The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1861-01-03
per SANDUSKY, OHIO, THURSDAY, JANUARY 3. 1861

very thirsty child, and everything that
was put to my speechless lips increased
ny thirst. Ny mothers milk was sweet.
the panada given me was sweet, and if
now and then I was blessed with
draught of goat or cows milk. it was
warmed and sweetened 6rst, to make it
as much like my mothers as possible. l
used to cry. No other way do we poor
babies have Of expressing our feelings.
and the chances are ten to one that wa
will be misunderstood. To stop my cry
ing. l was put to the breast; this. at such
times. I would Indignantly refuse. Then
there would be commotion. ''Nurse."
my mother would say, "what shall we do
with him?' The nurse was a stout,
hearty old woman, who always made a
practice of tasting whatever was provi
ded for her charge. Her sovereign rem
edy was liquor. was taken, and
spoonful administered at time. At first
rebelled-I strangled kicked and
coughed. The firm hand held the spoon
to my little tongue. and down went lis
contents in spite of me. Little by little
the dose was increased. | soon liked it.
In my thirsty moments I cried for it.
1t was given me readily, for after few
moments of wild glee, fell into drum.
ken stupor, which gave my attendants
many opportunities Of enjoying themsel
yes, as my sleep wassure to be long and
sound.
cat length mania a potu assaiied me.
During my whole life no one had ever
thought Of giving me single spoonful
of the water had craved-the cooling,
cheering. refreshing drop Of water!---
Now, no longer cared for it. In my
widest frenzies l was accused OF having
the collie; down, as usual went the fiery
drink, until finally was literally burnt
out. l was nothing but cinder within.
shell without. My stor ach was cook
ed to crisp. my intestines were shrivel-
led-my lungs. no longer filed with
pure air. belched forth only the fiery
fumes that had consumed me. I died.
was good for nothing. hope whatever
form my dust is destined to take on earth,
it will not be watered, as when 1 inhabi;
ted it, with alcohol"
GAS this speaker ceased, there arose a
wall of sympathy, such as had first at
tracted me to the pandemoniac chamber;
as it subsided, another little figure had
taken the stand
"My legs" he said drought me out
of the world. My mother labored unde,
the strange delusion that her child was
born Highland laddie of American pa.
rents and In America. I was dressed,
or left undressed rather, in short plaid
stockings. reaching to the calf of my
leg, and an elegant kilt reaching just to
the knee. My limbs were moulded in
cherubic forms and when exposed in the
NURSERY were pretty. But the nursery
was too narrow field in which to dis
play my beauty. On bitter cold DAYS 1
was walked out over the icy streets. the
keen wind chapping my flesh and chill
ling my blood till my knees looked like
twin nutmeg graters painted purple. 1
used to look at my mothers long COM
Portable skirts and thick leggins drawn up
over her warm hose, and wondered il she
could survive fashion such as I wore if
adopted by herself. I became afflicted
with infammatory rheumatism, and un-
able to endure the pain, gave up the
ghost"
Il felt." said my grandmother, "that
this victim was a sacrifice to a fashion
started since my day. know that your
father was never dressed in such ride
ulous style when little boy, for with
my own hands Knit his warm wooden
stockings, and saw that his comfortable
trousers came we'll over the instep OF his
| little calfskin shoes.
The next speaker was a dream faced
little girl, who trembled as she rose and
said:
am an opium eater. My death war
rant was written on the label Of the first
bottle of Godfrey's Cordial brought into
my mothers house. A few drops at first
sufieed to hush my feeble cries. Then
Godfrey's Cordial would not do. A few
drops of pure laudanum was administer
ed. Soon could not 60 to sleep with
out it. Then my nurse would give me a
small opium pill in N y panada. Of course
l was but little trouble. l was a deep
sleeper; but my digestion became impair
ed; too much sleep weakened me, and !
knew no natural s!umber. NV ewes be.
came like those Of sleep walker, full
of dreams when wide awake. l lost nv
appetite; my head grew full of pain; my
baby heart was always aching. clos