The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-01-23


only beginning to compose themselves to stare, ovei
| his unconscious shoulder.
1t was very Moloch of baby, on whose lnsa-
tate altar the whole existence of this particular
young brother was offered up daily sacrifice. Its
personality may be said to have consisted in its
never being quiet, In any one place, for five con-
secutive minutes, and never going to sleep when
| required. I" Tetterby's baby was as well known
in the neghbOrhood the postman or the post-boy.
1t roved from doorstep to doorstep, in the OF
little Johnny Tetterby, and Jagged heavily at the
rear of troops of Juveniles who followed tile Tum-
blers or the Monkey, and came up, all side,
little too late for any thing that was attractive,
from Monday morning until Saturday night Wher-
ever childhood congregated to play, there was little
Moloch making Johnny fag and toll Wherever
Johnny desired to stay, little MoOch became frac-
tous fand would not remain. Whenever Johnny
wanted to go out, MolOch was asleep, and must be
watched. Whenever Johnny wanted to stay at
home, Moloch was awake, and must be taken out.
Yet Johnny was verify persuaded that it was a
taultless baby, without its peer in the realm of Eng
land, and was quite content to catch meek glimpses
of things in general from behind its skirts, over
It's limp tagging bonnet, and to go staggering about
with it like very little porter with very large
parcel, which was not directed to any body, and
could never be delivered any where.
The small man who sat in the small parlor,
making fruitless attempts to read his newspaper
peaceably in the midst of this disturbance, the
?,
scrbed in the inscription over the little shop front,
by the name and title of A. TETTERBY d Co.,
NEwSMEN. Indeed, strictly speaking, he was the
only person answering to that designation, Co.
was a mere poetica abstraction, altogether base
less and impersonal.
Tetterby's was the corner shop in Jerusalem
Buildings. There was good show of literature in
the window, chiefly consisting of picture newspa-
pers out Of date, and serial pirates and footpads
Walking sticks, likewise, and marbles, were incu-
ded in the stock in trade. 1t had extended into
the light confectionery line but it would seem that
those elegancles of life were not In demand about
Jerusalem Buildings, for nothing connected with
that branch of commerce remained in the window,
except sort of small glass lantern containing
languishng mass of bul's-eyes, which had melted
in The summer and CONCEALED in the winter, until
all hope OF ever getting them out, or of eating them
without eating the lantern too. gone for ever
Tetterby's had tried its hand at several things 1t
had once made feeble little dart at the toy bust
ness for, In another lantern, there was heap Of
minute wax dolls, all sticking together upside down,
in the direst confusion, with their feet one ano-
theirs heads, and precipitate of broken arms and
legs at the bottom. 1t had made move in the
millinery direction, which a few, dry, wry bonnet
shapes remained in a corner of the window to at
test. 1t had fancied that living might lie hidden
in the tobacco trade, and had stuck up represent
tation of native of each of the three integral por
tons of the British empire in the act of consuming
importing that united in one they sat and
joked, one chewed tobacco, one took snuff one
smoked but nothing seemed TO have come of it
except flies. Time had been when it had put for
lorn trust in Initiative jewelry, for in pane of
glass there was card of cheap seals, and another
of pencil cases, and mysterious black amulet of
inscrutiabe intention, labelled ninepence. But to
that hour, Jerusalem Building had bought none of
them. In short, Tetterbys had tried so hard to get
a livelihood out of Jerusalem Buildings in one way
or other, and appeared to have done ndiferently
in all, that the best position in the firm Co.'S
CO., bodless creation, being untroubled with
the vulgar inconvenience of hunger and thirst,
being chargable neither to the poors-rates nor the
assessed taxes, and having no young family to pro-
vide for.
Tetterby himself, however, in his little parlor as
already mentioned, having the presence of a young
family impressed upon his mind in manner too
clamorous to be dlsregarded to comport with the
quiet perusal of newspaper, laid down his paper,
wheeled, IN his distraction, few times round the
parlor like an undecided carrier pigeon, made an
Intellectual rush at two flying little figures in
bed-gowns that skinned past him, and then, bear
ing suddenly down upon the only unoffending men,
Der of the family, boxed the of little Moloch's
nurse.
You bad boy,'' said Mr.. Tetterbv, "havent
you any feeling for your poor father after the
fatigues and anxieties of hard winters day, since
O'Clock in the morning, but you must wither his
rest, and corrode his latest intelligence, with your
vicious tricks! Isn't it enough, sir, that your
brother 'Dolphus is toiling and moing in the fog
and cold, and you rolling in the lap of luxury with
a-wlth baby, and everything you can wish for
said Mr.. Tetterby, heaping shis up as great eli
max of blessings, " but you must make wilder
ness OF home, and maniacs of your parents! Must
you, Johnny! Hey? AT each interrogation,
Mr.. Tetterby made feint of boxing his ears again,
but thought better of it, and held his hand
"Oh, father!'' whimpered Johnny, "when l
wasn't doing anything, I'm sure, butfakng care of
Sally, and getting her TO Sleep Oh, father!''
g wish my little woman would come home -
said Mr.. Tetterby, relentng and repenting, " only
wish my little woman would come home, amt
fit 10 deal with EN- They make my head go
round, and get the better of me. Oh Johnny
Isn't 1t enough that your dear mother has provided
you with that sweet sister," indicating Moloch
" isn't 1t enough that you seven boys before,
without ray of gal, and that your dear mother
went through what she did go through, on purpose
that you might all of you have a little sister but
must you so behave yourself as to make my head
swim? :"
Softening more and more, as his own tender feel
ings and those of his jured son were worked on
Mr.. Tetterby concluded by embracing him and i'm
mediately breaking away to catch one of the real
dellnquents. reasonable good start occurring
he succeeded, after short but smart run, and
some rather severe cross-country work under and
over the bedsteads, and in and out among the in
tricacIes OF the chairs, in capturing this infant
whom he condignly punished and bore to bed
This example had powerful and apparently Mes
merle influence on him of the boots, who Instantly
fell into deep Sleep though he had been, but
moment before, broad awake and in the highest
possible feather. Nor was it lost upon the two
young architects who retired to bed, in an adioin-
ing closet, with great privacy and speed The
comrade of the intercepted one also shrinking into
his nest with similar discretion Mr. Tetterby, when
he paused for BREATH found himself Unexpectedly
in scene of peace.
6 My little woman herself,' said Mr.. Tetterby,
wiping his flushed face, could hardly have done
Ii better! | only wish my little woman had had it
to do, do indeed.'' TO he continued
FURNISHED ROOMS.
TWO OR THREE elegantly furnished PARLoRs and