Plymouth advertiser. [volume] (Plymouth, Ohio) 1853-1988, 1855-04-20
THE MECHANICS HOME.
BY T. I. NICHOLAS, NJ. n.

the door bell rang with energy, and the
servant announced a man who wished to
see me. a man is one thing with a ser
want, gentleman another, and per
SON something different from either. The
man stood in the hall, but wondered why
he had not been called gentlemen. Twas
puzzled where to place him myself. His
dress wss very neat but plain and rather
coarse. His linen, that badge Of refine
ment, was white, in perfect order. and al
most elegant. Everything about him
seemed substantial; but nothing gave me
a clue to his position in life. In all out
ward seeming he was simply man.
When he spoke to me, his address was
simple, clear, direct, and with certain
air Of self-reliancc.
Doctor, said he, 4 wish you to come
and see my child We fear he is threat
encI with the Group
lput on my hat, and prepared to accom-
pany him; for if the case were as he sup
posed, there was no time to lose. In this
disease single hour may make life's
difference.
In moment we were in the street, an |
walking briskly up one of our broad av-
enucs. The child, he said, had beenplay-
ing out Of fdoors, had eaten heartily at sup
per, gone 10 sleep, ana walked up short
time since very hoarse, with choking
cough. The case was pretty clear one,
and | hurried my walk still more, and in a
few moments We were at tho door. We
went up-up-Gp, to the fourth story
The last flight Of steps was carpeted, and
small lamp at the top il 5hted us up. An
excellent and very durable kind of mat lay
at the door. You will see in time why ]
give these little particulars.
l entered the door, and was welcomed
by arather pretty and remarkably tidy wo-
man, who could be nobody in the world
but the wife Of man who had summon
ed me-.
4 am glad to have you come so soon.'
she said, in soft ascent. Little Will m
seems so distressed that he can scarcely
brcathe;' and the next moment, as wepass-
cd through narrow passage to where he
lay, | heard the unmistakable croupy
sound that justly car. les such tcrror to the
parents heart.
is it the croep, doctor . asked the
father, with voice OF emotion, as bent
over the child-a fine looking boy, three
years of age.
1t is certainly the Group, and pretty
violent attack. How long it is since you
thought him sick p
Not above an hour, was the calm re-
Iply. 1t was made calm by u firm self
control. ] looked at the mother. She
was very pale, but did not trust herself to
speak.
There iSprobably little danger . I said,
but we have something to do. Have you
the tatcr here -
The husband went to what seemed clos
ct, opened two doors, and discloced neat
pine bathing tub, supplied with Croton.
This was beyond my hopes; but had no
time to wander. The little fellow was in
a high fever, and laboring for every breath.
Taking him from his crib, where he laid
on a nice hair mattrass, fit for prince t.
sleep on, took off his clean night clothes,
stood him in the bath tub, and made his
father pour full his neck and chest three
pals Of cold water, while I rubbed him
briskly with my hand. He was then wip-
ed dry, and rubbed until his whole body
was i'll tame. Then | wroung a large
towel out of cold water, put it around his
throat, and then wrapped him in blankets.
The brave little fellow had born, it with
out complaint, as il he understood that I'M
der his fathers eye no harm corl | come to
him. In fifteen minute, after he was wrap
ped in the blankets he was in pro-
fuse perspiration, in souni slumber,
and breathing freely. The danger was
over-se rapid is this disease, AID SO east
ly c red.
Happiness lad she'd serene light upon
the countcnancc of the father, and thrown
over the mothers face glow of beauty.
| looked upon them and was more than
ever puzzled wi ere to place them. There
were no marks Of high birth o. superior
breeding, nor the shadow Of decaying gen.
tlity about them. 1t was rather the re-
verse, as if they were working up from
low rank of life to a higher. ! looked
around the room. 1t was the bed room.
Everything in it was perfectly orderly
The bed like the crib was excellent, but
not expensive. The white counterpanedi did
not cost more than ten shillings-yct how
beautiful it looked The white window
cartainS were shilling muslin, but their
folds hung as richly as il they were dam
ashland how very appropriate they SEEM
ed The bath with its snug-folding doors,
/ knew had not cost, Plumbers bill and
al, more than ten dollals. The toilet ta-
bic of an elegant form, d completely
covered, | hadno doubt was a white pine,
and cost half a dollar. The pictures on
the wall were beautifully tinted Autographs
better, far better, than oil paintings have
seen in the houses ofmillionarics; yet they
can he bought at from two to five shillings
and q dollar apiece had framed them. The
floor had carpet, that seemed to match
everything with its small, neat figure and
light chamber color. 1t was jewel of a
room, in as perfect keeping in all it's parts
as it an att t had designed it.
Leaving the boy to his untroubled sleep;
and giving dire :tions fer his bath on his
waking. we went into the other room,
which was differently but just as nearly
arranged. II might have answered for a
parlor, only that it had cook stove: or
an artists studio, or DINING. 1t was
hung with pictures-heads. historical pie
cns and landscanes. otl such rs q man of