire, and all that.” “Oh, nonsense! You ought to have gone. But Herbert had no right to behave as he did; and he must bo punished;” and Mabel threw her wraps on the bed, and took her the glowing fire. “It won’t do to let him get the upper hand. Ah! I have it. I’ve thought of a splendid plan. A charming, delightful little plot,” and she clapped her hands in glee. “ Oh, Mabel, what is it?” and Alice slid down at her sister’s feet, gazing iu her face with expectant smiles. “What are yon going to do?” “ I’m not going to do it. I shall stay here and watch baby. You are going to the party.” "Mabel! impossible!” “Quite possible. In foot it must be done. You must let Herbert see that you’re as pretty as anybody, and quite as much admired. It is decided. You are to go the party and play a part. Let mo arrange the programme.” “ But. Mabel, I haven’t a dress prepared—or anything. I gave up going a week ago, you see, when baby was threatened with the croup,” “Pshaw! You shall wear one of mine, one of the most bewitching, bewildering of dresses, bought from my last allowance from Uncle Curtis. Only to see it will throw you into ecstacies. Worth never composed anything more lovely. I want to see it on you. Come, come, call your maid; I am all impatience. We’ll shame our bad husband into good behavior, see if we don’t. No irresolution, pretty sister, mine. I’ll stay at home and fancy myself mistress here, and count your pictures, vases and pretty things, and catalogue them, so as to make mamma happy with a letter to-mor-row. Order John, or Jack, or Bill, or whoever your coachman is, to get the carriage—if that’s impossible, send for a cab. ” In less than an hour Mabel led fier sister to the great French mirror, and laughingly introduced her.to the loveliest and best-dressed woman she had almost ever seen.

Alice trembled a little when she found herself actually on the way to Mrs. Mountjoy’s; but her sister’s urgent will had conquered, and her heart was hardened by Herbert’s emphatic expression concerning the baby. She was reassured, however, by Mrs. Mountjoy’s hearty welcome. “So glad you’ve come, iny dear,” she said. “ Your husband said he feared ‘ baby’ would keep you at home; but I told him it was all nonsense. You did right to reconsider the matter.” Herbert, like many handsome society men, was a little spoiled and selfish without knowing it. He loved Alice devotedly; but he was not unwilling to receive the sweet smiles and honeyed words of others; while, with a man’s inconsistency, he was not desirous that his wife should play the part of a married belle. It was while he was dancing with one of the most noted and beautiful women of the metropolis, who was more than willing to listen to his nonsense, that Herbert, looking up from the face leaning against his shoulder, while the dreamy waltz music “thrilled hearts sensitive to sadness as to joy,” encountered the sparkling face of his wife, and saw her arrayed in the freshest and most graceful costume in the room. She was moving quietly along with an escort in uniform. “Pray, don’t stumble,” said his partner, petulantly, for from that moment the grand repose of his manner was gone, and the lady on his arm might have been made of wax, or any other ductile material, for all lie eared now. “How the dickons came she here?” he muttered to himself, os he led his Eartner, absently, to a seat, deaf to all er pretty words, blind to her fascinations. “It certainly is Alice but that dress—the prettiest thing here! and I left hsr quite determined not to come. I don’t understand it. Dancing with that military puppy, Guinnett, too. She knows I hate him.” With these amiable thoughts, he laid himself out to gain the attention of his wife, and make her explain. It was some time before he had the chance, so he was obliged to content himself with following her graceful motions, angry with himself and with her. “ Alice! Can I believe my eyes?” ho said, at last, in the pause of the dance. “‘I should think you mightrather," was the nonchalant reply. “Pray how did you comeP” “ Pray, how die! you come? I rode. Did you walk?” “Well, but—” ~ “Excuse me. I’m engaged four deep already;” and Herbert was forced to move aside, as a pompous acquaintance claimed her hand. “ I’d like to knock that fellow down,” he muttered, angry in earnest. Another pause, and another tete-a-tete. No satisfaction given. Herbert had hardly the grace to redeem his dancing engagements. 1 “ About the baby, Alice?” ho askod anxiously. fjhe put her rosy lips to his ear, and in a subdued voice, exclaimed: —-M Hang the baby!” Herbert started and changed color. To be sure lie bad used tho same language; but from her it was too exasperating. How he got through the evening he could handly tell. When, at last, they were together in the.carriage, driving home, there might have been an open rupture but for the.determined calmness of Alice, who took everything os a matter of.nourse. ... One glance in the beautiful nursery unsealed his eyes. There by the fire sat Mabel, in all tho abandon of a neglige toilet, her luxuriant tresses falling in glossy freedom over her shoulders, while tne little fellow on her lap, clutching at one long, shining curl, crowed and laughed as well as he could for “auntie’s” smothering kisses. A sudden revulsion of feeling oamo to the father's heart at sight of this sweet home-picture. “Aha# I know who contrived the plot,” he said. «■ But lam glad to see' you, Mabel, nevertheless.” “Wasn’t she the belle of the ball?” answered Mabel, saucily. “ There’s no doubt of that. At any rate, I didn’t get a chance to dance with her.” "Of course. Whoever heard, in society, of danoing with one’s wifeP” she said, sarcastically. “ [ see that she followed my directions implicitly. You must learn, sir, that a house divided against itself cannot stand—that is, if one-hall is flirting at a party and the other half at home crying her eyoa out/’

“ Oh, Alice—were you, really?” “ 1 should think she was. 1 can assure you that 1 myself saw half the house dissolved in tears, and so wretched that— ’’ “Mabel, liusli!” said Alice, imploringly. 7 “Traitor, do you turn on me,” exclaimed Mabel, with mook displeasure. “My child,” Bho went on, tossing the crowing cherub, “tellyour solfish papa that ho has also some obligations, and that if you had known you were to be the bone of contention in tbis family, you’d havo staid in the garden of angels, where you were wanted.” Herbert was strongly affected by this audacious outburst, but it had the effect of leading him to see his duty in a new light. It taught him to reflect; opened his eyes to his selfishness; and made him, from that evening, a better and itaoro considerate husband. Six months from that time Alice was dressed for a party. Bat this time the party was given at her own house, and in honor of Mabel’s marriage.. Even the bride did not look lovelier; for nothing now occurred to mar Alice’s happiness; and happiness, after all, is the best preservative of beauty. “Ah! how charming *you look,” whispered Mabel, with an arch glance, as they passed each other in the dance. “Prettier, even, and it is saying a treat deal, than when I cured your nusand, by sending you to Mrs. Mountjoy’s party.”— Alice Gray, in Rural New Yorker i