The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1876-04-27
MARK TWAIN.
He Tells of 81 Case. Of Group in
the McWilliams Family.

wen, 10 60 Oack 10 Wnere 1 was Dc-
fore I digressed to explain TO you how
that frightful and incurable disease,
membranous Group, was ravaging the
town and driving all mothers mad
with terror, l called Mrs. McWilliam' s
attention to little Penlope. and said !:
Darling, l wouldn't let that child be
chewing that pine stick, IF l were you"
'Precious where is the harm i'm it p
said she, but at the some time prepar-
ing to take away the stick-for women
cannot receive even the most palpably
judicious suggestion without arguing
it; that is, married women.
"Love, it is notorious that pine is the
least nutritious wood that a child can
eat"
My wifc's hand paused in the act of
taking the stick, and returned itself to
her lap she bridled perceptibly, and
said: "Hubby, you know better than
that. You know you do. Doctors all
say that turpentine in pine wood is
good for weak backs and the Kidneys
"Ah! I was under a misapprehen-
sion. did not know that the child's
kidneys and spine were affected, and
that the family physician had recon-
mended"-
"Who said that the child's spine and
kidneys were affected ?"
"My love, you intimated il"
"The idea never intimatcd any,
thing of the kind"
"Why, my dear it hasn't been two
minutes since you said"-
"Bother what said! l don't care
what | say. There isn't any harm in
a child's chewing bit of pine stick if
she wants to, and you know it perfect
ly well. And she shall chew it, tool
Sc there, nOw!"
':Say no more, my dear. Inow see
the force of your reasoning, and l will
go and order two or three cords of the
best pine wood to day. No child Of
mine shall want while r.
"a s"Oh, please go along to your Office,
and let me have some peace. A body
can never make the simplest remark
but you must take it up and go to ar
guing. and arguing, till you don't
know what you are talking about, and
you never do"
every well, it shall be as you say.
But there is want of logic in your last
remark which,
However, she was gone with a flour
ish before could finish, and had TAX
ell the child with her. That night, at
dinner, she confronted me with a face
as white as sheet.
sob, Mortimer, there's another! Lit
tie Georgia Gordon is taken ?"
'Membranous croup?"
"Membranous Group" ~
ais there any hope for him ?"
"None in the wide world. 0, what
is TO become of u.s."
BY and by enr nurse brought in our
Penelope to say good night and offer
the customary prayer at mothers knee.
In the midst of "Now lay me down
to Sleep" she gave slight cough. My
wife fell back like one stricken with
death. But next moment she was up
aud running away with the activeness
which terror inspires.
She commanded that the child's crib
l. 10
bedroom and she went along to see
the order executed. She took me with
her, of course. We got matters ar
ranged with speed. A cot-bed was
put up in my wife's dressing-roorn for
the nurse. But now Mis-. McWilliams
said we were too far away from other
baby, and what if he were to have the
in the night ?-and she
again, poor thing.
We then restored the crib and the
nurse 10 the nursery, and put up bed
for ourselves in room adjoining.
Presently, however, Mrs. McWil-
liams said: "Suppose the badly should
catch 1t from Penelope" ?" The thought
struck panic to my heart, and the
tribe of us could not get the crib out
of the nursery fast enough to satisfy
my wife, though she assisted in her
own person, and wellnigh pulled the
crib to pieces in her frantic hurry.
We moved down stairs, but there
was no place to stow the nurse, and
Mrs. Nc Williams said the nurses ex-