Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-11-17
THIS INVALID WIFE.

livery vic uB6lS a SDuu StOSA VI
love to begin with"
Don't she2 You are upon a sick bed
a little, feeble thing lies on your arm,
that you might crush with n hand.
You take those little velvet fingers in
yours, close eyes and turn your head
languidly to the pillow. Little brothers
ana sistens-Carry and Henry, and
Fanny, and Frank, and Willie, and
Harry, and Kitty-half a scOre-came
tiptOeing into the room, ITO see the new
baby tits quite an old story TO nurse, y
who sits ike an autOmaton, while they
give vent TO the enthusiastic admiratio
of its wee toes and fingers, and MAX
profound inquiries, which nobody thinks
best TO hear. You look on with a Ian
guild smile, and they pass out, asking,
'1why they cantstay with dear mamma,
and why they mustn't play puss in the
corner . as usual. You wonder if your
little croupy boy tied his tippet on when
he went to school, and whether Betty
will see that your husbands flannel is
aired, and if Peggy has cleaned the sill
yer, and washed of the front dOoT-steps,
and what your blessed husband is about,
that he don't come home TO dinner.
There sits old nurse, keeping up that
dreadful tread-mill trOtting "to quiet
bal % till you could fly through the
key hole IN desperation. The odor of
dinner begins to creep up stairs. You
wonder if your husbands pudding viii
be made right, and if Hetty will remem-
Der TO put wine in the sauce, as he likes
IL; and then the Precipitation starts on
your forehead as you hear a humping
on the stairs, and a child's suppressed
scream; and nurse snatches the baby up
in a flannel TO the tip of its nose, dumps
it down Oh the easy chair and tells you
TO leave the family to her and go to
sleep. BV-and-by she comes in-afteT
staying long enough 70 get a refreshing
cup of coffee, and walks up to the bed
side with a bowl of Cruel, tasting 1t, and
then putting the spoon into the bowl. In
the first place you hate Cruel; in the
next, YOU couldn't eat il ifshe had a pis-
tOl at your head, after that spoon had
been in her mouth; SO you meekly sug-
gested that it be set on the table to cool
hoping, by some prOvidential inter-
position, il may get tipped over. Well,
she moves round your room with q pair
of cleaking shoes, and a bran new ging-
ham gown, that rattles like a paper win
doW-curtaiu at every step; and smOoths
her hair with your nice little brush, and
opens a drawer by mistake %, "think-
ing &c WIS the baby's drawer" You
hear little nails scratching on the door,
and Charley whispers through the key
hole, Mamma, Charley's tired; please
let Charley come in"
Nurse scowls, and says no; but you
intercede-poor Charley, he's only a
baby himself. Well, he leans his head
against the pillow, and looks suspicious
Nv at that little moving bundleOf flannel
i'm nurseis lap. It's clear he had a hard
time OF il, with tears and mOlassesi The
little shining curls that you have 80
often rolled over your finger, are a tang
led mass: and YOU long to take him and
make him comfortable, and cOsset him
a little, and then baby cries again and
YOU turn your head to 'he pillow with a
smothered sigh. Nurse hears it, and
Charley is taken struggling from the
You take your watch from under
your pillow to see if husband won't be
home soon, and then look at nurse who
takes a pinch OF snuff over your Cruel,
and sits down nOdding drOwsily, with
The baby in an alarming proximity to
the fire. Now, you hear a dear step on
the stairs. It's your Charley-hOw
bright ne looks; and what nice fresh air
he brings with him out of doors.
He parts the bed curtains and looks
in, and pats youOn the cheek. You Just
want to lay your head on his shoulder,
and have such a splendid ery-but there
sits that old Ge0rgOn Of a nurse-she
don't believe in husbands, she don't.
You make Charley Il Free Mason sign
to send her down stairs for something.
He says-right out l0ud-men are stupid
-"What did you say, dear? OF course
YOU protest you did not say aword-nev-
er thought Of such a thing! and cuddle
your head down to your muffied
and cry because you are weak
aud weary, and full Of care for your fam
lily, and don't wsnt TO see anybody but
Charley! Nurse says, he win have
you sick, and tells your husband, he had
better go down and let you 60 to sleep.
or he goes, wondering what on earth
ails You to cryl wishing he had nothing
to do but lie still and be waited upon.
After dinner he came TO bid you good
bye before he goes 10 his office-whistles
Nelly Bly,, loud enough to wake up the
baby, whom he calls a cOmical little
concern, and then puts bis dear, thought
less head down 10 the pillow, at a signal
from you to hear what you have to say.
~ ell Ilctt7 ~ HtAR AO4 ~ w Sil L
again, and only say, Dear Charley! and
be laughs and settles his dickey, and
you ar a nervous little puss, gives
you a kiss; lights his cigar at the fire,
half strangles the new baby with the
aHt Whit, and takes yOar heart of with
him down the street.
And you lie there and eat that gruell
ind nick the fuz Off the blankets, and
faaea at ~ nurse. uD0pr the sheet
and wish Eve had never ate the apple
Genesis iii. 16-or that you were Able
Cain Der for doing it.