American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-09-14
SAMMY.

in boys. Therefore. when Nurse WithcI
: spoon placed in my arms bundle O
embroidery and flannel. and informed m
. that | was the father of Il fine son, rev
, erently received the carefully wrapped
atom of mortality. and inwardly con
, "A girl. But finding L wa
, alone, | tenderly clasped the tiny thin:
, to the place on my vest everything IN,
heart, and brought a bearded kiss to bea
on its raw little face. which discOmpose'
!, it into a sudden opening OF the eyes
blinking even in the shaded room. . pea
{ little noodlc!' l murmured. ''Welcom'
to this world of scratching for living
Kick thy tender feet now; grasp thu
empty air. and lie contentedly. waiting de
vel"pments. While | live. thou shalt
Cousin En-. came in. 8 Edward, de
clare. that baby is the very image of yot
l-just look at its nose! My! wont you
have to get up nights and walk the fioOl
with the lovely colicky burden, and stiff,
its vGciferations with pap!'
$ Emily, am surprised you imagine
should think anything n hardship for tn,
sake of the dear boy. Why, 1 would lay
down my life for him at any moment
"Ah! Wait till you see what capac
ity Re has for spOOn-victlals Wait till
he goes through series of teething
whOOping-cough, measles, and scarlatina
| Wait until you are sent out at midnigh,
for the dOctOr-yOur repOse broken in
upon by a succession of shricks, penetra-
| ting to your very narrow.
"Thank goodness. it is boy:'
| shouted. as she retreated. s. But''-sotd
roce-''I do wish Nurse Witherspoon
would come and take it, for the sweet
imp had found his voice by this time, and
was screaming vigorously.
EN-. put her head into the doorway.
s. say, Edward what lovely lungs that
boy has! I'd apprentice him to an auc-
| t!Oneer."
Where's the nurse?'' l desperately
inquired. walking rapidly up and down.
and swinging the br-the sweet infant, |
should say-in my arms, in the way had
seen young mothers do.
| sob! she's busy. You are to be invi-
ted in, bearing your sheaf with you, di-
rectly. to see Nettie. But don't drop it,
and the vixen shut the door in my face.
| 1 suppose it was but two minutes. but
it seemed an hour, during which tried to
sOOthe that wretchedly parbOiled-looking
little animal. The amount of yell in its
tiny frame would have stocked an Apa-
che Indian; and when Nurse Wither-
spoon, from the next room. said. .sCome
in,'' it was like respite from the gallows.
Great beads OF perspiration stood on my
forehead, and I painted as though l had
| taken the most exhaustive gymrastic
exercises. If ever l bore package
carefully. l did that boy-though the
rascal writhed as if was pinching him,
and the nurse said, III taking him back
| "Allow me to relieve sonny from your
grasp"
''Pinching him black and blue, 1 VEN
ture to say" said En-.
Nettie, the darling, smiled sweet,
| wan smile-but. with grieved air. sa-
| luted me with: Edward-tO think OF
its being only boy, after all. l sup
but I i, I,
it had been a nice little girl. Boys
are such torments! You know, l have
six great brOthers-and now''-she
pOuted-''this seems like one OF them,
continued
"Yes, DEAR 1 replied, tenderiy; & your
brothers were terribly mischievous but
then, I shall manage this child, and you
will see the difference"
Nettie said YES but En-. fairly shout
ed: ''Oh, dear! Do somebody bring
me some colOgne-the new honor over
comes us!''
At that moment hated En-; but. on
ref1ection-she could not understand the
feelings of a father, and therefore l eX-
| cused her.
Nurse Witherspoon was unexpectedly
called away, at the end of three weeks,
leaving Nettie too feeble still to take
charge of the boy. and we were obliged
to supply her place with such temporary
help as we could find. The era of Mrs
Magoram was the most eXasperating eX-
perience of my domestic life, yet so
blended with the ridiculous that even
now, when time has mellowed the i'm
pressions of those days into remins-
| cences, her regime is an unfailing source
of amusement, both to Nettie and myself.
She was careful of my wife, after fash
ion ; but | really thought she would have
dislOcated the baby's spine with eXcur-
sions to Banbury Boss. so continuous and
| rapid as almost to take away his breath.
And her shrill lullabys always struck
terror into his young soul, for he dis
| tanced her in frantic screams-which We're
attributed to collie; and the tortured ba-
by was the victim OF spear-mint and cat
nip, soOt-tea, and heaven only knows what,
to cure this. Then, us he was left hoarse
after the eXertion, she would brighten
Nettie with saying ''she never knowed
Group to fail setting in after them Wheel
es - and administer squills or soothing
strip, never emitting plaster of Scotch
snuff and onions, whose stencil would re-
act on the poor baby and make him really
ill.
''Tm feared you won't never raise
that young One,'' she would observe,
threateningly; he's wantin' the tender
est care and coddlin', and ought to be
nussed by a monthly, day and night, for Il
long SPELL
En-. came down. one morning, with
serious alarm on her face: Il tell you,
Edward, if that old hag is to stay here
much longer, the boy won't live. JHst
look here - and she spread on the table
various small parcels, labeled. respective
ly: Spearmint, catnip. SCOT, Peruvian
bark, alum, holrhound, anise. sa@O,
ground rice, tapiOca, whiskey, sGuil!s,
soothing syrup, Railways Ready Relief,
pain-killer. Now, you need not tell me
that a healthy child needs an apothecary's
stOck-in-trade emptied into his stomach.
Nettie is worried, hearing him scream;
and the poor little soul is rs uncomforti-
BILE as he can be. just discharge old Ma
goram. and Ncttie and l can manage him
well enough
1t was late i'm the afternoon when came
home. after the trials of that morning
for Magoram threatened us with awful
predictions Of coming trouble, after being
informed she was no longer needed. But
Il delightful surprise awaited me. Ncttie
sat in the large armchair, in our coy
ning-room-baby fast asleep in his
dainty crib-table sct-and Cousin En-.
playing triumphant medley on til:
piano; while the bright Woo l-firc sparkled
on the hearth. sending rudtiy and cheer
ing warmth through the room. 1t WAS
the most serene and peaceful Of home
great sense of comfort and love.
Now, sir, that boy is just splendid
hasn't had a mouthful of anything but
mothers milk to-day-crows and laughs.
wakes and sleeps, when he ought to-"
said En-.
Ncttie chmed in: 20, Edward we
have been such fools 10 think he WIS deli
cate' En-. SAYS it's nothing but that hor-
rid SCOT scrapcd from the chimney and
L..