New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-07-26

FANNY FERN is a real woman, and writes as
one. We like Fanny for that. 1t is refreshing
in these days of the s' strong minded" Could
any body but real dear woman write the fol-
lowing Read and say: 5
The Invalid Wife.
Every wife needs good stock of love to begin 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 those little vel
vet fingers in yours, close your eyes, and turn
your head languidly to the pillow. Little bro
theirs and sisters--Carry and Henry, and Fam
ny and Frank, and Willie and Mary and Kitty
half a score---come tiptoeing into the room,
sc to see the new baby" 1t is quite an old story
to 's nurse" who sits like an automaton, 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 cur little
croupy boy tied his tlppet 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 is about,
that he don't come home to dinner H
There sits old nurse, keeping up that dread
full tread-mill trotting &c to quiet the baby till
you could fly through the key hole in despera-
tion. The odor Of dinner begins to creep up
stairs. You wonder if your husbands pudding
will be made right, and if Betty will remember
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 child's
suppressed scream; and nurse snatches the ba-
by up, in flannel to the tip of its nose, dumps
tha aae .aha aJY.o md toll tn 1aoy
the family to her and go to sleep. By-and- by
she comes in, after staying long enough to get a
refreshing cup of coffee, and walks up to the
bedside with bowl of Cruel, tasting it, and
putting the spoon into the bowl. In the first
place, you hate Cruel; in the next, you couldn t
eat it if she held pistol to your held, after
that spoon had been in her mouth SO you
meekly suggest that it be set on the table to
cool, hoping, by some providential interposition,
it may get tipped over. Well, she moves round
your room with pair Of ereaking shoes, and a
bran new gingham gown, that rattles like pa
per window curtain at every step, and smoothes
her hair with your nice little brush, and opens
q drawer by mistake ~ &c thinking it was the
oaby's drawer" Then you hear little nails
scratching on the door, and Charley whispers
through the key-hole, Mamma, Charley Is
tred 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
suspiciously at that little moving bundle of fan
mel in the nurses lap. It's clear he had hard
time of it, with tears and molasses! The little
shining curls that you have SO often rolled over
your finger, are q tangled mass; and you long
to take him and make him comfortable, and
cosset him little, and then baby cries agaiI
and you turn your head to the pillow with {
smothered sigh Nurse hears it, and Charley
is taken struggling from the room. You take
your watch from under the pillow to see i
| husband won't be home soon, and then look a
nurse, who takes a pinch of snuff over your
Cruel, and sits down nedding droWsily, witt
| the baby in an alarming proximity to the fire
| Now you hear a dear step on the stairs. It'll
| your Charley! How bright he looks ant
| what nice fresh air he brings with him out O
| doors. . WV z..,
| He parts the bed curtains and looks in, ant
| pats you on the cheek. You just want to lay
your head on his shoulder, and have such
splendid cry! But there sits that old Gorgol
of nurse, she don't believe in husbands, sh
don't You make Charley free mason sign tt
send her down stairs for somethin. He says
right out loud, men are stupid! What dit
you say, dear'" Of course, you protest yor
didn't say word--never thought of such
thing and cuddle your head down to your muf
fed pillows, and cry because you are weak an,
weary, and full of care for your family, ant
don't want to see any body but ssCharley
Nurse says, +" she will have you sick,'' and tell
your husband, shed better go down and lie
you 60 to sleep" Off he goes, wondering wha
on earth ails you to cry wishing he had nothing
to do but lie still and be waited upon
After dinner he comes to bid you good-b
before he goes to his Office, whistles, Nell
Bly," loud enough to wake up the baby, whor
he calls comical little concern, and then put
his dear, thoughtless head down to the pillow
at signal from you, to hear what you have t
say Well, there's no help for it, you cry again
and only say again. Dear Charley!" and b
laughs aud settles his dickey, and says you ar
q nervous little puss," gives you kiss, light
his cigar at the fire, half strangles the new bab
with the first Whit, and takes your heart o
with him down the street!
And you lie there and eat that Cruel! an
pick the fuz off the blankets, and make faces q
the nurse, under the sheet, and wish Eve ha
never eat the apple-Genesis Ill l6-or ths
you were ssAhle to Cain " her for doing it!
|
A SMALL DIFFERENCE.-An editor of consit
erable experience in the way of squirmers an
wrigglers gives the following definition of th
diffarencp hatwpen an eel and A. black snake