The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1860-03-28
From the Ohio Cultivator
Granny Jenkins has Notions Of Her
Own.

From the uhlo IultNatOT'
Granny Jenkins has Notions of He
,i own.
"And so poor Letta Haven's lost her baby
has she?' said Mary Irving to Granny jenkins
as the old lady called in to rest a minute on he
way to the post Office at the Dell.
ayes, poor little lambp' said Granny, sort o
spitefully. Mary looked up in surprise, anC
the old lady's eyes were swapping as angrily al
though she had been telling'th old story o
"them tarnal town boys robbin' her melor
patch"
"Poor Letta do feel so sorry for her,' said
Mrs. Irving, gently, as she smoOthed the sunny
hair of her cherub nesting.
81 don't pity her one bit," said Granny; 81
was expecting to hear of its death every Gay.
That cold, raw November time that Letta first
came home to her father's, to show the new
found jewel of baby-you remember that
cold spell. WE'LL she had on her summery
travelling gear, and her little ianciful hat was
away behind her cars, and she looked so blue
and cold, and was all a shver. The baby was
fixed up in tawdry laces and embroidery; not a
mite of flannel about it, only little square
shawl, and it was folded so as to show the elab-
crate braid and needle work to the best advan-
tage More for show than comfort I've known
Letta ever since she was knee high and / hur-
ried over the next day to see her.
"The baby was almost exhausted with cry
ing when went in, and the foolish young mo-
ther was crying too, and dosing it with hot
teas She had on low necked, short slee-
we'd dress, two snow white cambria handker
chiefs, over patent one, and gaudily trimmed
sacque to cover her neck and arms. / busted
right out mad, and told her plainly her poor
body hadn't clothing enough upon it to keep
the baby's dinners warm, let alone making her.
self comfortable and healthy. She tossed her
head as proudly as Mr.. Lconard's anteduvian
mare does hers of a Sunday, and says she,
Granny, it's The fashion to dress this way in
Pmpleton, and no one who is respectable would
be seen with quilted or flannel shirts on, or
those detcstable high necked dresscs-they
make one have such countryfed, queer lookn
"I,didn't say another word on that subject.
"Eor five months before the baby was born
so cousin Prudy Blunt told me, and she lives
just cross lots-she put in her whole time en-
broidering wee dresses, and petticoats, and
shirts and shawls and night gowns, sometimes
working until eleven o'clock at night Now
see the consequences. She has a continual hol-
Ter, hacking cough, with pain in her side and
breast, her eyes are as pinky and afraid Of the
sunshine as any old toper's, her thin shoulders
are STOPPING, and she has weary fret(ul, anX,
ious look, as though hard years Of toll and pri-
vaton had fallen like crushing weight upon
her.
Il tell you, Mary Irving the sooner such
fools run their course, the better off the world
will be. Great exercise, indeed, for young
wife to sitdoubled up five mortal months, strain
ing her eyes and her nerves over paltry bits Of
linen or lawn, when wide hem, or a bit Of tet-
ting, or thread lace, would do just as well, and
look ten times as sensible, besides giving her
time to go singing about her house, doing this
or that--reading, visiting, drawing, singing, RI
ding, swinging in the attic, bathing in the bed
with SOMEBODY'S happy children.
"Why, that day | called to see Letta, she
kept wiping her cold blue nose on handker
chief that she was nine weeks embroidering!--
Only think! Nine weeks of Gods golden time!
1t was wrought all over; and to those who ad
mrc such things, it would have been a wonder
full creation. They would have seen more to
call forth their amazement, than in surveying
this God created earth, that he called good.
1t was fairly stiff with vines, and punches Of
grapes, and roses, and leaves and feathers, and
boquets of beautiful things in the corners; but
I'd as lief wipe my humble nose on nutmeg
crater, or bristling burdock leaf, as be caught
putting such lfhuman thing to my my face!
I'd feel as it every stitch cost drop Of blood,
and was pulsing with the life it had sapped from
a young and foolish creeter like poor Letta.
II think it is bad enough for silly gills to go
haltdrest in the winter, voting down warm
flannel as not respectable, giving the preference
to cold, snow white summer muslins; but for a
delicate mother to follow the caprices Of fash
ion, and make herself little else than rcIriger-
ator, and yield her poor dainty baby stale ice
milk, goes agin natur, as cousin Brudy Blunt
says.
"No," said Granny Jenkins, rising and sha. .
king out the folds of her scant ninepence cali
co, till it reached the tops of her snug ca(Skin
shoes, III say it's no pity that the poor little
chilled frame that Letta aired her embroidery
upon, is gone to a warmer and tenderer bosom
than her'n, while she is left to console herself
by saying: The Lord giveth and the Lord ta-
keith away, and blessed be the name OF the
Lord"
And now must go to the post office and see
If my step son, Jack Byles has writ home from
the Peak yet
"Good day, Mary; and mind, child, you don't
let any such blamed nonsense get into your hu-
man little head, as has been the bane and the
blight of poor Letta Haven's mistaken life"
.Mr gas RosELLA
Hse rHfE ai ,------------azz> E s..t
NEURALGIA.