The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1852-06-05
THE MECHANICS HOME.
BY AN EX-EDITOR.

useful: but | may be mistaken in both. An
author has the same partiality for his works,
that parent has for his children; his babes
are all beauties, and his geese all swans
Still, when | read in print what have writ
ten-whcn my child is dressed up in other
clothcs-l think can look at it with more
lmpartlalltv. Will the reader take this little
sketch on trust, and leave me time to decide
whether shall write another:
One evening in the early part of winter,
the door bell rang with energy. and the SER
want announced man who wished to see me-
y man is one thing with a servant, gen
tcman' another. and a person something
different from either. The man stood in the
hall, but | wondered why he had not been
called a gentleman. was puzzled where to
place linn myself. His dress was very neat
but plain and rather coarse His linen. that
bad &c of refinement, was white in perfect or
der, and almost elegant. Everythin. about
him seemed substantial; but nothing gave a
clue to his position in life. In all outward
seeming he was simply man. When he
spoke to me, his address was simple, ccar,di-
rect with a certain air of set-reliance, the
tar,hest possible from a vulgar hustler.
'Doctor,' he said, II wish YOU to come and
see my child. We fear he is threatened with
the Group
Ipnt on my hat and prepared to accom-
panv him; for if the case were as he supposed
there was no time to lose In this disease a
single hour may make litc> difference.
In moment we were in the street & walk
ING brisk y up one of our broad avenues
The child, he said, had been plaving out of
doors, had eaten heartily at suppe... zone to
sleep and walked ny shortly time very hoar<e
with a croaklng cough The ease was prct
tyr!car one, and hurried my walk still more
and III few minutes We're at the door. We
went up. up. up. to the fourth story. The
al
lamp at the opl-htcd Us mp Az excellent
and very durable kind of mat Iay at the door
loa viii see. IN timc, why give these little
particulars.
entered the open door and was wclcom-
cd ~ rather a pretty and remarkably tidy
woman. who could have been nobody in the
world but the wife of the man who had sum
moncd me-.
i am glad YOU have come 50 soon, She said,
in a soil pure accent. Little William seems
50 distressed that he can hardly hrrathe;' and
the next moment, as we passed through a
narrow passage where he lay heard the un-
mistakable croupy sound that Justly carries
such terrors to the parents heart
is it the Group. doctor:' asked the father.
with voice of emotion, as bent over the
chld-three wears of age.
1t is certainly the Group. and a pretty Vi
ocnt attack. How long is it since YOU thou. hit
him sick =
Not above an hour was the calm reply
1t was made calm by a self control look
ed at the mother. She was very pale but did
not trust herself to speak.
Then there is probably but little danger,
| said but we have something to do. Have
YOU the water here =
The husband went to whatscemed closet
opened two doors, and disclosed a neat pine
bathing tub. supplied with the Croton Thi,
was beyond my hopes; bnt had no time to
wonder. The little fellow was in high fe-
YER. and laboring for every breath. Taking
him from his little crib, where he Law upon a
nice hair mattress, fit for prince to sleep on
| took off his clean night clothes. stood him
in the bath-tub, and made his father pour full
upon his neck and chest three pals of cold
water, while | rubbed them briSklv with nv
hand. He was then wiped dry and rubbed
until his whole body was glowing like tame
Then | wrung large towel out of cold wa.
ter and put it round his throat, and then
wrapped him up in blankets The brave lit
tie fellow had borne it all without a com
plant as if he understood that his father.
eye no harm could come to him. In fifteen
minutes after he was wrapped in blankets he
was in protuSe perspiration, in sound
slumber, and breathing freely. The danger
was over-so rapid is this disease and so ca
silly cured
/ Happiness had shed serene light upon the
countenance of the father, and thrown over
the mothers a glow Of beauty. looked up.
on them, and was more than ever puzzled
where to them. There were no marks Of
high birth, or superior breeding-not the
shadow Of decayed gentilitv about them. 1t
was rather the reverse, as if they were work
ing from low rank of life to a higher.
( Hooked around the room. 1t was the bed
room. Everything in it was perfectly neat
and orderly. The bed, like the crib, was ex-
cellent but not costly. The white counter
pane did not cost more than ten shillings-
vet how beautifully it looked. The white
window-curtans were shilling muslin, but
their folds hung as richly as if they were
damask-and how very appropriate they
seemed, The bath, with its snug folding
doors, | knew had not cost plumbers bill and
all more than ten dollars. The toilet-tablc
OF an elegant form, and completely covered
bad 10 dnuht was white nine and cost half a