Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1850-04-17

D sip away Tor want of attention from b
n sister; therefore she nursed hin as car
!, fully as il that had been her sole vocaiiol
81 The wonder about babies grew less &
Ellen grew older. Al first, in her chilt
D lsh little heart, she thought every little b'
e 5v must be a litile Patrick, and that q
new one could come while there was ant
? ,her about. But familiarity destroys maj
vels. She found there could be little Phe
lims and Terrences as we'll as Patricks
BrldgeIs aud kalhleens ss we'll as Elens
Child after child lifted ito clamorous voic
for food and nursing in Patrick O'Bren'
cottage, until At last when he vas asked re
spec,ng his children, he was fain to coun
them upon his fingers. And he Away
began with Ellen and his ,humb-Padd,
came neg, land the formula was-"Therei
Ellen. then liule Paddy tha, was calle,
early. then Paddy that is now-sure ElIer
and Paddy are the thumb and fore6ngel
to us. What would the mother do with
on, them. At al 2"
Ellen grew to fine. stout girl, with a
cheerful open lace when you spoke to her
but there was q shsde of care and ,ho'l
over it when in repose. which you may Of.
ten sec in the Oldest daughter Of a poor
man. She moved and acted as if The tribe
who had exhausted the family names OF
The O'Briens we're born children TO her mo.
lher, she WAS born before them for a dep
u,y mother to them all. Legs and arms
were all over the cottage. in all SORTS of
places where they shouldn't be. and she
jerked 'hem ou, Of harms way with half
pc;ulen; dex,er,y which was pcasan, 10
observe. Tow. heads and shock.heeds
popped up continually, aad she pushed
them aside with "lhere now, won't you
b aisy :" which was musical with a rery
little discord. And there was an easy and
natural carelessness ofau,horiiy and half
rebellion in obedience, which was truly
puIzling to strangers, but which gave no
discomposure to Ellen or to her mother.
Indeed Mrs. 'Brien sat. the centre Of her
offspring, with the most con.ented air in the
world. plying her knitting needles with ca
sy assidu;ty and dismissing child after child
from her arms. as they severslIy grew out
Of her immediate province and into EIlen's.
Or she bus,led, if there was bu.tIing 10 do,
with perfec, indifference, ii might seem, TO
one who did not know her. as to whether
there were children in the house or not.
Bu, sometimes her interference became
necessary as a measure Of las, appeal. and
she came down on them with hearty
~hacks which were invariably pouI,iced
with word or two, half scolding and half
good. d.na,u.ed wit. The children were thus
reconcied 10 The proprety and necessity
Of certain summary infections, which at
The same time they took care to avoid, ~ hen
it could be done without too much trouble.
Often there were voices heard in higher
key than is considered proper in a draw
ing-room, and sometimes there was de-
oouchment of Of children out at the door.
and consequent sqnealing Of little pigs.
and flutering of chickens before it; which
showed the mothers activity at election.
But no drawIng-room ever sheltered more
gentle hearts,and no mother Of high degree
ever followed scolding with more patti
ence Than Mrs. O'Brien did. There was
no malice in her, and a halt. laugh stood
ever in her eye, as she looked at the door
on the living miscel!anies she had put in
motion, and said-"Sure you can't turn a
hand. or step any place Al all, for pigs,
and childer
There is often more room in the heart
than in the house. The O'Briens began
to feel themselves crowded-or rather TO
feel the inconvenience Of too many sit,ers
for their stools, without knowing precisely
-or rather without permitting themselves
10 acknowledge what caused their d,com-
fort. There were too many mouths for
the potatoes, as Patrick senior and his wife
were a! last compelled TO admit in their
matrimonial committee of wuys and means
and the question now became. how could
they diminish the one, or increase the 9th
er! The lesser fry we're out Of the ques
ton. Nothing could be done:in the way
OF removing them; nor did the though. oc-
cur 10 the father or mother, who loved the
children with true Irish hearts, that the
smaller children were in the way, or that
any Of the little ones could possibly be spa
red, if,he lord-lieutenant himself wanted q
baby. So they began cstvasslrs at the
other end Of the long list.
"There was Elem" said The father.
doub,fulIy.
"Ellen! Sure you'll no. be putting her
.v .nd oohodv In mind the childef