A Terrible Mistake

The condensed milk upon which Mrs. Murphy fed her baby was kept at night upon the wiiidow-sill in the nursery, where the cold air, drawing in under the opened sash, would envelope the can. One night when the baby was unusually troublesonie, Mr. Murphy, faithful and self-sacriflcing father and husband, said that he would go to the nursery and mix the tnilk for the hungry little sufferer. The nursery was quite dark, but Mr. Murphy had o f ten performed the service before, and he knew just where to put his hand on the bottle and the spoon and the other things. It happened.howe ver, that an open can of baking powder stood upon the window-siil.near to the can of condensed milk, and Mr. Murphy, getting liold oí it, put two spoonfuls of the powder into the bottle, fllled the bottle with hot water, put on the rubber top and went back to the bedroom. When the baby had taken three or tour swallows oi the mixture itpushed the bottle away and began to behave in a most extraordinary rnanner. Af ter yelling with that vehemence which is always astonishing when the aize of a baby is considerad, it turned a couple of sornersaults, rolled over and over, clutclied the sides of its crib and conducted ltself generally in such a fashion aa to tíll Mr. and Mis. Murphy with intense alarm. "What on earth can be the mat ter with Alexander '{" asked Mr. Murphy, taking the bottle fromhia wife, as she turned her attentiun wholly to the child. "He act h as if he had con'vnlsions," said Mrs. Murphy. Mr. Murphy suggt sted u spice pluster as a possible alleviation of the child's pain ; and Mis. Murphy was just ré inaiking that a spice piaster was far too trivial a remedy for such spasmg, when Mr. Murphy observed the color ')f' the mixture in the bottle. He removed the top, and standing uehind Mrs. Murphy applied the bottle to liis nose. At once he proceeded to the uutsery and Btriking a light, discovered the nature of the miatake he liad mude. QuicHy he threw the can of baking powder out of tliu windovv, etnptied and waahed the bottle, Ulied it with milk and returhed 10 the bedroom with the evidencies of bis crime, as he kuagined. all removed. Lu in honr or two the baby grew quieter and Mr. Murphy went to bed, remorseful, bufc glad that lie liad had so much presence of raind. Mrs. Murphy sat up all nigbt wiih the injured Alexander in her arms. Mr. Murphy came down to breakfast, feeling, upon the whole, rather easy in nis mind. Mrs. Murphy greeted him with a tiercé look iii her eyes. "ïou waated to murder yourchild, did you?" sheasked with intense feeling. "Murder my child, darling?" asked Mr. Murphy with au afCectation of surprise, while liiu head began beating furiously. " Why, whatdo you meaxi 't" "You threw away the baking powder and clemied the bottle," saidMr8.Mu.rI phy, with a bitter sneer, "but you forgot the spoon ! Ha I ha ! Be sure your sin will flnd you out! If Alexander had died you would have been a murdererl A red-handed murderer!" And then Mrs. Murphy burst into tears and flew up stairs. Mr. Murphy went down town without his breakfast and with a strong determinaron to refrain hereafter from providing nocturnal nutriment for Alexander.