The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1851-09-25

wanted to plague me. Strange L can't
have minutes comfort and going hastily
to the bed, she drew the clothes around
the child, and bade her shut her eyes and
90 to sleep.
L want drink, mother / can't sleep
I am so thirsty
The mother looked around, and saw
there was neither pitcher not glass in the
room.
ct is always just so. 1 never forget to
bring water but you are sure to want some.
Why didn't you drink last night when l
had whole pitcher full on purpose for
YOU
& wasn't thirsty last night Do please
give me drink and Il go right to Sleep
'I'm not going down stairs tonight; SO
lust turn over and shut your eyes
And she set down again to her novel,
leaving the thirsty child to its thoughts or
dreams, as the case might be.
Lizzie, as she said, wanted drink very
much, and so she turned and tossed, and
tried to think of everything but water;
while that was all she could think of.
IF | had only little swallow murmur-
ed she to herself, L think | could get
along till morning. But she might as well
wanted paiiiul; there was no prospect
of getting any BY and by she discovered
upon the stove hearth a tin cup The
baby's milk = said she, 'Perhaps that
would be as rood as water. l wonder if
mother would let me have it, She looked
toward the parent. She was absorbed in
her book her very being seemed bound
up in it. The child knew too much to
disturb her.
But perhaps she could get it without dis
turbjug her mother, and she did want a
drink so much. She hesitated while, then
crept silently out of bed, stole to the cup,
seized it eagerly, and took swallow. But
it tasted better than she thought it would,
and her thirst was such that she drained it.
Alarmed at what she done, she was in
such haste to put it back, that it slipped
from her trembling hand, bounding against
the stove, falling on the hearth, and rolling
thence on the carpet.
'Why, Lizzie Lee = screamed the mo-
ther, dropping her book and running to
the child. Il should like to know what
you have been about split all the baby's
milk III warrant:' as she took up the emp
ty cup. Then seeing the carpet was quite
dry, she seized Lizzie by the shoulder, ex-
claiming in an angry voice, What have
you done with the milk, you little plague ?
Tell me, this minute, what has become of
| it,
& was so thirsty, mother, answered the
child in Il pleading voice, tears starting to
her eyes. l could not GO to sleep, and
so'- sd. .'.
SO you drank, did you, you naug ghty
girl; , continued Mrs. Lee, with increased
vohamcnce of tone, drank it, and l havn't
another drop of milk in the house, I'll
teach you to do such things and her hand
come down heavily upon the shrinking
shoulder, on G.! two three times A wild
scream OF pain burst from the child's lips.
Another and another, and angry and excl
ted as the mother was, they pierced her
heart with deep arrows
The noise startled another child who
slept in the same bed with Lizzie. Frigh-
tened from its sound slumbers, it shrieked
in alarm, when the babe, waking at the
same moment, joined its voice with the
others, not in harmony but in discords,
which echo so often in the nursery, stun
ming the ear and bewildcring the brain.
With quick steps, and quick hands, and
a softened tone, Mrs. Lee strove to calm
the tempest she had raised Lizzie's cries
merged soon into piteous sobs, but Willie
and the babe continued their loud screams
till the mother, in her perplexity, would
fain have wrung her hands and sat down
and wcpt with them. She ran from one
to the other, soothing, singing, and caress-
ing. But they would not hush in the least
till, as last resourse, she took the baby on
one arm, Willie on the other, and, thus
burdened paced the chamber. Her limbs
Iached with the effort, her voice grew plain