The Nevada journal., 1854-10-06
The Invalid Wife.
BY FANNY FERN

little feeble thing lies your arm, that you
; might crush with one hand. You take those
little velvet fingers in yours, close your eyes,
and turn your head languidly to the pillow
Little brothers and sisters-Carry, and Henry,
aid Fanny, and Frank and Willie, and Mary,
and kitty-half score--come tiptoeing into
: the room, to "see the baby" 1t is quite an
: old story to nurse" who sits like an automa-
tion, while they give vent to their enthusiastic
admiration OF its wee toes and fingers, and
make profound inquiries, WHICH nobody thinks
best to hear. You look on with languid
smile, and they pass out, asking why they can't
stay with dear mamma" and why they mustn't
play "puss in the corner" as usual? You.
wonder if your little croupy boy tied his tppct
on when he went to school, and whether Betty
will see that your husbands flannel is aired,
and if Peggy had cleansed the silver, and
washed off the front door steps, and what your
blessed husband is about, and that he don't
come to dinner.
There sits the old nurse keeping up that
dreadful treadmill trottiDg, TO quiet the baby
I'LL you could Hy through the key-hole in des-
psratlon. The oder Of dinner begins to creep
up stairs. You woLder if your husbands pud-
ding will be made right, and if Betty will re-
member to put wine in the sauce, as he likes
IT. and then the perspiration starts on your
forehead as you hear humping on the stairs,
and chllds suppressed scream; and the nurse
snatches the baby up in flannel to the top Of
its nose, dumps it down on an easy chair, and
tells you to leave the family to her and 90 to
sleep. By-and-by she comes in, after stayinp
long enough to get "a fresh cup of coffee. and
walks to the bed side with bowl of Cruel
tasting 1t, and then putting the spoon into the
bowl. In the first place you hate cruel; and
IN the next, you couldn't cat if she had put q
tn Un11 hoo Cf1o %l>
In her month so you meekly suggest that If ia
to be set on the table to cool-ho2ing. by some
provldential interpostion, it NAV be tipDed
over Well, she moves around your rt,om
with q pair Of creaking shoes and bran new
glngham gown, that rattles like paper win low
curtains at every step; and smooths her hair
with your nice little brush and opens a dr., ,wer
by mistake (?) thinking it was "the ba bvs
drawer" Then you hear little nails scratc hing
on the door, and Charley whispers through the
key-hole, Mamma, Charley's tired plea Sc let
Charley come in."
Nurse scold5 and says no; but you intercedc,
poor Charley, he's only baby himself. Well,
he leans his head against the pillow, and looks
susp!ciously at the little moving bundle Of fan
mel IN nurses lap. It's clear he had a harlf
time of it, with tears and molasscs, The lie
shining curls that you ave so often rolled over
your finger, are tang ed n,css ; and YOU loDr.
to take him and make him comfortable. and
caress hlm little, End then baby cries again.
and you turn your head to the pillow, with n
smothering sigh Nurse hears it, and Charley
IS taken struggling from the room. You take
your watch iror under your pillow to see if
husband won't oe home soon, and then look at
nurse. VINO tales pinch ofsnuff over the cruel
anu SITS down nodding drowsily, with the baby
ID a9 alaflni ng proximity to the fire. Now
you near dear step on the stairs It's your
Ctar.ey How bright he looks ! And what
nice 'reSh air he brings with him out of doors!
lie parts the bed curtains, and looks in and
pats you on the cheek You lust want to Law
J your head on his shoulder, and have such a
splendid cry but there is that old Gorgon of
a nurse-shc don't believe in husbands Yon
make charley iree-lnason sign to send down
stairs for something. He says-right out loud
men are so stupd--"what did YOU saw. dear"
vi course you protest you didn't say word
never thought Of saeh thing and cuGdIe
your head down to your ruffled pillows.apd rrv
because you are weak and weary, and Suu Of
care for your family, and don't want to see any-
oooy put 'Chsrley.' Nurse says she will have
you SICK and tells your husband he'd better
80 do"n and let you 60 to sleep OFF ne goes
MohoeFl1g what on earth ails you to crvI
wishing he had nothing to do but TO lie en-
and be waited upon S'''A
Alter dinner he comes to bid you orooa l,,.,
before he goes to the office, whistles Nellv Blys
ioaa enough to wake up the baby, whor- &
calls a comlcal little concern, and tber y ~ nc
MS oear thoughtless head down to vor IT. puaN
at signal from you to hear what Il pilloW'
say We'll, there's no help for it ~, ~" nav 70
and only say dear Charey;'a "a IoI uiy asaa
settles his dicky, and says - .uu nc aug IS ana
little puss, gives you X &C.. III Toh., Jto L. nervous
ene lre nan stranges che new bahx viz Az %-
down ' thn sfroa+ tau '"Ae' your heart off with him
~ ~: Gu G'r 'e chcrc and eat that cruel and
! II he ,urSe ~ If the blankets, and make faces
new. ato :, under the sheet, and wish Eve hal
Won ,ve' the applc--Geness iii, l6--or that
re able to Cam her for doing it.
: HEvoLT IN THE HAREM-A Constant.
,ioPie correspondent says that the Turkish
; ladies are progressing rapidly, and in proof
remarks that their wells grow thinner and
thinner every day. They are also grow
ing more and more sociable, ACCORDING to
the same authority, especially with their
eyes. One OF them, on recent occasion.
even went further than this: she presented
her handkerchief and boquet to hand.
some young ensign of British regimen,
VINO happened TO be stroll;ng about the
fashionable resort OF the Turkish ladies.
the sweet Waters of Europe, at a time
waen 1t was crowded by hundreds Of the
lar sex: The poor eunuchs sent ont to
guard the damsels, are continuaIlv in
stew OF uneasiness ; they dare not strike
or even complain, if an English or French
offlcer goes SO far as to smile or t;ss ~.
Ia nanu 70 any falr one committed to their
cnarSe: The old Turks dislike all this
exceedingly, and scowl at the foreigners
as they pass but the women are fond of
the attentions paid them, and seem to bara
lost all terror of sacks and deep sea.batbe
ing in the Bosphorus. 'n-
we should not be at all surprised boeor.