IN LIGHTER VEIN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1354, 10 February 1898, Page 10

IN LIGHTER VEIN.

THftT BOTTLE i A few days ago a baby left towii by tralu. To be. snre there were others—the mother and father; arid tlie baby’s uUrse; but they didn’t 'coiint, for it wa3 a first baby. The dining-car attachment to thri bdby’s train was a nursi.ng bottle: The members of the group had disposed thbiriselves comfortably in the car, and it was just drawing out of the station, when the nurse discovered that the baby’s nursingbottle was missing. Search was made for it everywhere—on the floor, in the bags, even in the pockets of the unhappy father. There was the nice little pail of cold milk intended to fill the bottle. There was the packet of food. There was eV'erythiliff but the bottle. A day j s jorirney withdrifc a nursing brittle! “ And she’s too little a thing to eat!” wailed the young mother. Under such unusual ciroumstances of storm and stress as this there was but ohe thing to do—to call the prirteh And tbfey did ib. The porter reflected, they might telegraph on to the next station. He finally suggested. *' Telegraph to tfcb station-master to have a man meet the train with a baby’s nursing- bottle." “Oh, yes!” gasped the mother with an air of relief. “Just the thing/* said the father gladly, and followed the grinning porter down the car. “ See here,” said the young man, slipping a tip into the porter’s hand, “ you’d better attend to the matter, and telegraph ahead to half a dozen stations or so, and have bottles sent down. The first one might miss, you know, and we must be sure and have a bottle.” “ Yes, sir," said the Porter, “I understand." And evidently he did, for when the first station he had telegraphed to was reached in came a youth with a nursing bottle. It was put to work at once, and quiet brooded over the car. At the next station there came in a youth with a nursing- bottle. This was gladly received as under-study for the first in case of disaster. When the train stopped again another nursing-bottle appeared in the doorway. Then the passengers began to smile, and the next station began to be anticipated by them. Sure enough, the most prominent person on the station platform was a man with one of those unmistakable bottles. Then the people laughed, and the only unconcerned person in the car was the bald-headed one for whom all this was going on, At the next station another man and another bottle. Then the young mother began to. get hysterical. “We’re peifect sights,” she was heard to whisper excitedly; “ we’re not an orphan asylum nor a baby farm.” Then the young father was seen to go hastily out and interview the porter once more. And peace and quiet reigned supreme.