Eaton Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1843-1856, 1854-09-07
miscellaneous
tFrom the Portland Eclectic.
THE SMALL FAMILY.
BY JUMPER.

"Iush, baby hush % whispered young,
gir,ish looking mother, as, for perhaps the
tenth time, she left the bread she was making,
and hastily crossea The r. ON to touch with her
foot the rocker of wicker cradle, whose tiny
occupant was nesting and twisting lwearify,
fighting the air with both chubby fists. as
though bidding defiance 10 further sleep or
quiet.
A few minutes hurried rocking, and the
nesting ceased, as the little hands fell uncon-
4. .cously on the snowy blanket-aud the diigent
little housekeeper hurried back 10 her bread
sgain.
-''Mercy on me - quarter 10 twelve al
ready p she said, raising hereyes 10 the clock,
"and how impatient Louis will be when he
finds he must wait for dinner oh, hear ~ and
the pretty woman, flushed and furrie1 by the
anticipativR OF her husbands frei ifulness, kur-
lied about with all possible expedition.
The bread was at last in the oven, The va
rous culinary enterprises put in operation, the
dining room neatly arranged, and Mrs. Floyd
was Just spreading The cloth on the dinner ia
BILE, when the baby cried again, and the little
foot hurried 10 the rocker again as usual. Be-
fore the child was quieted, Mr.. Floyd came in.
"Why, Annie" he said hastily, "Where's s
nova days. You're always rocking that era
die, and never get snyhing done in time.
wonder what y u'd do if you had ten in the
family, as your step-mothe- basf'
Mrs. Floyd felt the tears trying 10 come, but
she choked them down, and said quietly
"Don't be impatient, Louis, | tried 10 hav,
dinner in time, but the baby had been trouble
some and wakeful all the morning; I've had
TO carry him in my arms, while was at work
half the forenoon. Besides, Pm not verl
strong, and Pye bad dlstrac,ing headache
all day."
"lfyou'rnot able to do your work you should
have kept Mat:y longer: she was willing t
stay"
eyes, I know but you said yourself tina
she waste more than her wages, and thai
everything about the house was going to wrecl
and rnin, under her administration. Besides
she knew very little about doing houSe-work
as il should be done.''
"Oh, Annie, you're too particular and old
naidish by great DEAL"
"Am Who came to me with such wo
full complaint because Matty toasn' old maids
enough about her crockery? who wouldn'
drink glass Of water because he saw tn,
print Of her fingers on the glass who looked
SO dismal because the sugar-bowl wasn't IL
its old place on the wrong side Of his plate p
WELL laughed Louis, she certainly didn'
display much taste in arranging the table, bu
there ais other things she could do 10 he'll
you.'
"Nothing more thar child ten years oil
could Go. She couldn't even make the tea
biscuits without coming 10 me with everythin
10 know how much TO take. She never di
a baking, or iroued your linen once, while sh
was here to the latter, clothes basket hal
full of starched things can testify, even now
for have not found time to iron them ,e
since she went away"
"She was poor affair, grant yon bu
she could OF least have taken care of littl
Lou-baby tending dontrequire much talen
! believe"
'1ndeed, but il does, though; and such tal
ent as comparatively few possess. Maity sal
she didn't like babies, and she was never vii
ling 10 take Lon. in her arms and if insiS
ed on it. she would be quite as likely 10 Iii
him by one arm as any way never felt sal
TO leave him with her minute"
"Well, don't know; but il seems TO m
she would have been better than nothing
Any way, | don't like being obliged 10 wait
quarter Of an hoar every day for dinner"
The young wife esighed at the implied Tepro'
and hurried around to complete her arranl
ment, while the thoughtless husband seate
himself BY the window, and drawing SON
newspapers from his pocket, read com fortabl
until she invited him to the table.
The dinner hour passed pleasantly for M
Floyd; though sometimes inpatient and vi
reasonable, he was at hcnt very fond OF h
pretty wife, and vastly proud OF his besutif
boy. His wife he Sitherto been, as he sal
'the most punctual Astie creature in the world
but since little Loa' had claimed SO much
her time aud attention and every moth
knows that Of all the tyrants a baby is n
most exaciing and unreasonable - she he
found Il impossible 10 adhere to her form
rules. Ysa M snR <Ft
'sShe had "s small family true and mas
seemed to consider this another term for ea'
snd leisure but many young wife, vii
only husband and one child TO care for, hi
found TO the contrary. The same routine
housesefk must be gone through for sami