Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-07-16

ions influence and we have the confidence IN
men to believe, YOU will see prosperity crown
ing your labors that shall quite equal your expec-
tations.
Make what use you may please of this COM
munication. We hope that if made public, it
may induce many parents to give your school q
trial. Sincerely yours,
m J. R. WILSON,
A. L. NELSON.
Our First Nurse.
Sit down and will tell you all about it,
Charley and / were engaged; and as youth
comes but once we got married, and lett otner
couples to grow gray, if they liked, on the dis
tant prospect of damask curtains, fine furniture,
and trains of servants. Charley did not know
the meaning of ''club house" and as TO tne
diamonds and satns the shopkeepers flashed IN
my eyes, l did not give them thought we
had some nice books and some choice engra-
wings. You might have gone into many par
lor on which hundreds had been lavished, and
liked ours all the better when you came back
Still it wanted something-that we both agreed,
for no house can be said to be properly furnish
ed without 6aby Well, Christmas day
brought us one, weighing the usual eight pounds
and as lively as q cricket. Such lungs it had
Charley said it was intended for minister.
| Well now it was all right at least it would have
been if the baby had not involved nurse. we
had to he sure vague idea OF what nurse was.
We thought her good kind of creature who
understood babylon, and never intertered with
anv little family arrangements. Not bit OF IL.
Of course, the first thing she did was to make
preparation to sleep in my room. Poor Char-
! lev. was sent off into desolate spare chamber
Charley, whose shaving operations had watch,
ed with such interest, whose cravats had tletl
to suit nv fancy every morning; whose halr
had brushed up; and-well, never mind the
rest; the old maids and old bachelors will deem
all this perfectly ridiculous.
II was evident that this bran new baby OF
ours gave nurse an ascendancy over US. You
might have seen this with half an eye, as she
folded her hands complacently over her apron
strings, and sat down in my little rocking, char
bv the fire opposite the bed and then fixed her
basilisk ewes upon HE as Charley left the room.
Poor Charley he neither drank, nor smoked,
nor gambled; he was too fond of home for any
of these things. So he wandered up stairs and
down sat in the parlor staring at the fire till ne
could bear it no longer, and then stole up stairs
to get comforted. But as often as he did SO,
wonld YOU believe it2 that woman watched his
every movement, just as if he were infringing
some of her rights and immunities..
What if he did bring me sly piece OF cake
in his pocket9 Who likes to live forever upon
gruel9 What if he did open the sun-bhnd ana
let little blessed sun light, when she tired to
pursuade us into the belief that ut would hurt
baby's eyes?" What if he did steal one OF her
knitting needles, when she sat there, evening
after evening, knitting round, and round, anu iu
ronnd that interminable old grey stocking, till
,,,oup1 mn tn the screaming
nointg What if did tell him that she always
| =. Ner rocking-char upon that loose board IN
seo aoor which sent forth that ugly squeak, and
the NV always said, "Bless mel" and yet was
that she sot . IN it the very next time she sat
sure - What ;fI did tell him that after din,
aowIa ito ol,yavs avs wanted to take sly nap, and
ner aa sne tho habv ND in so many blankets that II
i~0 nanlI not crv # it wanted to, and would draw
eIa'S tba curtains closely round my bed, ana te
Ine 81 G yvos high time that l took nap,"--
.ho+ conld never either by stratagem or persua'
s:s s:''' Io ;ndnced to sleep in the day time
sioh nI VI what if | did complain to him that she
,,-.ntsd nna to put sticky pitch plaster upon my
neck, for little ghost OF eoagm na.e oo too fnr
by her stirring the ashes IN the graz IN 'g tha he'd
ously,) and tilst when 1 clappeu y, - ',,.t "a
post instead, she muttered spitefully, Jl....
handsome neck would not keep me out of my
cofin?" What if did tell him that she tried
on my nice little lace collars when she thought
was asleep at night; though | cannot bear to
have anybody messing my things about after |
have laid them so orderly in my drawer2 And
what if | complained that she kept pressing me
so constantly to drink detestable porter, under
might ''make the baby sleepg" What if did
| 4 III IUoo h. h,,cho o,,1D iHr,t
tell him everythinga laugh with him9 cry
with him9 And didn't he like it too? Of
course he did.
And poor Charley he was forlorn, too. His
cravats were tied like fright all the time was
confined; his buttons were off his pretty velvet
vest and he hadn't had the heart to get his
boots BACKED. Poor Charley
Well, that nurse had the impudence to tell
us at last, "we acted like two children" ChiL
drepI Wei U.s. The parents of that eight
pound baby That was the last drop in our
cup. Charley paid her off; and was so glad
when she went that laughed till cried
Then we both drew long breath, and sat down
and looked at the new baby-oW baby; and
Charley asked me about its little sleeping hab.
| its and told him, with shake of the head,
that could not speak definitely on that point.
Then we discussed the respective merits OF cribs
and cradles, and the proprety OF teaching, at
an early period, that impressive line OF Mrs
Heman's--
"Night is the time for sleep!'
and then Charley got up, put on noiseless pair
of shippers. arranged the fire irons, oiled the
creaking hinge of the door, laid chair over the
soueaking board in the floor, that he might not
tread on it, then gently shaded the night lamp,
and looked at me with sort of congratulatory
nod. So farewell; but in hanging his vest over
chair. out ratified perfect tempest OF tiorins,
shillnes and sixpences on the hearth Of
course. the baby woke, frightened out OF know
not how much growth, and screamed till it was
black In the face In vain its poor inexperi-
enced papa kissed it scratching its little velvet
face with his rougn whiskers the while! In
va;n we both walked the floor with it; the fire
went out; aud Just at daybreak 1t came to us
lilo q revelation. the sarcastic tone of the old
nnrse. as she said, "Good by; hope you'll get a.
LONG comfortable with the dear baby"
And so we did. Do you suppose one nights
watching was going to quench our love, either
for the 6abv or for each other2 No, nor a
tbousand like it. for as DR.. Somebody hath it,
.Gt was one of the kind that was not born to
de."-Ertract
WICKLOW MOUNTAINS, IRELAND, June l6, '56.
Esteemed Friend my last letter. | told you
7 was Going to make an excursion into the coun-
trw was and sIs ps9omsed you brief notice of the
scenery s legendery and historic associations Of
the thew wicklow Mountains. Taking the train at
the the wicklow Station, lin company with Mr.
OrleshN M T Of nlinois,) we soon passed the envi-
rons ' Of the city into the rural districts of outd
Tmn fHora hermit me to suggest to the tourist
batnre he f Starring to fill his pockets well with pen
e ha wishes to save his shngs, for he will
tind ,u the h highway lined with mendicants whose
4a.torad r,orroants and poverty-stricken features