The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-03-29

"A LITTLE pale, grandm0ther," l SAID, "but
tell me, dear madam, if your pursuits in the
other world are of such nature that they
admit of your returning to this at any timer"
By no means. am permitted to ap.
pear in this sphere but seldom. My inau-
ence can make felt oftener. have not
been seen before since my coffin lid was
closed. am come to tell you there arose
yell in Pandemonium. looked in to see
whence it came. I found the great cham
Der assigned to little children, and which is
always full of little ones of all sizes and
ages, the scene of great commotion. In
fants were crawling into corners, three year.
old toddlers were tottering out of the way.
Older ones were hastily finding seats, and all
faces wore listening expression. A small
voice was saying: aa'
"' 1t was no fault of mine that brought
me here. I, whom am now but five years
old, might have lived to be fifty. Nature,
unfortunately, gave me fine physical de-
velopment. My chest was round and full,
my skin clear, my limbs finely moulded.
My birthplace was in cold climate. My
tender mother, proud OF her offspring, barred
my neck and arms in the chill winters,
when her rosebushes and vines were packed
in warm straw and thoroughly protected
from every blast. l was brought down
to be viewed by company, and exposed to
different temperatures as went from room
to room. My mother, wrapped in soft vel
vet and comfortable silks, did not suffer. I
did, but could not tell her so. I took
cold. / became a great trouble in the house.
My beauty faded. l fingered on from
month to month, and died at last, at five
years old, of consumption. My mother
cried over my little coffin. 1 knew, but l
could not tell her then, that her own vanity
bad placed me there-would send me here
"I was trotted to DEATH cried more
piping voice, as the first speaker sat down.
A woman was hired expressly to take care
of me, and she took care that should not
want for exercise. Her days and nights
were spent in keeping me going up, up,
upy,' and down, down, downy.' That un-
known wonder perpetual motion, was to be
found in my nurses knees. Every bone in
my poor little body was racked, every ounce
OF flesh was sore. My food went down milk
and came up cheese. If I cried, was trot-
ted; if l screamed, I was trotted; if / was
still, l was trotted-I became little better
than human churn, from which the butter
had been taken and the sour milk had been
left standing. My brains turned to bruises,
my blood to whey, my bones grew so sharp
they almost pierced the knees which trotted
them. AS began to cut teeth, my tongue
was constantly jolted between my jaws, and
in danger of being bitten off. dared not
whine, tor l knew the penalty; 1 began at
last to calculate how long the torture could
positively continue. Warm weather was
coming on, and thought one or the other
of US must soon give up the ghost; and as
my nurses exertions were almost superhu-
man, imagined that perhaps l might
outlive her. One unlucky day, however,
my mother entered the room Unexpectedly.
[ smiled at her. | had never done so be.
fore.
"The darling" cried my parent, ''see, it
knows me.'
"Poor thing, rather" said the nurse, cit
has wind on its stomach ]"
Forthwith she proceeded to trot it out.
Every thump of her foot on the floor was, 1
knew, nail in my coffin. l felt l should
never smile again. My faithful nurse con-
tinued her efforts, and was trotted out of
existence upon the poor old woman's knees.
Gas the speaker ceased, one of the older
occupants of the room deserted me-" said
my grandmother. "He at once made room
for me to enter, and begged me to remain
awhile and hear the remarks. consented,
and took seat near the entrance"
ST." said little fellow, rising from his
blue eyes all blOodshOt, and his curls matted
together, "died of delirium tremenS. At the
age of six months l was confirmed drunk
ard. l had not very quiet body, and
every time was uneasy little liquor was
administered to do me good. l did not
want wine, but water. l was naturally a
very thirsty child, and everything that was
put between my speeches lips increased
my thirst. My mothers milk was sweet,
and if now and then l was blessed with a
draught of goats or cows milk, it was
warmed and sweetened first, to make it as
much like my mothers as possible. I used
to cry. No other way do we poor babies
have of expressing our feelings, and the
chances are ten to one that we will be mis-.
understood. To stop my crying, was put
to the breast; this, at such times, would
Indignantly refuse. "Nurse," my mother
would say, "what shall we do with him 2"
The nurse was stout, healthy old woman,
who always made practice Of tasting what.
ever was provided for her charge. Her
sovereign remedy was liquor. 1 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 its contents
in spite Of me. Little by little the dose
was increased. l soon liked it. In my
thirsty moments cried for it. 1t was
given me readily, for after few moments
of wild glee, l fell into drunken stupor
which gave my attendants many Opportu.