The Unusual Exchange That Was Made by Two New Jersey Women.
Any mother knows the comparative value of a baby and a puppy dog. It is infinity to nothing. Yet in Newark, N. J., a deal has been consummated in which a real, live, plump, pretty chunk of humanity was swapped by its mother for a tiny fox terrier. The person who engineered the deal was Dr. Matthew T. Gaffney. Dr. Gaffney tells the following story of the barter, without giving the names of the parties.
While a young woman was boarding at the house of a young couple a child was born to her. She believed she would be unable to care for it properly, and asked the doctor to find a home for it. She would not let it go to an asylum. Mrs. F., the landlady, fell in love with the baby, and said she would give the world if it were hers. A few days ago, after the mother had left Mrs. F.’s house, the doctor saw there a beautiful fox terrier. He is a lover of dogs.
“What’ll you take for it?” he asked. “Wouldn’t take $100,” Mrs. F. replied. “It’s the finest bred dog in the city.”
“Look here,” said the doctor, “I love the dog, you love the little baby that was born here; we’ll swap.”
Mrs. F. thought he was jesting. When she learned he was not she clapped her hands in joy and called her husband, who congratulated her, and so the baby was traded for the pup. The mother is content with the bargain, as the doctor turned over to her as much money as the pup would cost if bought in the market.
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