Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-09-06

l imagined that perhaps l might outlas
her. Ono unlucky day, however, m
mother entered the room Unexpectedly.
smiled at her. had never done so bt
fore"
"The darling" cried my parent, "see,
knows me"
"Poor thing, father" said the nurse, "i
has wind on its stomach"
Forthwith she proceeded to trot it out
Every thump of her foot on the floor was
] know, nail In my coffin. felt coul
never smile again. My faithful nurs
continued her efforts, and | was trottet
out Of existence on the poor old woman
knee"
" AS the speaker ceased, one of tn,
older occupants of the room deserted me,
said grandmother "He at once made
room for me to enter, and begged me Il
remain awhile and hear the remarks.
consented and took a seat near the en-
trance"
"I," said a little fellow, rising from hi
seat, with his blue eyes all bloodshot, anC
hlg curls matted together, "died of de
llrium tremens At the age of six months
| was confirmed drunkard. had no
been very quiet baby, and every time
was uneasy little liquor was administer
ed to do me good. did not want wine
but water. l was naturally a very thirsty
child, and everything that was put be
| tween my speechless lips increased my
| thirst. My mothers milk was sweet, anC
the panada given me was sweet, and il
now and then 1 was blessed with 6
| draught of goat or cows milk, it was
warmed and sweetened nrst, to make il
as much like my mothers as possible.
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 misunderstood. To stop my cry
ing, | was put to the breast this, at such
times, | would Indignantly refuse. Then
there would be a commotion. Nurse
my mother would say, "what shall we dc
with him ?" The nurse was q stout
hearty old woman, who always made a
practice of tasting whatever was provided
for her charge. Her sovereign remedy
was liquor. l was taken, and q spoonful
administered at time. AT first 1 re-
belled-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. | soon liked it. 1t was given
me readily, for after few moments of
wild glee, l fell into a drunken stup6r,
which gave my attendants many oppor.
tunities of enjoying themselves, as my
sleep was sure to be long and sound.
" AT length mania-a-potu assaied me.
Diring my whole life no one had ever
thought of giving me a single spoonful of
water had craved-the cooling, cheering
refreshing drop of water Now, l NO
longer craved for it. In my widest
frenzies | was accused of having the
collie; down, as usual, went the fiery
drink, until finally l was literally burnt
out. | was nothing but cinder within,
a she'll without. My stomach was cooked
to crisp, my intestines were shriveled-
my lungs, no longer filled with pure air,
belched forth only the fiery fumes that
had consumed me. / died. | was good
for nothing. hope whatever form my
dust IS destined to take ON earth, it will
not be watered, as when inhabited it,
with alcohol" "
' AS this speaker ceased, there arose a
wall of sympathy, such as had first at
tracted me 70 the pandemoniao eIaarnbor,
as it subsidized, another little figure had
taken the stand:"
MY legs" he said, drought me out
of the world. My mother labored under
the strange delusion that her child was
born Highland laddie of American
parents in America. l 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 Ueauuy. Un DICer CO1d Jays I
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 blue used
to look at my mothers long, comfortable
skirts and thick leggings drawn up over
warm hose, and wondered if she could
survive fashion such as 1 wore if adopt
ed by herself | became afflicted with
hhammatory rheumatism, and, unable to
endure the pain, gave up the ghost"
" 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 a ridicu
lous style when boy, for with my own
hands knit his warm wooden stockings,
and saw that his comfortable little
trowsers came well over the instep OF his
little calfskin shoes"
The next speaker was o dream-faced
little girl, who trembled as she rose, and
said
81 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
sufflced to hush my feeble cries. Then
Godfrey's Cordial would not do. A few
drops of pure laudanum were administer
ed. Soon could not go TO sleep without
it. Then nurse would give me a small
opium pill in my panada. Of course /
was but little trouble. | was a deep
sleeper, but my digestion became impair
ed, too much sleep weakened me, and l
knew no natural slumber. My eyes be-
came like those of a sleep-walker, full of
lreams when wide awake. ! lost my APP
petite my head grew full of pain my
always aching. | closed
ny eyes forever one day on the home
where l felt could be little loved, where
my low walls were never permitted to APP
peal to those around me, but were hushed
1t once; where my blue eyes were scarce
y ever permitted to look around in the
world in which they had been opened
md where, instead of proper care and
'ood and exercise, the baleful pill and
'nervatlng sleep were all that were offered
ne. There are many parents who seem
~ lllluh CulluTtu must pass lutlr Cnllu-
lood out of the way, and only get in the
way when they have become, in spite of
al sorts of ill-treatment, useful or orna-
mental members of society"
"This child was still speaking" said
ny grandmother, ''when l rushed out. l
lad been a mother once, and could not
listen to these innoceuts in that fearful
waiting chamber, recapitulating the woes
hat had sent them there, any longer.
81 felt impelled TO visit the earth.
'ame In no light could | make myself
Visible to you until your tallow candle !
vas brought in.
'My dear, remember what have told |
you. Some of these days you may be
mother. BE more than careful of the sa-
,red charge of little children. Think of |
hem-care for them. Do not, to ease
your cares, sink them into unnatural
'lumbers, or give them over TO selfish
nurses. Upon you hangs their lives-in |
! great measure their happiness, both here
md hereafter, beg you will give"
Just at this moment the cock crew |