The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1851-06-26

! 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.
III | only had one little swallow mur-
INJURED she to herself, ! guess could get
along till morning. Bat she might as
well have wanted paiIful; there was no
prospect Of getting any. By and by she
spied upon the stove hearth tin cup. THE
baby's milk! said she. Perhaps that
would be as good as water. wonder If
mother would let me have it, She looked
toward the parent. She was absorbed Ia
her book; her very being seemed bound up
in it. The child knew too much to disturb
her.
But perhaps she could get it wilhou,
disturbing her mother, md she did want
drink SO much. She hesitated awhile, then
icrept silently out Of bed, stole to the cup,
seized it engerly, and took swallow. Bu,
it tasted better than she thought i, would,
! and her thirst was such that she drained it,
Alarmed al what she had done, she was in
such haste toput 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 Leer screamed the mother.
dropping her book and running to the child.
i should like to know what you've been
about, split all the baby's milk, I'll war
rant as she took up the empty cup. Then
seeing the carpet was quite dry, she seized
Lizzie by the shoulder exclaiming in angry
voice. what have you done with the milk,
YOU little plague? Tell me this minute
what's become of mp
i was so thirsty, mother,' answered the
child in pleading voice, tears starting to
her eyes, i could not go TO sleep, and So
so you drank it, did you? yon naughty
GIRL continued Mrs. Lee with increased
vehemence of tone; drank it, and | h,vn'l
another drop ofmills in the house. l'Iteach
YOU 10 do such things; and her hand came
down heavily upon the shrinking shoulder,
one! two! three times! A wild scream OF
pain burst from the chld's lips. Another,
md another, and angry and excited as the
mother was, they pierced her heart with
deep arrows.
The noise startled another child who
slept in the same bed with Lizzie. Fright.
ened from its sound sumbers. 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 bewidering the brain.
With quick steps. quick hands, and q sof-
tened tone, Mrs. Lee strove 10 calm the
tempest she had raised. Lizzie's cries
.oon merged into pteous sobs, bu, Willie
md The babe continued their loud screams,
till the mother, in her perplexity, would
fain have wruno her hands and sat down
and wept with them. She ran from one to
he ether, soothing singing and caressing
But they would not hush 10 the least, till.
as last resource, she took the babe in one
arm, Willie in the other, and thus burden
ed paced the chamber. Her limbs ached
with the effort, her voice grew plaintive,
her heart sad and sore with the upbraidngs
Of a conscience which she had strove too
long to stihe She breathed sweet music
in the ears Of the little sobbing creatures
who struggled in her arms, but not word
OF anger escaped from her pale lips. She
fe't she was the guilty cause ofall her trou-
BILE. A little fore,hough', little self.deni.
al, little discipline Of temper, and all had
been WELL
|, was a long time ere she ventnred to
sit down aud rock the children, and they
did not soon close their eyes in sleep
They would start and scream, then draw
back such long sighs, that the tears which
trembed in the mothers eyes would flood
her cheeks.
When, at last, they rested in sweet,
calm sumber, she was al a loss how to put
them down to release her weary arms,
without the risk of new confusion. There
was no one whom she could call upon for
aid No one? Yes, there was the little
trembling creature whose tender skin still
smarted with the chas,isement Of an angry
mother.
I.izzie,' called the mother, after long
while, in very low, gentle tone.
The child was quickly beside her.
Bring your little chair, and sit down
close to me and see if you can draw the
baby on your lap without waking him.
Lizzie did as directed, and the babe was
soon clasped TO her heart, her lips, breath
inc childish words Of affection over its un
conscious form.
Very carefully did Mrs. Lee lay down
her little Willie, and for some moments she
sat beside him, smoothing gently his fair
brow, twining bis golden locks around her
fingers, and pressing the softest and sweet
est Of kisses upon his still lips.
Then going to Lizzie, she took from her
arms the sleeping babe. and placing It IN
the cradle, bent over it, whispering the
fondest terms OF endearment.
Sitting down beside It, she covered her
face, and thought grew busy. BY and by.
Lizzie stole quietly to the chair, kneIt be-
side i, and buried her head in her mothers
lap. Mrs. Lees hands toyed with the soft
brown curls that fell over il in such rich
profusion, and several times pushed them
of the forehead, when the child iclt the
mute pressure of her lips. For some time
both were silent. At length Lizzie looked
,imidiy up, saying, in a touching voice,