Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-12-07

pierced the knees which trotted them. A'
| began to cut teeth my tongue was constant
/ " iOlted between my Jaws, ard in danger o
being bitten off dared not whine, for knew
the penalty; | began at last to calculate how
long the torture could possibly continue
/ Warm weather was coming on, and thought
one or the other of us must soon give up the
/ ghost and as my nurses exerti0ns were
/ almost superhuman, | imagined that per
/ haps might outast her. One unlucky dav,
however, my mother entering the room un-
I expectedlv, | smiled at her. | bad never
done SO before.
"Thc darling" cried my parent, "see, it
knows me.
Poor thing, rather, " said the nurse, ait
has wind on lis stomach -
Forthwith she proceeded to trot it out.
Every thump Of her foot on the floor was, |
knew, nail in my coffin l felt [ should
never smile again. My faithful nurse con-
tiuued her ef5rts, and was trotted ont of
existence on the poor old woman's knee"
AS the speaker ceased one of the older
occupants Of the room deserted me, - said nv
grandmother. He at once made room for
me to enter, and begged me to remain awhile
and hear the remarks. | consented, and
took a seat near the entrance.
81 ," said a little fellow rising from his
seat, with his blue eyes all bloodshot. and
his curls matted together, ''dled Of delrium
tremens. At the age of SIX months, was
confirmed drunkaTd haj not been a very
quiet baby, and every time | was uneasy a
Little liquor WIS administered to do me good
] did not want VINE, but water | was nat
urally very thirsty Geld, and everything
that was put between my speechless lips in
creased my thirst. My mother milk was
sweet, the panada given me was sweet, and
! now and then | was bl ssed with q draugLt
Of goat or cows milk, it was warmed and
sweetencd first, to make it as much like my
mOthe rs as possible. ! used tO cry. No
other way do We poor babies have of express
ing cur feelings, and the chances are ten to
one that We will be misunderstood. To stop
my crying, | was pus 10 the breast this, at
such times, would md Lnanuy refuse. Then
there would be a cJmmotiJn. '-Nurse, my
mother would say, "what shall we DO with
him ?' The nurse was stout, hearty old
woman, VINO always made a practice OF tast-
ing whatever was provided for her charge.
Her sovereign remedy was liquor. | was
taken, and a spoonful administered at a time
At first | rebelled-I strdnsicd, kicked. and
coughed, The firm hand held the spoon to
my little tongue, and down went its contents
in spite of me. Little by little the dose was
increased. l soon like it. In my thirsty
moments l cried fo7 it. /, WAS given me
readily for after few moments of wild glee,
fell into drunken stupor, which gave my
attendants many opportunities OF enjoying
themselves, as my sleep was sure to be long
and sound
AT length mama q Eotu aSsailcdme Dur
ing my whole life no-one had ever thought Of
giving me a single spoonful OF the water |
had crayed-the cooling, cheering refreshing
drop of water Now, no longer cared for
It, In my widest frenzies / was accused of
having the collie; down, as usual went the
fiery drink, until finally | was literally burnt
out. was nothing but cinder within,
shell without. My stomach was cooked to a
crisp, my intestines were shrivellei-mv
lungs no longer filed with pure air. belched
forth only the fiery fumes tlat had consumed
me died. / was good for nothing. / hope
whatever form my dust ~ destined t. take
Oh earth, it viii not be watered, as when |
it, with alcohol
'.As this speaker ceased, there arose a
y
me to the pandemoniac chamber; as it sub
sided, another little figure had taken the
stand
8. My legs, he said, brought me out Of
the world Ny mother labored under the
strange delusi0n that her child was born a
Highland laddle, of Amer can parents and in
America was dressed or lett undressad rlth-
or, in short plaid stockings, reaching to the
calf OF my leg, and an elegant kilt reaching
lust to the knee. My limbs were moulded
in cherubic forms, and when exposed in the
nursery were pretty. But the nursery was too
narrow a field in which to display my beauty.
On bitter cold davs | was walked out over
the lev streets, the keen wind chapping my
flesh and chilling my blood till my knees
looked like twin nutmeg graters painted
purple. used to look at my mother long
comfortable skirts and leggngs drawn up
over warm hose, and wondered if she could
survive a fashion such a | were, if adopted
by herself | became afflicted with inham-
matory Rheumatism, and unable to endure
the pain, gave up the ghost.
Il felt said my grandmother, "that
this victim was a sacrifice to a fashion start
ed since my day. know that your father
was never dressed in such ridiculous style
when little boy, for with my own hands
knit his warm woolen stockings and saw that
his comfortable little trousers came well over
the instep of his little calfskin shoes
The next speaker was a dreamy faced lit
tie girl, who trembled Us she rose and said
81 am an opium eater. My death-war-
rant was written on the label Of the first box
tie of Godfrey Cordial brought into my
mothers house. \ few drops at first sui-
feed to hush my feeble cries Then God
frev's Cordial would not do. few drops
of pure Iaudanum was administered. Soon |
could not 60 to sleep without it. Then my
nurse would give me a small opium pill in
nv pauada. OF course | was but little
trouble. was deep sleeper, but my dges-
ton became impaired too much sleep
weakened me. and | knew no natural alUm-
ber. Nv eyes became like those of a sleep
walker. full of dreams when wide awake l
lost my appetite my head grew full of
pain my baby heart was always aching. /
| closed nv eyes one day forever on the home
! where felt | could be little loved, when my
! low walls were never permitted to appeal tc
! those around me, but were hushcd ut once
! where nv blue eyes were scarcely ever per
| mitted to look around in the world IN which
they had been opened, and where, instead o
proper care and food and exercise, the bale
iul pill and enervating sleep were all tha
was offered me. There are many parents wh'
srem to think children must pass then
childhood 'out of the way and only get II
the way when they have become, in spite
all sorts of ill-treatment, useful or ornament
al members Of society,"
This child was still speaking" sad m,
grandmother, 'when | rushed out. ha'
been 4 mother once, and | could not Lister
to these innocents in that fearful wallini
chamber, recaptulating the woes that ha'
sent them there, any longer.
Il felt impelled to revisit earth | came
In no light could l make myself visible {
YOU until your talIow candle was brouSn
in"
,My dear. remember what l have tol
you. Some of these days you may be motl
or. Be more than careful OF the sacre
charge of little children. Think Tor them
feel for them. Do not, to ease YOUR care
sink them into unnatural slumbers, or CIV
them over to selfish nurses. Upon you hang
4lsrt- hgnn