The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-05-27

In few moments all the apparatus for COM
pounding ncgus were brought forward. Mrs
b. pronounced it good, and urged her husband
to partake; assuring him that in his anxiety
and fatigue he needed a restorative. "Thc wo-
man whom thou gavcst to be with me, she
gave me of the tree, and did cat" Mr.. Blan-
chard declined the ncgus, but took punch.
With such nightcaps they went TO bed. Bird
get, who came in to clear the room, followed
their example, and took Il nightcap too. 1t
would have been awful scandal to assert that
the whole family retired intoxicated, would it
not?
AS passed one evening with the parents and
their delicate child so passed many. Flora's
prccarious health demanded, through the VIM
tcrmonths, food warmer than fire would make
it: and the agent of heat in tie winter cooled
the infants summer beverage. Pure water,
nature never intended for children, and of ne
ccSsity medicine mingled with the summer
drinks, as with the winter possct. Little Flora
became an artificial child. The slightest OK
posture made her i'll: and when the herbal was
rcsortcd to for remedies, of course some alco-
holic preparation, more potent than winc was
required to disguise the nasty bitter taste.
Little Flora was an excellent child to take
medicine. At three years Of age she had the
tricks of older topcIs. She knew how to give
way to attacks Of lassitudc, and to appear
sick; as pleasant medicine was the reward
of these attacks of delicate health. She could
provokca slight irritation in her throat to an
alarming fit ofcoughing; because if the "hoar-
hound and the 'buglos'' were bitter. the gin
in which their virtues were extracted made
that bitterness agreeable. And thus the lit
tie hypocritc kept her anxious parents inccs-
sanity lamcnting the ill health of their deli
cate child.
As Flora grew she was indeed beauty The
delicate skin of her round face harnonzcd
with her blue eyes and fair hair. 1t is true
that in the morning she was pale, and her lit
tie ANGLES seemed scarce strong enough to sup
port her. Coilcc,-shc must drink coffee as
it was necessary to her delicate health which
milk would have ruined, RESTORED some ami
nation and confidence to her limbs. 1t mat
tered not much if her appetite at brcakfast
was small, because the ''poor child" COM
mcnccd about ten o'clock to dcrangc her.
stomach with comfits and cake. She had no
relish for pure food: and it was therefore nc
ccssary that she should be always surfcitcd
| with Substances 1ybin1, y-n,,l1 al
vent her having any appetite for proper nour
ishmcnt so long as they were allowed to her.
At dinner Flora required much animal food.
Vegetables would not answer for child in
delicate health. The family physician, weak
vain man, prouder of the number and wealth
of his patients than cmuous ofacquiring pro-
fessional skill, held his appointment in many
Il family by the easy method of conforming TO
the prcjudccs, and confirming the prccon-
ccivod notions of those who employed him.
lie therefore readily asscntcd to Mrs. B!an-
chard's opinion that meat was the very best
substance upon which her child could be fed.
The natural tone of the infant's stomach hav-
ing already been destroyed, it was not Won
dcrful that it refused vegetables as insipid.
Little Flora even wanted pepper and spice,
and what could be denied to a child in deli
cate health After dinner too, shcmuSt have
her title glass of wcdh wine: and as Flora grew
the little weak glass ''grew with her growth,
and strengthened with her strength
After dinner Flora was always little pccv-
ish, sometimes outragcously cross. But she
looked so well that her parents We're delight
ed, and could very well endure that among
other evidences of her health, she showed
strength to he troublesome. Her checks were
so rosy, and her conduct was so bostcrous,
it was really wonderful that child, so weak
and puny in the morning, should become so
strong after dinner In an hour or two this
forced excitement rclapscd into cnnui again,
and, heartily tired of their beautiful child, the
parents were glad to sec her consigned to her
pillow at night after some preparation for
delicate health had been administered. No
persuasion could induce so delicate a child to
90 to bed alone; so the forced services of her
mother,-Bridget would not door, of her
| father when Flora took it into her head to in
sist upon it, were nightly required to assist
the delicate child to sleep.