Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-08-15
Something Mother Will Appreciate

Saratoga Saratogian.]
When our children came down
with the whooping-cough the other
day wife and l did not mind it much
at first. But l am satisfied now
that the whoopiug-cough is no joke.
Wife asked Mrs. Higgison, dear
old disciple OF catnip tea and bone
set, what was good for whooping-
cough?
"Children got it?" she inquired
"Terribly," replied Mrs. L.
"Dear little hearts," calculated
the kind lady. "They couldn't have
it in better time. Jes let 'em have
little lickrish to eat, and they'll
get over 1t lovely"
This -mado wife and me glad.
Three weeks of the best time to have
whooping-cough in have gone by
and our little ones are still wrest-
ling with the disease. We comfort
ourselves with the belief that the
"good time" can't last much longer,
and that little Johnny, who has got
it the worst, Is certainly going to
"get over it lovely" For a fort
night wife and l have not slept a
wink. 1t is not q trifling task to
take good care of seven children
when they arc all afflicted simulta-
neously with the whooping- cough.
They will kick the clothes off. The
thought has come over me with sing
ular force frequently, during the
last fortnight, as have stumbled
around to the various cribs in the
night time with a bottle of ipecac
in one hand and glass of Ice water
in the other, that in the language
of the poet, "this worlds wilder
ness" a vale of tears, as it were.
My shins are beautifully variegated
in blue, purple, and yellow tints, ac-
cording to the date of the cruise.
I notice that jams on the shins fol-
low regular law. When you first
fall over a chair the place looks red
and irritatcd; then it changes to n
dark azure; by Wednesday a little
purple begins to be mixed in around
the edges; and finally it assumes a
saffron tingc. l watched the devel-
opment Of this law with much in
terest till the bruises got too much
confused to date them accurately.
My east shin now bears striking
resemblance to an old map Of the
United States with the Chicago fire,
"showing the burnt district" just
below the knee, and the Boston fire
little lower down. The most dis
couraging thing, though, about a
tour through the whooping-cough-
that is, when it's "good time to
have it's the joy with which all
your friends seem to be inspired
when you tell them, with a haggard
look, that all your children are dowr
with it. Mine is heart that natur
ally Graves sympathy. l yearn fol
it. But not since my wedding day
eight years ago, have l been con
graduated SO much as | have since
my seven children took the whoop
ing-cough. Every time I go home
l tell Samantha Of some good friend
whom l have met, and who says
"there never was a better time tc
have the whooping-cough." Saman
tina sheds sickly smile, strangles q
little, and tries to look encouraged
Just about this time Johnnie ex
plodes, grabs his little waistband
all the rest set up a whoop, and fol
4 moment my usually quiet home
reminds one of 4 Modoc stronghold
Then grandmother, "Aunt Jane,'
wife, and l, 60 back 10 the table
again and talk it over, and wife says
Goodness knows, I'm glad the lit
tie dears didn't catch it any other
season." And SO struggle on from
day to day, the constant recipient
Of hearty congratulations that my
children are so fortunate as to have
the whooping-cough at this season
Of the year. Sometimes l think to
myself that few people are blessed
with so many dear children and SO
much seasonable whooping-cough
And yet am convinced that if the
number of children in my family
had been less the whooping-cougl
might have got the best of us, even
in this dear, delightful opportune
whooping-cough.