The Worthington advance., 1876-06-08
Mr.. Perkins Baby.

They have had 4 very dreadful time
over at Perkins with Mrs. Perkins
baby. 1t seems that the child was
very restless and troublesome at night,
and they couldn't manage to make it
sleep, even by dosing it with paregoric
and other narcotics. Perkins at last
got perfectly desperate. He remem-
bered reading somewhere an account
of the powers OF mesmerizing persons.
and it occurred to him that maybe he
might mesmerize the baby, and keep it
quiet at night in that manner. He
hadn't any great hopes of success, but
one night, while Mrs. Perkins had gone
down stairs to get some sugar to put
in the paregOrlc, Perkins rubbed the
child s eyebrows and made some passes
with his hands, and, to his gratitica.
tion, the baby suddenly went to sleep.
When they awoke in the morning
the child was still slumbering, and
Mrs. Perkins said she guessed it must
have gotten tooth through, which
made it feel easier. Perkins said he
thought maybe it had.
After breakfast he went upstairs to
see if it was awake yet, but it wasn't !;
and so, after giving it two or three
rough shakes without rousing it, he
went down to get his hat to 60 to the
office. Mrs. Perkins called after him !:
''Don't slam the front door and wake
the baby"
And then Perkins did slam it fear
fully, and he went away with gloom in
his heart and horrible apprehension
that that baby would never wake up.
'What in the thunder'd we do if it
should stay asleep and live to be fifty
or sixty years old and not get awake
once e. said Perkins to himself,
The thought was maddening. 1t
haunted him for two or three hours,
and then he could stand it no longer.
He determined to go back to the house
to ascertain if the baby had come to
consciousness. When he got there
Mrs. Perkins said:
''Isn't it queer how the baby stays
asleep? He is not awake yet. Ner-
vous exhaustion, I suppose, poor little
DEAR
Perkins felt awfully, and he went up
and logged a pin into the baby's leg
| quietly, so that his wife couldn't sec
him. Still it lay there fast asleep,
and he went back to his office uncer-
tain whether to fly OF to 60 home and
confess. In a couple of hours Mrs.
Perkins came down to see him. She
was scared and breathless.
''Mr. Perkins the baby is actually
asleep yet, and l can't rouse him
I've shaken him, and called to him,
and he don't stir. What can be the
matter with him? I'm afraid some.
thing awful has happened to him g.
''Maybe he's sleeping up a lot ahead,
SOS to stay awake at nights some
more," said Perkins, with a feeble
smile at his attempt at joking.
s'Mr. Perkins, you ought to be
ashamed of yourself to tritie with
such matter. I believe the poor
child's geing to die, and want you to
go straight for the doctor.''
Perkins put on his hat and started,
and in half an hour he reached the
house in company with DR.. Gills. The
doctor examined the child carefully,
and said that it was avery queer case,
but that in his opinion it must be un.
der the influence of opium.
"Did you give itany last night when
was asleep, Mr.. Perkins 2 asked
Mrs. Perkins, suspiciously and fearful
ly.
"No; I'll take my solemn oath did
not, " replied Perkins.
''It's extraordinary" said DR.. Gills
II think I will go in and call DR.. Brown
and consult with him about it,
Then Mrs. Perkins began to sob, and
Mr.. Perkins felt that he was almost :
murderer. He followed the doctor
down stairs and when they reached
the hall he said:
! ''Doctor, if tell you something, yo,
won't give me away on it!''
i emo"
;. "Well, Doctor, I mesmerized tha
baby.,,'
! 'You did!" exclaimed the doctor il
astonishment. s'Why dom you rous
!: it up again!''
b 81 don't know how; that's the mis-
- chief of it. Can't you find me a pre-