Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1860-09-14

woman that she was, she never, thought
! understood family government Now
prided myself on being quite disciplinari
an, and it was with feelings Of the creates
complacenoy that / watched .he flutterinI
of my cousins brown veil. as she disap
peared in the distance. "Ah," thought j
now will show them how this famil,
government may be reduced TO system.P
l was in an angelic frame of mind, whel
/ overheard James, aged twelve, exclaim
Z" say, Kate, mothers gone, now won't W,
have high old timel Here goes z anc
turned just in season to see the young
scapegrace jump TO the third shelf OF tn,
cupboard, and make dive at the sugar
bowl; while Katie, two years younger
helped herself from pot Of preserves
As nearly rs can remember, l shoul,
think it occupied about four seconds of time
! for me TO sieze both those children, shake
them into submission, and locate them in
chairs at oppositite corners of the room
with injunctions not to move hand or foo
for fifteen minutes.
The other children, save the youngest
were at school, so took my knitting and
sat down, Just little fustered by my re-
cent conflict. There was dead silence
interrupted only by the clicking of needle
for had put veto on all Communication
by word or sign, between the two offenders
l sat there congratulating myself upon the
admirable success Of my theory carried
into practice, when cry from the cradle
called me to its side. The baby had waked
and manifested desire to be taken.
Down went my knitting work, and UP
came the child; but upon noticing that its
mother was not, and that I was, tending it
the infant Immediately struck up such q
screaming as l never heard, or dreamed oil
before or since. coaxed and petted-l
sung. :" Hush my dear, lie still and slum-
6er,R 10 the tune of Greenyille. and / sung
everything else that could think of, mix.
ing up Mother Goose's Melodies and Isaac
Watts in manner anything but reveren-
tial to that divine--I rocked to and fro with
astonishing violence searched for hidden
pins fruitlessly-I related the bewitching
anecdote of the three little kittens that lost
their mittens, and filled up all the inter
walls with talking baby talk after the most
approved style, numbering the Queens
English in a manner to give Murray con-
wilson's, and introducing innumerable words
not laid down in Webster's unabridged
and still that child screamed-screamed un-
til it was red, and screamed until il was
hoarse, and screamed until looked upon it
in dumb amayement that so small body
possessed snch capabilities for screaming.
Auntie, it's fifteen minutes i; may we 60
play ?" chimed in Katie. " Yes, yes" said
/, and they went.
Well now, what was to be dones ! re.
hected. My theories didn't seem 10 work
Some new step must be taken, and that
step speedily dicided upon. Manifest
ly,' reasoned ], +" this depraved child has
inherited from Adam perverse temper,
and stubborn will" Had ever had any
disposition to question the doctrine of de-
praviiy, native and total, am sure it would
have been destroyed at that moment. i
saw plainly then that it remained with me
to subdue this rebellious will, and, as moral
suasion had proved unavailing, of course
something else must be tried.
Acting upon this resolution, then and
there proceeded 10 inilict the proper pun
isament. / administered as much of this
as Judged wise for an infant of that age,
(the little Bessie, who, by-the-way, was
christened for myself, was six months old,)
but, to my CONSERVATION, that nnaccountable
child only yelled the more Justify. Instead
of comprehending that was Furnishing it
for its own best good, and. therefore, stop
piHg its cries, it redogbled them, until Bridg-
ct game rushing in with, Och, MIN, and
thought shure ye were killing the cbili.R
Need ! say tnat only too gladly resigned
my precious naMesake 10 Bridget and left
her administering saccharine consolation to
the young angel, who. with its fingers in
the sugar-bowl, was still as mouse?
] rushed to my own room for few mo-
ments of rest, only to find confusion ten
times worse confounded there. 1t seemed
that jim and Katie, on being dismissed
from the nursery, had gone directly to nv
apartment, where they had been having
their " high old time in good earnest.
declare il makes my hair stand on end to
think of il. There sat Miss Kate, arrayed
in my best bat and shawl, having emptied
bottle of choice perfumery upon nay incest
handkerchief, and tanning herself with
face of the gravest sanctimony; while her
brother was mounted on an imaginary pal
pit, represented by the bureau, and in my
dressing-gown and spectacles, was reading
hymn in tone. worthy of an auctioneer
aPlayipg meeting" briefly explained the ju-
venile orator, as | appeared, "let US sing,
Come on my pardners ia distress I'm
Deacon Jenkins and he nodded 20 me to
take seat and " not disturb the meeting >
then going on to initiate the dragl and
twang of the deacon, in style which was
perfectly excruciating, and compelled me
70 laugh in spite of myself
However, found il necessary to break
up their meeting in a very summary man
ner. The room was in condition of un-
heard-of disorder, and an investigation re-
vealed my King Charles under On ottoman;
and my cat shut up in a drawer, with a nap
kin tied over her head. At this discovery
was perfectly wild, and l assure you that
had it been possible to serve both those chill
dren measure for measure, by tying up
their heads in napkins. and shutting them
into separate closets, | should have done it.
Indeed was just upon the point of some
such transaction, when thought of my re-
cent embarrassing failure in eorporesl pun /
ishment, and desisted. just dismi.sing them
with a severe lecture. Having exactrd /
promises of future good behavior, ] sug-
gested to them the proprieiy of visiting 1
tbeir COUSINS next door. They went off in 1
high glee, especially when | gave them
permission to remain an indefinite period.