The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1874-10-30

How sammy Rocked the Cradle.
Marty regarded Sammy as one of her
chief mercies, but his life was not IN
clouded radiance to himself If vibrated
between bliss and woe, and swung from
iustrous morn to murky night, or back
again, accordingly as that wad of a
black and tan baby walked or slept.
Baby asleep, Sammy was sovereign Of
the universe he could build cob houses
in the smoke-house, dabble IL the pond
with the duchs, hang owe the fence Of
the pig-pen balanced Oh his unsuscept-
ible stomach, worm ii and out of :he
delightful intricacies of the wood pile,
or roll il the chips with 4 squad Of
small idlers.
BABY awake, Sammy was a mule on a
treadmill. He was not allowed to hold
it, for owing to its being such an unde-
fined lump, without any particular pro-
iections to seize upon, he had twice let
it slip through his arms upon the floor /;
so it was deposited in the huge wooden
cradle near Martyrs tubs or ironing ia
BILE, and he was set to rock it.
Sammy always began with cheerful
vigor, resolved to compel slumber to
its V !; he stood up to work like a
man, taking hold of the cradle-top with
both hands, and rocking vehemently.
Sammy approved of short methods
with babies. After half an hour or so
of this exercise, baby's eyes growing
constantly bigger and brighter, he grew
less sanguine, ana made preparations
for a longer siege. he brought a wood
en- block to the side of the cradle and
satdown to the business, not cheerful, but
resolute f.; pushing the cradle with one
hand, and holding in the other a piece
OF bread or a cold potato, out of which
he took small, slow, consolatory bites.
But the smallest, most infrequent
nibbles will finally consume the very
largest potato, and this source of com
fort exhausted, and another half hour
having dragged away, and baby's eyes
still staring with superhuman vivacity,
Sammy wheeled about with his side to
the cradle, leaned against the leg of the
ironing table III deep depression OF
spirits, seeking to beguile the weary
time by counting the dishes on the
dresser or the flies on the ceiling while
at intervals Of q few seconds he be-
slowed such wrathful, sidewise
thwacks with mis- knee on the cradle,
as made the whole huge structure
tremble, and its gelatinous occupant
culver.
But in tie last stages of TIE conflict,
Sammy left all hope behind, and be-
came an image of the profoundest de-
lection. Turning his back on the cradle
IN disgust too deep for words, he would
lean his elbows on the table and his
head in his hands with his bare foot,
~ iSuSAAAS4y hiShcu up luC ioOhO bS-
hind him, while II jig tune after an
other came gurgling melodiously out of
his melancholy mouth to the expressive
words of "Diddledy, diddledy, diddle-
-dy, didy," and the big tears rolled down
unchecked. Sammy was too far gone
to wipe them away.
Meantime the complacent baby gazed
wisely at its rocking dome, the flies
buzzed, the clock licked, the tears fell,
the jig tunes went endlessly on, till
oammy's head dropped, and the Did
'diedy didy" grew faint, and fainter, and
failed, and the poor little drudge was
on the very verge OF blessed oblivion,
when all imperious wall from the baby
recalled him to life and labor once
more.
Come now, Sammy" Marty would