Belletonte, Pa., September 5, 1913. CLOSING THE DOORS. 1 have closed the door on Doubt; I will gc by what light | can find, And hold up my hands, and reach them out To the glimmer of God in thedark, and call; “1am Thine, though I grope and stumble and fall. I serve; and Thy service is kind.” 1 have closed the door on Fear. He has lived with me far too long. If he were to break forth and reappear, 1 should lift my eyes and look at the sky, And sing loud, and run lightly bv: He will never follow a song. 1 have closed the door on Gloom. His house has too narrow a view. I must seek for my soul a wider room, With windows to open and let inthe sun. And radiant lamps when the day is done, And the breeze of the world blowing through. — British Weekly. ACQUAINTED. GETTING Young Mrs. Redford’s face was flushed and her eyes were very wild. Redford laid his hand on her forehead. From the dued sniffing. “Matter?” he asked, with a back od It the ies Te whispered bis wile, *1 ‘ 's ng,” whi wife. hurt her feelings. I told her she talked to the baby too much and that 1 didn't the sound of her voice and that she making the baby nervous and—" and turned away her face. wet. too,” said 11 & 5d zi been a gently : i g : ¢ = t Sc n my nerves, “Oh, Tom, I —a stand . 8 doing doesn’t know how.” Her big blue eyes filled with tears. “Guess she'll have to be bounced,” said he, lightly. “Leave her to me.” Patting her cheek and smoothing her hair, he lingered, looking down at her as she lay, excited and feverish. He ex- ¥ : ft thus in the grip of some strange mal- ady that the doctors could not name. Half of each night he had worked over her, fighting fever, fending off chill. Each Slomning Je had left her to go to the office, deluding himself into believing that she was a little better, only to re- turn after a day of mental torment to take up the battle once more. And it was a losing battle—he felt it; she was growing paler and thinner and bigger- and weaker every day. He leaned over and kissed her and she threw her arms around his neck. “Oh, Tom," she said, “I'm never going t well. I know it! I know it!” “Nonsense,” replied he, cheerily. “Peo- ple always say that just before the turn comes. She looked at him wistfully, and, per- haps because she was weak, the chance remark gave her heart. “Have you had anything to eat?’’ he asked to “A glass of egg and milk.” “Well, I've brought a Surprise package for you. It's downstairs. you stay awake for half an hour!” “I can try,” she replied with a trace of her old spirit. "I'm awfully hungry.” “Well, dear, you leave every to me. To-morrow’s Sunday, and i Washington's Birthday. To-night I'm going to fire the nurse. I've already fired the doctor—that is, I've told him not to come again till Tuesday. And I'm going to take you in hand. ill you do what- ever | say?” “Yes dear.” “Good!” said he, tapping her cheek. “By Tuesday you'll be in shape to spank the baby. I'll be back in a few min- utes.” He went into the next room. There sat the nurse, a mere girl, red-eyed, red- nosed, bbing at her face with a wet handkerchief rolled into a ball. “Good evening, Miss Bell,” said Red- ford. “How's baby?’ “She’s a dear,” replied Miss Bell, and dissolved in tears. “Would you mind going downstairs if youre going to do that?” he asked, coldly. She rose, sniffling, and went. He walk- ed to a basket which stood on a trunk in a corner by the window and looked down at the little occupant who was sleeping with her fists tucked under her chin. He felt he was scarcely acquainted with his own baby, he had seen her so little; and he was not quite sure that he cared. She had been the source of all the trouble. He had not had time to generate any great love for her—in fact, the lachry- mose nurse was the only one who had. As he looked at the little pink face and fists, however, he admitted that they were very . But, as usual, he hadn’t time to look at them. Snwrappel his . age, discovering a little of oe very thick—he selected it with the utmost care. it's tender,” said he, judicially. ," gasped Miss Bell—“surely, Yoyire not going to give her that!” HL | : HH x ir | ] i R Es i i i § i tel i; i g i : i ; Redford uttered it with a show of heat. “You've no right to be sensitive,” said he. “It's part of your profession to be thick skinned as far as your patients are concerned. You know well enough that she couldn't help it. She's some excuse to be nervous and strung. I tell you frankly, Miss I, that | was pretty mad when I got home tonight ai heard you sn—.er, cry- ing in the mext room. There! Don and call again Tuesday morning? Then I'll tell you finally whether we'll need Fo any more. I'm going to stay home onday—holiday, you know.” “Yes,” agreed Miss Bell, furtively bab. bing at her eyes. rose and went toward the door, Stopped, and threw up her hands. She some curiously theatrical manner. isms of action as well as of speech. irritated Redford. He sympathized wi his wife's impatience of them. He felt that he insane if he had to en. daylong. s hol take care of the ba-a-by?” a Yio!) bathe her ne dress here $ ." He spoke almost savagely. “And I'll feed her,” he went on, “and mix her food and sterilize her bottles and cure her zolic if she has any. There, now run along. You'll have me spoiling this supper in a minute.” She left in a trance, but was back im- mediately. "Shall I say good night to the patient?’ “No. She's asleep,” He knew that this was a falsehood, but | he was in a mood cheerfully to lie, steal, forge, or commit murder if it would do the girl upstairs any good. * night, Miss Bell,” he called, less gruffly. “Good night.” In a few moments the front door closed gently and he was alone with a sick wife and a twelve-weeks-old baby. Redford opened the door of the sick- room softly and in. His wife was lying laxly, with her hands at her sides, gasin at the ceiling, waiting patiently. he difference between this pale, great. eyed, quiescent girl and the impatient, spirited, practical girl whom he had mar- ried smote him with misgivings; but he saw with relief that the flush had left her face and that a smile was hovering about the corners of her mouth. “Last call for supper,” said he, poking in his head. She turned her eyes upon him; they were dancing with anticipation. “0o0-0-0h!” said she, gloating over the steak and the potatoes and gravy. “You dear! you dear! you dear!” she ex- claim “And you did it all yourself?” “Every bit.” “Um, um, but it looks good! And where is she?” “Gone.” “Tom! Do you mean to say that you've bounced her?” es. She laughed. “You always were a good Buoumicey; Did she make any fuss?” “Not a bit.” “But Tom—Tom —what are you going to do? The baby?” He sat down on the of the bed and fed her while he tal “I've dedicated these three days to you and to ng acquainted with the Jovngster. he’s our baby. She isn't iss Bell's. I've been getting jealous. | want to have a good look at her.” “But suppose she cries?” “The doctor's book says that she ought 30 oy —#ond for her lungs. How do you “Bully!” It was one of his words and she said it with more spirit than she had shown in weeks. you came in Just sow | was, Seting off a chill. I was saying, ‘I won't have it, I won't have it!” didn’t and won't.” She with a great lik child, smacking her ips. and. Iaughing and squeezed his hand. “Do you think it'll kill me?” she An t "ll cure you, you to get some new blood. Now, a you're through you must cuddle down and go to sleep while I feed the rest of the Pm t you I'll leave the want me.” g Serial) dcedut lack energy,” he, in amusement. enormous ong, “Why, she’s a beauty!” he exclaimed For a moment she seemed to be look- ing at him. Then her lip curled. Then, beginning at her toes, he could trace up her :legs through her little middle the yell that was coming. He rushed madly for the kitchen. His one thought was to insert some sort of ug tostop that dismal howl, and the seemed to be the natural thing to But the yell came, and was a great success. “Wah!” began the baby with some moderation, but gaining momentum. He seized the bottle from the saucepan of water in which it had been heating, and immediately put it down very quick- ly on the table and began blowing his ngers While he had watched the baby the temperature of her milk had risen to the neighborhood of the boiling-point. Meanwhile the call of the hungry infant was rising in volume. It had fallen into a regular rhythm of, “"Wah—wah—wah, wah, wah!” It was unbelievably full and strident, not shrill, yet by no means m , He hastened back to the basket. The baby’s mouth presented a square cavern unadorned with teeth, her eyes were shut, and her clenched fists beat the air in perfect time with her vociferations. “She'll break something if she keeps that up!” he thought. "Maybe if I turn her over she'll feel better.” As he lifted her the baby closed her mouth and her eyes. Her lower lip pouted. e breathed quickly, eager- b. and made peculiar sucking noises. edford watched, enthralled. He had never dreamed that a baby could exhibit sO many expressions of countenance. Then he had an inspiration. “Hang it!” he said aloud. “I never thought to change her underpinning,” And while she continued to make suck- ing noises he laboriously manipulated safety-pins and clothes. “That's a rank job I've made of it, old girl,” said he at last, as, flushed and perspiring, he smoothed down her dress; and then, as she looked up at him with a little pucker over her nose, evidently straining her eyes to see him, he leaned over and, ridiculous to narrate, began to talk baby talk to her. “Noes you love Jou daddy?” heasked, “And will you smile for him? And is you the prettiest little gal ever was?” He was perfectly rewarded, for there blossomed out around the toothless little mouth a lop-sided smile that ended in a ing of the arms and legs. “She hasn't learned to co-ordinate her . muscles yet,” said he, the adult intel ¢ lectual brain in him working al of the new foolish one, “but she certainly is pretty!” ardly were the words out of his mouth when the little face became crimson, the fists were clenched, and the rhythmical howl commenced once more. He left precipitately for the bottle. It was still the cold-water faucet until it had been reduced to blood heat. He had no diffi- culty in inserting the nipple, for a wide i to receive it. Two or three mumbled “wah’s” succeeded, and then the baby fell to work. She had no table nanrers ay ade on ol rageous noise over ng, sucking and grunting in the most barefaced fash- ion; but he did not mind. He hung over the basket, watching until his back ached, and then he sat down and watched some more. ; The baby paid no attention to him; she had more important business on As he sat he looked back over the past —the awful night when she had been born, his hopes and fears, the first two weeks at the tal, the interminable ten weeks that followed at home, with the fevers and the chills, the endless fill- ing of hot-water bottles, the constant “How long have I been asleep?” about Ralf an hour. Did the baby wake you “No; I didn't hear her. I'm too ha to sleep. Oh, Tom, you don’t know what it is to have a full tummy after you've been living on—on—" “Wash. “Yes, on wash for weeks and “I can imagine. you're sure it hasn't done you any harm?” “No-0-0." “You're not sure.” “I'm afraid I'm going to have a chill.” “But I know you're not.” He said it forcibly, with a conviction that he by no means felt." “You're going to fi all about it. P30 geitg $0 git here oy talk so musicai- » 80 entrancingly, youl hang upon my every word. “I always do that,” she answered with a little “Doll very ?" he asked. Shy. I Detieve vou What makes you “T've been getting acquainted with the rest of the family. “And she was entertaining?” wriggle of the body and a renewed wav- | fiery, and, in desperation, he held it under ' “She is awonder. Do you realize, dear, that till to-night I haven't looked at my baby? course I've seen her, but I haven't looked at her, never noticed beautiful her eyes are and her hands her feet. She i “Why, my dear, she’s charming, rav- ishing, perfect! I'm in love with her from big toe to her topknot. She takes with an inimitable air, she like a hyena, she smiles like a sun. “howls burst, she sleeps like a—a—" “Top,” suggested his wife. “i s0. And each thing she does is prettier and funnier than the last. And to think that I've been missing it all for three months. , “And I, too, dear.” Her eyes became dark and her lips trembled. “To think ‘that | haven't held her for ten weeks, and haven't wanted to; have lain here fearing that she wouid cry, and wishing | that some one would take her away o somewhere so that I couldn't hear her. And, Tom dear, . . can you ever forgive me? . . there have been ! times when I've almost hated her, times , when I have wished she had never been born!” She hid her face in shame. i “I don’t blame you a bit,” said Redford. i “I haven't been sick and yet I've come near wishing the same thing. But I don't ‘wish it now. You see, you haven't got ‘acquainted with her yet. Tomorrow, after 1 bathe her—" ! His wife looked up suddenly. you what?” “Bathe her. I'm-" “You're not going to, really?” | i “I certainly am. If I'm to be cook, butler, parlor-maid, chambermaid, and nurse I'm going to do everything apper- , taining to the position. As I was saying, I'm going to bring her up here and let you her for five minutes, and I'm | going to show you her feet.” | “Because they “After are wonderful. She can, do thi with them that [ can't with mine. She can put her soles together! | without bending her knees. I'll show : you.” | Mrs Redford, laughed more heartily | than she had done in a long while. “You're a big baby yourself,” said she. | Her face began to show a touch of color and her eyes sparkled under lids that | were growing heavy. “You're a better | tonic than strychnine,” she | sleepily. | "Thanks." , think + «+ 1 think Mn... i I'll go to sleep.” In a minute her regular breathing told | | him that, chill forgotten, she was asleep; ; and he noticed for the first time how resembied her little murmured, | very much she daughter. Turning down the light, he stole out and down to the kitchen, where he spent ‘the rest of the evening hours in poring over a book on infant-feeding and in sterilizing bottles and modifying milk | with all the absorption of an alchem- ist at work. That night Redford dozed in a chair in | the hall outside his wife's door so that he might be within call of both of his ! charges. His wife slept without a sound ! until morning, but not so the young lad | downstairs. Redford made no soun but neither did he sleep. From where he sat he could hear through the silent house every least murmur of the baby, every creak of the basket, and no sooner did he doze off than one or the other brought him bolt-upright,fumbling for his watch. Three times he ti down- Shaire 15 Heat the mii and with it soothe the ru temper of his offspring, an and each time he sat and watched the process of absorption with increasing poi ncy of interest. He was almost ad when the hours of feeding came round to give him an excuse for continu- ing his studies. It is not for us, however, to try to record his meditations during the long dark hours. Morning came at last and with ita dozen unwonted duties. The servant, Nora, came at seven, but long before she put in an appearance he was astir getti ready his wife's breakfast. Mrs. Redfo wakened at half past five a new She had had ten hours of sound slumber as against a usual three, and showed the effects. To her husband's delight, she proclaimed h f hungry and ate the i even Ore gusio than she had eaten sup. | per. While she was so ed he - : denly remembered that he had had noth- | ing since lunch the day before, and with the memory he as suddenly became ravenous. t in the enthusiasm of suc- cess he stifled his pangs for an hour longer while he put new clothes on the washed his patient, and combed her hair amid much quiet merriment over his clumsiness. In the kitchen he found Nora prepar- ing breakfast. “Let me have something in a hurry, Nora,” said he, “so that I can get to work bathing the baby.” : : Nora dropped a ladle with which she was stirring the hominy and turned, gap- i Whist!” said she. “Will ye never have dese with vour joking, Mr. Red- “1 mean it,” he replied. “Miss Bell has Ne And good riddance it is,” interposed ora. “And somebody has to bathe the baby.” “Then that somebody's me.” “What do you know about washing babies?” “Sure I've raised six of them.” younger brothers “And you bathed them all?” “Every last one of them every Sunday morning.” “And how did you do it?” “Put the iu he tub 30 be 2 5 reakfast w he had prepared with | g¢ai “She's improved wonderfully since I began to cook for her,” answered Red- ford, calmly. Nora dropped upon a chair. “Since you.” she gasped—"since fe? “I want my breakfast! Will you go to work?” Nora rose slowly and continued her tions in a daze. Redford went to the dining-room and sat down at the table to read the paper. But almost Iimedinsely the baby awakened and said, - -00." “Yes,” said he, “I agree with you en- tirely.” “Ah-h-h-00-0,” continued the baby. “You are quite right,” ied Redford. “Your observation shows that you have carefully considered all sides of the ques- tion.” “Ah?” asked the baby, with a strong interrogative inflection. “As to that,” answered he, “as long as you appeal to me, I must say that author- ities differ.” He leaned over the side of the basket. The baby, d:lighted with his company, wriggled and kicked and waved her ha and smiled her lop-sided smile. While he ate his breakfast she lay crooning to herself her Ah-oo song which might have been monotonous to a disinterested audience, but which charm- ed his ears. a “She has a very musical voice,” thought e. Breakfast over, the great task of the day commenced. He carefully took the temperature of the kitchen and of the water, referring to the book on the care of infants that lay open on the table. He | tied on the bath apron, arranged the lit- tle tub and the toweis and soap and pow- der and clean clothes conveniently on chairs near by, and then, with a curious Jgitation at his heart, went to get the ora, intensely amused, stood at the : sink washing dishes, but keeping an ob- servant eye upon him. The baby was in the highest of spirits and smiled and Sowa oa hs lap without a fim of te ng that Nora predict: ora was imp! . She watched him pa- tiently fumble at the tiny buttons and la- boriously disentangle the ribbon stri and iy pul off one layer after anoth- er of the 's wrappings until at last they were all off and the pink mite lay on his lap, naked and less. Now, everybody ump me- knows that it a baby | is appealing with its clothes on, its ap- pealingness is increased a hundredfold when its clothes are off. Every day for over two months Nora's warm Hibernian heart had bubbled over at the sight, and now, forgetting her station, her duties, her dishes, she plumped down on her knees beside the kicking, crowing baby and showered it with kisses. “Let up!” said Redford, no less delight- ed. her ¥ I took her upstairs for a few min- utes ”" “Never a bit if you wrap her up good. Do it! It'll warm her mother’s heart to see her. And so Redford bundied the baby up in foiankets 3 and eared er Spstaire e pee, in. His wife was lying, pa- tiently as usual, gazing with ne. Ia eyes at the wall; but he noted that her | color was better and that the look of | helpless lassitude was gone. “See what I have brought you,” he said, holding out his burden, peering out ' of her swathings like a blue-and-pink calla-lily. “Oh!” said his wife. The room was very warm. He laid the baby on the bed and drew back the blankets. Suddenly a deep-pink flush spread over ‘ “Oh!” she said again, | his wife's face. her eyes Alling with tears. Nora, who had impudently followed, peered through the crack of the door, two big tears rolling down her nose. Mrs. Redford touched the rosy baby with the tips of her fingers. She seemed to be unable to believe her senses. “Ah-oo!” said the baby, with its lop- sided smile. And then Mrs. Redford’s head dropped on the blue baby-blanket so that her hair covered the little body, and from beneath it came the sound of sobs mingled with stole back rs. “Oh, Tom,” breathed Mrs. Redford, “how I love her!” “Good morning,” cooed Miss Bell, as Redford opened the door. “You see I've my word.” edford carried a razor in his hand, not with any murderous upon Miss Bell, but because she had inter- rupted his shaving. It was Tuesday and he Was geing ready to go to the office. Miss Bell sidled in, smiling with her usual exuberance. “Good morning,” replied Redford, and, How are you?’ he added, rather aim- Nora, sniffling audibly, " he assured was gazing lovingly at lay ro ing Des er, cniined Hing Bell. you feel as well as you look?” “By the way, Nora,” with a sudden | inspiration, “do you think it would hurt ng ' motifs or medallions sca | sent free on receipt of stam _ “Yes,” answered Mrs. Redford, hold- ing out her hand. “And I'm not as cross as | was.” The little nurse, genuinely deli retained the hand, counting the “Pulse normal.” said she. “And now, doary 5, will you let me take your temper- ature? The patient smiled humorously at her husband, who was in an arm- chair at the foot of the bed, and opened her mouth. “I can’t get over it,’ chattered Miss Bell, inserting the thermometer. “And the chills are all gone? And the sweats?” Mrs. Redford nodded. “Just to think of it! And she has color! Well! well! well!” She went to the win- dow and examined the thermometer. “Temperature normal,” said she. “I see Pat you really Sous seed me, Mr. Red- 0 ou are capable of—" “Sh-h,” said Mrs. Redford, Her husband, sung in the armchair, was sound asleep with his razor in his hand and his mouth open. “Poor man!’ murmured Miss Bell. “He's worn out.” “But happy,” whispered Mrs. Redford. “Yes, yes, deary. He's very, very hap- py. And so am lL If you can stand me for just a few hours more I'll stay until he wakes and then I'll turn you over to Nora. And did he really bathe the baby?” Mrs. Redford nodded, laughing, but with tears in her eyes. “Well! well! well!” murmured the nurse, “only to think of 1t!"—By Robert M. Gay, in Harper's Bazar. FOR AND ABOUT WOMEN Every expert gardener knows that the end of one garden season is but the be- ginning of the next. It is only the ama- teur who sticks to the old-time sys- tem of abandoning the garden at the ap- roach of frost, says a writer in the De- ineator. In the fall of the year, as soon as the plants become dormant, is a good time to transplant and divide certain plants and shrubs. The peony, iris, bleed- ing-heart, oriental poppy and many of the hardy perennial border plants, such as the pinks, foxglove, lar r, cam- panula and others, may be divided or new beds and borders planted at this time, and have this out of the way of the rush of work in the spring, when its own seasonable work gives us enough to do and little time in which to it. When dividing plants such as the Y, do not take the whole plant up it is to be moved to another location. With a sharp knife cut out the portion to be removed, and with a spade dig it up with a ball of soil about the roots, ng all ; the small feeding roots possible. Give it . plenty of water, and it will become estab- | lished this fall if done before hard freez- ing makes the soil solid. Crush girdles fully eight inches broad: showing between the open fronts of tail ored jackets, are of satin matching the shade of the suit, embroidered with floss or soutache of the same color as the | waistcoat, collar and cuffs or of the trim- | ming on the hat. The embroidery, mak- | ing an inch wide bordering defining both edges of the belt and a ing as tiny over the rest of the material, draws attention to the waist line while the excessive width | of belt helps to emphasize the wide waist- ed, narrow-hipped effect of the It is far more chic looking than is ordi- | ary bel, for it indicates the waist line | without actually defining it, and it is in- | finitely more becoming to a stout wom- an than is the raised skirt-belt. More- over, it is one of those minor details which mark the street costume as unusu- al, and to look “different” which, being interpreted, means “not like the mob,” is the aim of very fashionable women. Raspberry Wine.—Bruise the finest red raspberries with the back of a spoon; then strain them through a flannel bag, into a stone jar, allow one pound of fine Sught io one quart of juice; stir these | together. and cover the jar closely. Let it stand three days, stirring the mix- ture up every day; then pour off the clear liquid, and put two quarts of sherry to each quart of juice of liquid. Bottle it and it will be fit for use in a fortnight. This is the same recipe our grandmothers “Received your ‘Medical Adviser’ and I think it one of the greatest books of the age,” writes Mr. M. H. House, Charlestown, Franklin Co, Ark. Thous- ands of people have expressed similar Opinions of the value of Dr. Pierce's mon Sense Medical Adviser. pense of mailing only. stamps for the paper-bound book, or 31 stamps for cloth binding, to Dr. R. V. Pierce, Buffalo, N. Y. Blooms From Split Bulbs. A novel experiment is that of grow- ing two hyacinth bulbs together. Two bulbs are selected which are known to flower about the same time, al- sharp knife in such a way central shoot is exposed but not gs Fes fas seiil rarely falls if carefully executed.— London Strand. When the Plow Handles Fight You. A city mau was driving in the coun- try and sto to ask the way of a farmer who was plowing In a field. Noting the perspiration beading the farmer's forehead the city man in- “Plowing pretty tough sort of work, ain't gt” “Nope.” said the farmer. “Only long in the middle of the afternoon when the plow handles get to fightin’ a feller.” “What do you do then?’ “Oh, just fight back.” As the city man drove on he thought that a farmer's work is a good deal lke that of anybody else. There are times in every business when the plow handles fight the man that holds them. -Farm Machinery and Power.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers