The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-05-11
ENN A. HTOs
pEsc1IIres BY LAMp-LIeHT.

It is about this time of year-though per
baps little later would be more appropriate
that residents of the town project visits to
their rcoantry friends. Well there is real pleas
ure in this, the talking Of going, and the
cheerful anticipation excited, and yet after
all, the reality of the affair cannot be better
delineated than we fiud it done for ns by the
editor of the Western Christian .aduocafe .
He has undoubtedly enjoyed the pleasure in
full. s"Yo ou get up carrier than usual in the
morning" says this writer, to begin the neces
sary preparation. The children are elaborate
ly washed from head TO foot; then they are
dressed without any regard to expense; then
they rush out to see if the wagon has come,
and generally fall into the mud whersupon
hey return crying to the house, to be washed
and dressed again. "a. q i',s, ~ .,i, '.'
,4sAfter multitndinons delays and vexations.
you crowd the family into a diminutive car
riages crack the whip, and are off. The chill
dren all want io.drive, and if you deny then,
they will drive you to distraction, as your
wife says with their clamorons .voeiferations
for whip and lines. Arrived, after t rrible
jolting, at the place of destination, youa are
ushered into the parlor, where no fire has been
for months. But the people give you hearty
welcome. go warm, indeed, that you forget
physical iiscomforts The children are taken
into the kitchen, where they revel in acres Of
gingerbread In the .parlor the women folks
ply the needle and tongue, while You ,alt
gravely with your host about the weather;
then about the crops; then about politics; ther
walk out with him to look at the farm; ad
mire the stock, and get a cold in your head hy
standing on the wet ground. Then you wall
back to the house, and feel little symptom Q
yawn, which you repress.s * ~ $.
itsThen you try to be very agreeable, ant
break down. But dinner is announced anon
and you cheer mp. You must needs eat will
arelish or offend. But when you can eat nj
more, from sheer plethora and exhaustion. yo'
are urged to go on gorging, until you becom
almost offended at the supeifaiy Of hospital
ity.
THE afternoon seems long, though you tai
again of weather, crops. politics, and exer
yourself to the utmost. You keep thinkin
of your daily paper dropped in the yard {
home By the newsman, and very likely pickle
up by the urchin who lives next door. Br
YOU stay on till the ,'lengthening shadows %
the fields proclaim the close of the day.
is quite possible then that storm is brewiu
in the west--that when you get ready to sta
the rain will fall beautifully. At length ye
start for home, but when you have gone hs
mile your wife discovers that her basket
left behind. 1t Is unpleasant to turn bac
for the rain beats 6ercely in your faces fro
that direction, but it can't be helped. Fin'
ly YOU get home wet weary, sore--Biddy sd
|. that IAN illigant looking gintiIman called abo
noon to see ye, sur Y on seem to know
i instinct that he wanted to get married; but
4 is gone--ditto the fee.. The paper is gol
v too-boy stole it, undoubtedly. Fire out
3. the study-fre out in the sitting room. T
Ii is the way we spend a day in the country
j. Now isn't that capital just as you've fou
"a it,many times. @ a5si
&C What VIII Not Mother Do for Her Child.
tv 1t is stated of the wife of common sold
tri of the 55th British regiment in America d
OF ing the campaign of l777, that sitting in
ZIG tent with her husband at breakfast, bo
ets entered, and fell between them and
at where their infant lay asleep. The mot
an begged that her spouse would go around
- bomb before it exploded, and take away
tb child, as his dress would enable him to pass
r. narrow space between the dreadful messer
NJ of destruction and the bed He refused
~ left the tent, calling to his wife to haste a
stJ. as, in less than minute, the fuse would {
n municates to the great mass of combusti
The poor woman, absorbing all care in ar
its ty to save her child tucked up her garn
{ to guard against touching the bomb, snat
+ up the unconscious innocent, and was hs
out of the reach when the murdereus me
! ais were scattered around. The major Of
regiment, hearing of this action, distingui
the heroine with every mark of favor.
survived many years, a noble illustratio
), the eleyating qualities of maternal devot
Good Enough for Him. sas 9.s5r q 2 '9aasd
H AS my wife, at the window, one day -o
-1sa Stood watching man wi h q monkey,
cart came by with "broth of boys"
y % who was driving stout little donkey; 'e
To my wife then spoke, by vvss Of a /. ..ke.i