The Oxford intelligencer., 1860-08-29

ing rise to words in the family.
The voice of Nature, however, cries aloud
in behalf of Augustus George, my infant son.
1t is for him that / wish TO utter few plain
tive household words. am not at all angry
am mild-but miserable.
/ wish to know why, when my child, Au'
gustus George, was expected in our circle, q
provision of pins was made, as if the little
stranger were a criminal who was to be put
to the torture Immediately on his arrival, in
stead Of a holy babe wish to know why haste
was made to stick those pins all over his in
nocent form in every directioni Iwish to be
informed why light and air are excluded from
Augustus George like poisonsi Why, ask,
is my unofending infant so hedgcd into a
basket-bedstead, with dimity and calico, with
miniature sheets and blankets, that ! can on
ly near him shuttle land no wonderD deep
down under the pink hood Of a little bathing
machine, and can never peruse even so much
of his lineaments as his nose
Was expected to be the father of French
Roll, that the brushes of All Nations were
laid in, to rasp Augustus George Am | to be
told that his sensitive skin was ever intended
by nature to have rashes brought out upon
it, by the premature and incessant use of those
formidable instruments?
Is my son Nutmeg, that he is to be gra-
ted ON the stiff edges of sharp frills Z Am /
the parent of Muslin boyl that his yielding
surface is to be crimped ands mall plaidted9 7
Or is my child composed of Paper or of Lin
en-, that impressions of the finger getting-up
art, practiced by the laundress, are to be print
ed of, all over his soft arms and legs, as /
constantly observe theml The starch enters
his soul; who can wonder that he cries
Was Augustus George intended to have
limbs, or to be born Torsol | presume that
limbs were the intention, as they are the us
ual practice. Then, why are my poor childs
limbs fettered aud tied up! Am to be told
that there is any analogy between Augustus
George Meek and Jack Sheppardl
Analyse Castor Oil at any Institution of
Chemistry that may be agreed upon, and in
form me what resemblance, in taste, it bears
to that natural provision which it is at once
the pride and duty of Maria Jane, to admin
lister to Augustus George! Yet charge Mrs.
Prodgit (aided and allotted by Mrs. Bigby)
with systematically forcing Castor Oil on my
innocent son, from the first hour Of his birth.
When that medicine, in its efficient action,
causes internal disturbance to Augustus
George, charge Mrs. Prodgit (aided and
abetted by Mrs. Bigby) with insanely and
inconsistently administering opium to allay
the storm she has raised What is the mean
ing Of this
If the days of Egyptian Mummies are past,
how dare Mrs. Prodgit require, for the use
Of my son, an amount Of flannel and linen
that would carpet my humble roof? mol
This morning, within an hour, beheld this
agonizing sight. bcheld my son-Augus-
tus George-in Mrs. Prodgit's hands, and on
Mrs. Prodgit's knee being dressed. He was
at the moment, comparatively speaking, in
state of nature; having nothing on, bat an
extremely short skirt, remarkably dispropor-
tionate to the length of his usual outer gar
ments. Trailing from Mrs. Prodgits lap, on
the floor, was q long narrow roller Of band
age-l should say of several yards in extent.
In this, SAW Mrs. Prodgit tightly roll the
body of my unofending infant, turning him
over and over, now presenting his unconscious
face upwards, now the back of his bald head,
until the unnatural feat was accomplished,
and the bandage secured by pin, which /
have every reason to believe entered the body
Of my child. In this tourniquet, he passed
the present phase of his existence. Can l
know it, and smiel
fear have been betrayed into express
ing myself warmly, but feel deeply. Not
for myself; for Augustus George. dare not
interfere. viii any onel Will any publica-
lion Any doctorl Any parent Any body
do not complain that Mrs. Prodgit (aided
and abetted by Mrs. Bigby) entirely alienates
Maria James affections from me, and interpo-
'es an impossible barrier between us. do
lot complain of being made of no account.
do not want to be of any account But
Augustus George is a production of Nature
I cannot think othcrwisc), aud claim that
nc should be treated with some remote ref
erencc to Nature. Inmy opinion, Mrs. Prod
git is, from first to last, convention and
superstition. Arc all the faculty afraid of
Mrs. PrOdgitl If not, why don't they take
ler in hand and reform herr
T. S. Maria James Mama boasts of her
'wn knowledge of the subject, and says she
brought up seven children besides Maria Jane.
But how do I know that she might have
,rought them up much betterl Maria Jane
lerself IS far from being strong, and is sub
ect to headaches, and nervous indigestion. |
Besides which, learn from the statistical Ia
lies that one child in five dies within the
srst .-aar of ;4s l;fa. onJ ono aI,;lI 80 tbroo