done--what would _any_ man have done then
'nd there? Jest what the colonel done.

The colonel did n't wait for no second thought; he jest reached out his
big bony hands 'nd he sez, "Young woman, gi' me that baby"--sez it so
quiet 'nd so gentle like that seemed like it wuz the baby's mother that
wuz a-speakin'.

The colonel took the baby, and--now, may be you won't believe me--the
colonel held that baby 'nd rocked it in his arms 'nd talked to it like
it had been his own child. And the baby seemed to know that it lay
ag'in' a lovin' heart, for, when it heerd the ol' man's kind voice 'nd
saw his smilin' face 'nd felt the soothin' rockin' uv his arms, the
baby stopped its grievin' 'nd cryin', 'nd cuddled up close to the
colonel's breast, 'nd begun to coo 'nd laff.

The colonel called the nigger. "Jim," sez he, "you go ahead 'nd tell
the conductor to stop the train at the first farm-house. We 've got to
have some milk for this child--some warm milk with sugar into it; I
hain't raised a family uv 'leven children for nothin'."

The baby did n't cry no more that night; leastwise we did n't hear it
if it _did_ cry. And what if we had heerd it? Blessed if I don't
think every last one of us would have got up to help tend that lonesome
little thing.

That wuz more 'n twenty years ago, but I kin remember the last words I
heerd the colonel say: "No matter if it _does_ cry," sez he. "It don't
make no more noise than a cricket, nohow; 'nd I reckon that being a
director uv the road I kin stop the train 'nd let off anybody that
don't like the way the Han'bul 'nd St. Jo does business."

Twenty years ago! Colonel Elijah Gates is sleepin' in the Palmyry
buryin'-ground; likely as not the baby has growed up--leastwise the
Han'bul 'nd St. Jo has; everythink is different now--everythink has
changed--everythink except humin natur', 'nd that is the same, it allus
has been, and it allus will be, I reckon.

1888.

THE MOTHER IN PARADISE

A mother came to the gateway of Heaven. She was aged and weary. Her
body was bowed and her face was wrinkled and withered, for her burden
had been the burden of care and trouble and sorrow. So she was glad to
be done with life and to seek at the gateway of Heaven the fulfilment
of the Promise that had been her solace through all the hard, bitter
years.

An angel met the Mother at the gateway, and put her arms about the
drooping figure, and spoke gracious, tender words.

"Whom seekest