The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1859-02-18
From the Saturday Evening Post.
Rainy Days.

| A"S ''hS Sl'i SillSS 10 Tile ln0ulQerlnR wall.
But at every gust the dead leaves fall.
And the day is dark aud dreary Lo,,qfeiloso.
That may 90 for poc,iral conception
very well. tu, | wonder il Mr.. Lonpfcllow
was ever shut up i'll house with seven
children, through the mortaIy long hours
of Il rainy days fancy it would give him
more pra'iraI ideas upon tie subject than
he ever before cherished.
Of these said seven children, the three
little girls are not much trouble, there be-
ing Implanted in the feminine heart, from
Hi early age, a vast amount Of self,rcspect
sometimes called vanity which acts as
a Kind OF moral check rein in keeping the
little one in order. But there are those
three terribly active, energetic boys, to be
amused and kept within rational bounds,
and the baby, poor little unfortunate, who
expected TO sleep through all the noisy
day. No wonder mamma looks with dis
may upon the bright little faces that sur
roun! the breakfast table.
Ned-thc very embodiment Of mischief
is already making proposition to his
next younger hrother,-a very little boy.
with very large head, and who is generally
known IN the family as ''Fatty" y"-to play al,
"bu'chcr' after breakfast, to which the de.
uded Fatty yields ready consent.
Asa pleasure commencement to this day
ot disorder, Charley, the little three year.old.
tumbles down stairs whilst mamma is wash
ing the breakfast things, and in 70 doing
| acquires lump on his head that would
puzzle phrenologist, and which fairly
casts the bump Of caution into the shade
by.a successive application Of arpica, oil.
Jumps Of sugar, and the story of The Three
Bears, Charley is restored to good humor,
and the mother Of the family applies her
self to the soul-checring occupation Of darn
ing stockings; but the work is destined to
interruption, for cries Of distress are heard
to issue from the bath room, and upon in
'e<'lgation Fatty is found living in the tub.
(f"rtun"'cly not full Of watcr.) where The
amateur butcher, Ned, has just left him tied
hand and foot. The cuiprit is summoned
to receive a severe reprimand from an in,lig
nant mother, whom he disarms at ouce bv
'nnorcntly expIaining:
"Why, mamma, Fatty is my calf, and
had just killed him. and left him to bleed
in the slaughter house, until was ready to
cut him up"
The scolding that was to be ends in n
laugh, and Ned proclaims his triumph in a
series OF gymnastic performances on the
floor and over the sofa. in which he does
everything but swallow himself, winding
up with back handed somerset that over
turns mammals workable and creates uni
versal havoc. The mother il too well mr..
customed TO these little accidents to lose
temper, but on the contrary, is rather clad
OF II, ms the picking up OF spools, Scissors,
&c., will afford some occupation to her sadly
restless boy. It's but temporary, however,
and Ned goes "f whis,ling Pop Goes the
Neasel' so loud that baby is awakened
thereby, and comes down TO mamma, whilst
nurse performs some household duty. What
never ceasing fascination there is abou,
the baby! Each child is clarnorous for the
sole and entire charge of him, and so he is
hugged and kissed and pulled and jos,led.
until, good-natured baby MS lie is, he is
driven to yelling in selfdefence, and refuses
to be comforted until a cake makes its ap.
pearance. This, of course, excites the hun
ger always lying latent in the childish
stomach, and cakes become universal
panacea. Tho little girls, in order to pro-
long and enhance the enjoyment of eating,
have party" and after having asked for
and obtained a thousand little accompani-
ments 10 the cake, the piece de resistance of
the feast, they get fairly under way. But
now comesa messenger 10 complain of
Charleya gormandizing propensities. He
keeps asking for cake all the time, and you
know mamma. it isn't good for such little
children, says his early ripe little sister, bis
senior by one year. Charley is finally
managed by being granted table and
party MI to himself by bis much enduring
mother. But meantime all these little frets
and jars have so worked upon my old maid
nervous system, that in order to preserve
my temperSSI put on wet weather costume
and startfor walk, thanking my stars that
the management Of seven children does not
come within my range Of duty. 81
"My brudders,' said a waggish colored
man 10 crowd, in all affiiction il, all oh
yonr. trubbles, dar is one place you can al
ways find Sainnnnkh,ly - Nhan.a L. q,