Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-19
A sEETCH BY MARK TWAIN.

A SEETCH by MARK TWAIN.
Well, to go back 10 where was before 1
6igressed To explain 10 yOu how that fright
full and incuraole disease, memOranous
mothers mad with terror, 1 called Mrs. Nc
Williams attention 10 little Penelope aud
said:
ssDarling. I wouldn't let that child be chew
Ing that pine stick, II / were you"
"Precious, where Is the harm in ito" said
she, but at the same time preparing TO take
away the stlck-fOr women cannot receive
even the most palpably iudicious suggestion
without arguing 1t; that is, married wo-
men,"
"Love, IL IS notorious that pine is the least
nutritious wood that a child can eat"
My wife'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 turpen-
tine In pine wood Is good for weak back aud
The kidneys"
All! / was under a INSTRUMENTATION. I
cid not know that the child's kidneys and
spine were affected, and that the family ply
sician had recommended"
Who said that the child's spine and Kid
Deys were afiected."
"My love. you iutimated It,"
-" The idea! never intimated anything OF
the kind.
"Why, my dear, 1t hasn't been two min
utes since YOl said"
Boiler what said. / don't care what
did say. There isn't any harm In The chilIs
chewing a hit Of pine stick, If she wants to,
and you know IL perfectly Well And she
"Say 10 more, my lear. now see the force
OF your reasoning, and / Will go AMI order
fWoOr th-ee cords Of the best pine wood to-
day. No child OF mine shall ever want while
30, please 20 along TO your Office, AMI let
me have some peace. a body can never
make the simplest remark but You must
take IL NJ anu 20 u arguing, AMI arguing,
and arguing TIL you don't know what you
are talking about, and you necer do"
Very well. ii shall be you say. But
there is & want of logic In VOtD last remark,
which"
However. she was gone with a flourish be-
fore could finish, and had taken the child
with her. Ti.8t night at dinner she confront
Cd me with a face as white as sheet.
go, Mortimer. there's another! Little
George ..cOn Is taken"
"McmhTaUOGS Group
"MemGTaaoIs Group"
els there any nope for him.
''None Ia The wide world. ., what is TO be-
come of US.'
BY and by cur nurse brought in oar Pencil
ope to say 80 d-night and Ofitr the custom
airy prayer at the mothers knee. In the
midst Of Now / lay me down TO sleep" she
gave slight cough. My wife fell back like
une stricken with death But the next mo-
ment she was MP and running away with the
activeness which terror inspires.
She comma uded that the child's crib be re-
moved from Tie nursery to our bedroom;
and she went along 10 see the order executed.
She took me with her OF course. We got
put mp il NY Wife's dTeSStng-TOOn for the
nurse. Bat row Mrs. McWIlliamS said we
were zoo Tar way nom lle other D6Dy, and
what If Zee were % have the symptoms N the
nigbt-aud ~ie blanched again, poor thing.
We then IcstoTed the cTiO aud the nurse 20
the nurserJ and put up bed for ourselves
IL room aHjolLlng.
Presently, however, Mrs. McWilliams said
suppose the baby should catch II from Pc
nelOpe? THIS thought struck "A new panic TO
her heart AMI the tribe OF US cOGli not get
lie crib out of the nursery again fast enough
10 satisfy my vile, though she assisted in her
own person and well nigh pulled the crib TO
pieces in her frantic hurry.
We moved down stairs, but there was no
place 10 stO,s the nurse, and Mrs. Nc Viii
jiamS sald the nurses experience would be
an inestimable help. So We returned, bag
and baggage, TO our own bed rooms once
more, aIC felt "a great gladness, like storm
Duneted blrUs that have found their nest
again.
Mrs. Mcwiniams sped to the nursery to
see how things were going on there. She
was back l. moment with new dread. She
said:
what can make the baby sleep sop
why, my darling, baby ARRAYS sleepslke
craven image"
Il know / know; but there's something
peculiar about Lis sleep now. He seems to-
he seems - breathe 50 regularly. U, this is
dreadful"
But, my dear, he always breathes regu-
larly."
.'0h, know 1t, but there's something
dreedful about II now. Ills nurse Is too
young and inexperienced. Maria shall stay
there with ter, and be on hand If anything
happens"
1uaI Is a eCCu lOeai cut VINO VIII help
You can help me all want wouldn't
allow any body To do anything but myself,
anyhOn, AT such time as this.'
said / would feel mean 70 lie abed and
sleep. and leave her 10 watch and toll over
our little patient all the weary night. But she
IecOnciled me To IL. So Old Maria departed
ard took up her ancient quarters in the nur-
stIy.
sob, why don't the doctor come? M0rti-
rneT, this room is too warm. This room is
certainly too warm. Turn of The register
/ shut it of, glancIng at the thermometer
st the same time, and wondering to myself
II 20 was too warm for sick child.
The cOachman arrived from down town,
now, with the news that our physician was
i'll and confined 10 his bed. Mrs. McWil-
5lams turned dead eye upon me, AMI said
IN adtad voice: There Is providence in IL. 1t
is foTeOrdalnCd. He never was sick before.
Never. We have not been living as we
ought to live. Mortimer, time ald time
again Rave told you so. Now you see the
result. Our child Will never get we'll Be
thankful If you can forgive yourself never
1 said, without intent To hurt, but with
needless choice of words, that cOIld not see
that We had been living such al abandoned
life.
"M1a'iaor' Do you want to bring the juIg
ment upon baby, tOO!'
Then she began TO cry, but suddenly ex-
Claimed
The Doctor must have sent medIcInes."
j said.
=
waiting for you TO give me chance
"Well, do give them TO me, Don't you
Know that every moment is precious now?
but what was The use In sending medicines,
when he k30srS That the disease Is incur4ble3''
said that while there was life there was
hope.
Hope! Mortimer, you know no more
what you are talking about than the child
unborn, IL you wOuld-As / live, the
directions say give one teaspOOnful once an
hoOr! once All hOuri-as IL We hal a whole
year before Us 20 save the child in! MOrti-
mer, please hurry. Give the poor perisning
mink a tablespoonful, aud try 10 be quick :"
Nhy, my dear, a tablespoonful might"
bDOn I drive me frantict There.
there, there, my precious, my own; it's nasty,
bltty stun, but IL s good for Nelly-good for
mothers precious darling; and II will MAKE
her well There, there, there, put the little
head on mammals breast aud go To sleep.
and pretty sOon-Oh, / know she can't live
I'LL morning! Mortimer, a tablespoonful
every half hour till--Oh, the child needs
belladonna, too; 1 know she does-and
aconite. Get them, Mortimer. Now do LET
me have my way. You know nothing about