The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-04-18

| Nv nnne il Meek. am in fact Mr.. Meek
| That son ia mine and Mrs Meek's. When
saw. the announcement ia the Times dropped
thu paper. had put it in myself, and paid for
| itstat ii looked 50 noble that It overPowered
M
As soon as could compose my feelings
| took the paper up to Mrs. Meeks bedslde.-
"Maria Jane" said q allude TO Mrs Meek)
syou are now public character" We read tho
review Of our child several times, with the stroag-
est emotion; and sent the boy who cleans the
boots and shoes to the office for fifteen copies
No reduction was made on taking that quantity.
II IL scarcely necessary for me to say that our
child had been expected. In fact IL nad oeen OK
pected, with comparative conhdence' ior some
months Mrs. Meek's mother, who resides win
US Of the name Of Bigby-had made every pre-
paratiol for its admission to our circle.
Ihope and believe am Il quiet man. will
20 further. | know | am quiet man. MY
constitntioni ia tremulous my voice was never
loud, and. in point of stature, have been from
infancy, small have the greatest respect Tor
Maria James ma. She is most remarkable
woman. honor Maria James mamma. lnmy
opinion she would storm town, single-handed,
with hearthbroom, and carry it. have never
known her to yield any point whatever to mortal
man. She is calculated to terrify the stoutest
hearts.
StiIl-but will not anticipate.
The first intimation had Of any preparations
being in progress, on the part of Maria James
mamma. was one afternoon several months ago.
came home earlier than usual from the Office,
and proceeding into the dining room, found mn
obstruction behind the door, which prevented 1T
from opening freely. 1t was an obstruction OF
a soft nature. On looking in, found 1t to be
female.
The female in question. stood in the corner
behind the door, consuming sherry wine. From
the nutty smell of that beverage pervadiDg the
apartment, have no doubt she was consuming
a second glassfu She wore black bonnet or
large dimensions, and was copious in fgure--
The expression of her countenance was severe
and disconnected. The words to which she gave
utterance on seeing me, were these: On GIT
along with you, sir, if you please; me and Mrs.
Bigby don't want no male parties here !
The female was Mrs. Prodgit
| Immediately withdrew, of course. was
rather hurt but made no remark. Whether
Il was that showed lowness of spirits after
dinner in consequence of feeling that seemed
to intrude, | cannot say. But Maria James
mamma said to me, on her retiring for the night,
in a low distinct voice, and with a look of re-
proach, that completely subdued me, George
Meek, Mrs. Prodgit is your wife's nurse.
| bear no l-will towards Mrs. Prodgit. Is
it likely that /, writing this with tears in my
ewes, should be capable of deliberate luminosity
towards female so essential to the welfare OF
Maria Jane? | am willing to admit that fate
NAV have been to blame and not Mrs Prodgit;
but it is undeniably true that the latter female
brourht desolation and devastation into my low
ly dwelling.
We were happy after her first appearance
we were sometimes exceedingly so. But, when
ever the parlor door was opened, and "Mrs.
Prodgit p announced (and she was very often
announced) misery ensued | could not bear
Mrs. Prodgits look ! felt that | was far from
wanted, and had no business to exist in Mrs.
Prodgit's presence. Between Maria James man.
ma and Mrs Prodgit there was dreadful Sc
cret understandings dark MYSTERY and conspl-
racy, pointing me out as being to be summed.
appeared to have done something that was
evil. Whenever Mrs. Prodgit called after din
ner, I retired to my dressing -room-where the
temperature is very low, indeed, in the wlntry
time of the year-and sat looking at my frosty
breath as it rose before me, and ut my rack of
boots, serviceable article of furniture, bu.
never, in my opinion, an exhierating object.
| The length of the councils that were held with
Mrs. Prodgit under these circumstances, ! will
not attempt to describe | will merely remark
that Mrs. Prodgit always consumed sherry wine
while the deliberations were in progress that
they always ended in Maria James being in
wretched spirits on the sofa and that Maria
James mamma always received me, when | was
recalled with a look of desoate triumph that
too palpably said, "Nop George Meek. You
see my child, Maria Jane, a ruin, and hope you
are satisfied"
pass, generally over the period that interviewed
between the day when Mrs. Prodgit entered her
protest against male parties, and the ever-memor
able midnight when brought her to my unobtru-
sve home in cab, with an extremely large box
on the roof,and handbook basket, and bundle,
between the drivers legs | have no objection
to Mrs. Podgit (aided and abetted by Mrs. Big
by, who never can forget is the parent of
Maria Janc) taking entire possession of my un-
assuming establishment In the recesses of my
own breast, the thought may linger that a man
in possession cannot do so dreadful as woman,
and that woman Mrs. Prodgit; but ought to
bear great deal, and hope can and do. Huff.
ing and snubbing prey upon. my feelings, but
can bear them without complaint They may
tell in the long run | may be hustled about,
from post to pillar, beyond my strength; never
theless, | wish to avoid giving rise to words in
Inc Iafnty
The voice Of nature, however, cries aloud in
behalf Of Augustus George, my infant son. 1t
is for him that wish to utter few plaintive
household works. | am not at all angry; | am
mild-but miserable
wish to know why, when my child, Augustus
George was expected in our circle, a provision
of pins was made, as if the little stranger was a
criminal who was to be put to the torture imme-
diatey on his arrival, instead of holy babe! |
wish to know why haste was made to stick
those pins all over his innocent form, in every
direction! wish to be informed why light and
air are excluded from Augustus George. like
poisons Why, ask, is my unoffending infant
so hcdged into a basket. bedstead, with dimity
and calico, with miniature sheets and blankets,
that can only hear him shuttle (and no wonder)
deep down under the pink hood Of a little bath
ing machine, and can never peruse even so much
Of his lineaments as his nose.
Was expected to be the father of French
roll that the brushes of all nations were laid in