Smyrna times., 1854-07-19
An Invalid w ife.
BY FANNY FERN.

" Every wife needs good stock of love to be-
gin with"
DON'T she! You are upon a sick bed
little, feeble thing lies on your arm, that you
might crush with one hand. You take these
little velvet fingers in yours, close your eyes,
and turn your head languidly to the pillow
Little brothers and sisters-Carry, and Henry,
and Fanny, and Frank, and Willie, and Mary,
and Katty-half a score-cOme tiptoeing into
the room, " to see the new baby" 1t Is quite
an old story to nurse" who sits like an auto
maton, while they give vent to the enthusias-
tic admiration OF his wee toes and fingers, and
make profound inquiries, which nobody thinks
best to hear. You look Oh with angud smile,
and they pass out, asking "why they can't
stay with dear mamma" and why they mustn't
plav "puss in the corner" as usual! You
wonder if your poor little crOupy boy tied his
tippet on when he went to school, and whether
Betty will see that your husbands flannel Is
aired, and if Peggy has cleaned the silver, and
washed off the front door steps, and what your
blessed husband sabout, and that he don't come
home to dinner. There sits old nurse, keeping
up that dreadful treadmill trottlng "to quiet
the baby" till you could fly through the key
hole in desperation. The odOr OF dinner begins
to creep up stairs. You wonder If your hus-
bands pudding will be made right, and if Betty
will remember to put wine In the sauce as he
likes it; and then the persplratiOn starts out on
your forehead as you hear humping on the
stairs, and a child's suppressed scream; and
nurse snatches the baby up in flannel to the tip
of its nose, dumps it down in the easy chair,
and tells you to leave the family to her and go
| to sleep. By-and-by she comes ln-atter stay
! ng long enough TO yet refreshing cup OF COT
! tec-and walks up to the bedside with bowl Of
cruel, tasting 1t, and then putting the spoon IN
to the bowl In the first place, you hate Cruel;
in the next. you couldn't eat II Size held a ps-
tOl to Your head, after that spoon had been III
her mouth so YOU meeklv suggest that it be
set on the table to cool-hopng, by some pro-
vidential nterposition, it may get tipped over.
We'll, she moves round your room with a pair
of crcaking shoes, and bran new gingham
gown, that rattles like paper window curtain
at every step; and smo0ths her hair with your
nice little brush, and opens drawer by
mistake, o thinking it was the baby's draw
er" Then you hear little nails scratching on
the door, and Charley whispers through the key
hole, " Mamma, Charley's tired; please let
Charley come in."
Nurse scowls, and says no; but you intercede
poor Charley, he's only baby himself
Well, he leans his head against the pillow, and
looks susplciously at that moving bundle of
flannel in nurses lap. It's clear he had hard
time of it, what with tears and molasses! The
little shining curls that you have so often rolled
over your finger, are a tangled mass and you
long to take him and make him comfortable, and
cosset him little, and then baby cries again,
and then you turn your head to the pillow with
: Il smothered sigh. Nurse hears it, and Charley
: is taken struggling from the room. Yon take
r your watch from under your pillow, to see il
. husband won't be home soon, and tLen look at
: nurse, who takes pinch of snuff over your
= cruel, and sits down drowsily, with the baby
V in alarming proximity to the fire. Now you
), hear dear step on the stairs. It's your Char
e lev! How bright he looks! and what nice
= fresh air he brings with him from out of doors
i He parts the bed curtains and looks n and pat:
:. you ON the cheek. You just want to lay youl
IS head on his shoulder, and have such a splendid
& cry but there sits that old Gorgon of a nurse
IF she don't believe in husbands she don't -
E You make Charley a free mason sign to send
l. her down stairs for something. He says-right
r out loud-men are SO stupid! "What did you
st say, dear!" OF course you protest you didn'
is say word-never thought of such a thing
IS and cuddle your head down to your ruffled pill
rs lows and cry because you are weak and weary
as and full of care for your family and don't wan
to see anybody but "Charley." Nurse say
=, =" she shall nave you SICK, anu telIS your nus
le band he'd better go down, and let you go t.
re sleep" Offhe goes, wondering what on eartl
r 81 ails you to cry wishes he had nothing TO do bu
Oh lie still, and be waited upon! After dinner h
lc comes to bid you goodbye, before he goes to hi
n ofiice-whistles "Nelly Bly," loud enough t
= wake up the baby, whom he calls "comica
~ little concern" and then puts his dear thought
nc less head down to your pillow at signal from
you, to hear what you have to say. Well
oi there's no help for it, you cry again. and onl!
IL IL say. " Dear Charley" and he laughs and set
5 81 ties dickey, and says, you are NERVOUS httl
no no puss," gives you kiss, lights his cigar at tn
er fire, halt strangles the new baby with the mrs
Whit, and takes your heart OFF with HIM dow
ne the street.
to And you lie there and eat that Cruel! an
Iut pick the filzz off the blankets, and make face
to- at the nurse, under the sheet and wish Eve ha
his never ate the apple-Genesis iii, l6-or th'
its you were Abel to Cain" her for doing i'll