Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1861-01-11
VOLC NE NIH.---NO. 81.

published, occurs the following striking
picture Of domestic felicity. which old bach
elors will read with interest:
If "lhc baby was asleep no one was al
lowed to speak except in Whisper Oh 3
pain Of instant ban. :.sh:ncnt, thcplano WAS
closed, the guitar WAS tatooed, boots were
in.erdictcd, aud the bell WAS muttied. 1t
Mr.. Vincent wished to en- Joy 4 quiet cigar
he must 80 OK: af Tic house les: the SMOKE
might hurt "ihc hahy,' and lest the street
door might disturb its s!umhcrs, he must
make his exit through the garden gate.
Tho doctor was hardly ever out Of the
f. houso, not because ",he baby was i'll,
but because she Was afraid it might be
taken with some dreadful. disease and
no doctor near. Ii coz; wa< to be placed
in the CRATE, either Mr.. Vincent WAS to put
it in lump Ly lump, with his fingers, or
, Thomas must come in On tiptoe, leaving
, his boots below, lest Tic noise should dis
turb ".he baby" AIR. inccnt must lie in
one position til! he Was full Of ashes from
the crown Of Ills head TO the sole Of his
! foot; he inust not turn ore: Tor fear Of wa
king "the baby" And yet surely lie mus.
! not take !, bed in another part of tho house,
lecause 'thc baby might be attacked with
the Group, or might cry 20 have some one
/ walk ny and down tie floor with it in their
[ arms, aud ,.lcn he would not be within call.
In short, when ",hc baby" slept, tho wlioto
house was vnd2r spell whose cnchant-
mcnt consisted il a profound silence and
unbrokcu stiffness, by laying all under its
influence. GA the other hand, when "thc
baby; WAS awake, tie household WAS
equally subject to tyrrany, which seemed
10 be the condition OF lis existence.
If MIR. }inccnt'a watch Chain attracted
: its attention The watch mnst come from
the pocket ard be delivered over at the i'm
miaent ri>l; and frequent smashing Of crys-
tails and face. Ii '',hc baby'' cried for the
poscelain vases Oh the mattel, or the little
Sevres card basket on the table, they were
Immediately on the floor Or on the crib be-
side it, and soon afterwards in u.any pieces.
fit wanted papa's papers, either they must
be forthwith given W, or both baby and
mother would concur i'll raising a domestic
storm. If any important paper or any
, thing Else was missed, when inquiry was
made for it, The chances were twenty TO one.
! That it had been given to ;,hc baby and
en- all such occasions, Mr.: I'inccnt's vexa
tion was treated with mcri:cd Indifference.
II, as c!lcn happened, after obtaining eve
rything within its mothers reach, and
breaking up everything lha. coull bc bro
ken, "tbe baby" still cried im,nodcrately
and annoyingIy, it was quite as much. as
Mr.. Nincents life was worth to express the
! least vexalion or impatience. LIE might
might be routed from sound sleep and
forced to get up ten times in night for
something for "lhe baby and yet a muir
mnr or patural wish expressed to,know tho
necessity for all these things was'tfeasoD to
the household sovereignty. The lawful
| master of: the premises had sunk like o
deposed monarch, to utter insigniGcance,
and became the lowest servant Of the
young usurper. tie mother was the
grand yisier Of the little sutana, and in her
name ruled vcrysone, herself included,
with an iron rod. There was no law but
the will and pleasure Of lhe despot, and no
appeal from her determinations. And this
was the woman, that Abram Glen had
loved