Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1853-08-06
THE AILING WOMAN.
A mOurnful Account Of her Ailing
Family.
ny WILLIAM o. EATON.

| ing up their mouths, and whining out their
grievances, real or imaginary, as if they were
animated with strong compound tincture of
the souls of Job and Jeremiah-lamentatio
and complaint, being the continual employ
ment Of their doeful tongues
Mrs. Betsy Beeswax was one Of this stamp.
| called on Betsy one day. call her famil-
iarly "Betsy," because she confded IN me
all her troubles, making me thoroughly famil-
lar with herself and all her complaints.
1t was cold, sloppy winters day. Mrs
Beeswax was sitting close to the CRATE, in
large, old fashioned easy chair, almost as big
as chaise. She was bending forward with
her shoulders hunched up, and her head
nearly into the fireplace.
"Ab, dear, is it you ?" said she, as I enter
ed, her ancient face wearing the usual lach-
rymose expression Of hopeless misery.
"Yes ma'am," said l, land how do sou do
to-day?"
"Oh, miserably am enjoying dreadful
[ suffer- | ache all over and don't relish any
vttles"
l suggested that the weather might be the
cause Of her depression ofspirits.
No, no." she moaaed, "it isn't that, though
the weather is bad enough to be sure. Ma
ria has gone out without her rubbers, and
she'll be laid up next Im certain, aad the
children they rush n wet all over the house,
and whenever the door shuts it seems to say
"whooping- cough! whoopling cough! brown
creatures rheumatiz"
"What is your principal complaint?"
80. everything. The Doctor says he don't
know what be can do for me, and l know no
body can. I'm dreadful igity and nervous
all the time, and then the children they make
such racket Sometimes think I've got
the hip comr9aint, anu then feel as If nay
lungs was out of ORDER then have twinge
in The side, and then shooting pain in the
head, and then nay eyes ache And then
Lm so sensitive to the cold 1t would make
your hair stand on end, know to see the
goose flesh on me sometimes!'
l expressed deep sympathy for her suf-
feriugs and venturcd the original idea that if
she felt colo she had better try to keep warm.
"Ah! yes, dear; but the young folks will
keep leaving the doors OPEN and then fuel
is SO high, and you don't know what mon
strous draft there is in our chimneys The
heat all goes up the chimney; and then I've
got such eKtravagant help! They are the
most extravagant help l ever see! You'd
think they were going to roast an OK some
times, to see the dres they build in the kitch
en-"
"But won't they obey your directions p
Why don't you turn them away and get 9TH
ers?"
ats dretful difficult thing to get good
help, drctful difficult The first one l turned
away always burned the bread, without fail );
the second was so lazy that she could hardly
put one foot before the other, and the next
one set her impudent cap for Maria's first
beau"
"And go, him?"
"And got him The next one was SO slut
tsh-excuse me for the expression-that
couldn't bear her in my sight; the next one
had sich poor health that had 90 keep doc :
tering her all the time and when she ran
away with the spoons"
"What ingratitude.'
"Worse than that dear. She sent another
girl worse than she was. She had a sweet
smooth face, and you'd thought butter
wouldn't melt in her mouth; but she cut the
awfullest cspers with the boys, and when she
went away, found that she had stolen Aunt
Billy's silver watch-the largest ever saw
"A beautiful counterpane, covered all over
with roses, loaf of sugar and sugar tengs,
a beautiful tortois she'll snuff box, three new
pillar cases o, ow!''
"Good hcavenns Mrs. Beeswax, what's
the matter with you"
"Oh, dear, dear, deary me! A twinge
right through the liver. l believe my liver
till be the death Of me after ALL"
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Bee~ax, that Providence
has singled you ost as the subject of SO ma
ny Affections. But all's for the best''
II don't want to be wicked, she replied
"but don't believe it is! There's Maria, she's
subject to the aew-ralogy, an old complaint
of hers, George, he's ricketty; Sam the last
| saw of him before he went to the west, said
he knew he should die of fever and sgue;
Mary she says she can't eat without its dis
tressing her; and Laura's almost sure she's
going to have the scrofula; and then the two
children are complaining OF the chilblains all
the time AS for me, l feed mostly upon
medicine; the more I take, the more it don't
seem to do me any good BIT I dont COM
PLAN. | never say word to any body, for
| hate people that's complaining all the time
But if ever there was an afflicted family
this is one; and if there was an afflicted wo-
man she's me-"
"But can't you ascertain what your disease
may % Don't your physician give you an
idea?"
"No, no--he only gives me medicine"
"What kind Of medicine. ?"
"Pnls."
"What kind OF pills: :"
"What kind dear? Why massy sakes ]
never asked him. l never studied medicine
| don't want to know the names My neigh
, Sors are pestering me all the time with new
t names, and ! never can remember them
That's sign that my memory is Halle luny
OH if ever should have to so 10 the hospi
tai. Oh il l should?
| "Wsre any Of your family ever insane %
inquired.
81 don't know, but think it's as like a:
, not Ny poor, dead old Mr. Beeswax used t
, have some symptoms of it, and lived so lonl