, 1876-02-13

The Experiences Of the McWill-
1amses with That Dread
Disease.
a Striking Ezempi6cation of tho Depth
Of Maternal Love.

o1 maternal Love.
! 4 Sketch BY MarE Ttoatn,
Well, to go back to where ! was before ]
digress ed to explain to you how that f1iehtfu1
and lncurable disease, membranous Group was
ravaging the town and driving all mothers msd
withterror, called Mrs. McWillians' attantiou
! to little Penelope and said:
Darling, wouldn't let that child be chewing
this: pine stlck, if I we're you"
Precious, where ia the harm in it ?" said
she, but at the same time preparing to take away
the stick-for women cannot receive even the
most palpably iudicious suggestion without
arguing it; that is, married women"
''Love, it IL notorious that pine is the least
| nutritious wood that child can eat"
lily wife's hand paused, In the act OF taking
| the stick, and returned itself to her LAP. She
br1dled potceptibiy. and said:
"Hubby, you know better th an chat. You
know you do. Doctors all sag that turpentine in
pine wood Is good for weak back and tho kid
neys:"
*'Ah! Was under ulaappreheuson. did
not know That the child's Kidneys and spine
were affected; and that the family physician had
recommended"
"W1o said that the child's spine and kid
neys were affected ?"
My love, you int,mated it,
"Tho ideal I mover intimated anything OF
the Aiud."
Why my my, dear; it HASN'T been two minutes
''Bothar what saidl don't c.re What did
any. There isn't any harm i'll It's chiId's chew
lug BIT OF pine stick It she wauts to, and you
know it perfectly we'll. And sue shat chew it,
too! So there. now!''
"Say no more. my dear. now see the force
Of your reasoning. aud will 90 and order TWO
or three cords Of the best pine wood to-day. No
child OF mine shall want while l."
80, please go along to your Office, and let me
have some peace A body can never make the
simplest remark but you muss take il Up and go
70 arguing, and arguing, and arguing till sou
don't know what you are talking about, aud you
nerer DO"
s.very we'll, It shall be as son say. But there
ia want Of logic in your last remark which"
However, she WAS gone with a flourish before
could finish, and had taken the child with her.
That night at dinner she confronted me- with
face ~ white as sheet.
80, Mo5timer there's anolhar! Little George
Gordon is takep."
Membranous oroupf'
"Membrauous Group"
is there any hope for him ~
None in the wide world. Q, what is to be-
oome Of us 2"
BY and By our curse brought in our Penelope
to say goodnight and offer the customary prayer
1t tho mothers knee. In the midst Of s'Now
lay me down to s1eep," she gave slight cough.
Ny wife fell back like one stricken with death.
But the next moment she was up and running
aTay with the activeuess which terror inspires.
She commanded that the ctild's crib be re-
moved from the nursery 70 our bedroom; aud
she vent along to see the order executed. She
took mo with her. OF course. We got matters
arranged with speed 4 cot bed Was put up in
my wife's dressing.room for the nurse. But
now Mrs. McWilliams said We we're too far away
from the other baby, and what if he we're TO have
H. &k-A 1~.Ir& -
again, poor thing.
We then restored the crib and the nurse to the
nursery. and put up bed for ourselves in q
room adjoining.
Presently, however, Mrs. McWitliams said,
suppose the baby should catch 1t from Pencil
ope2 This thouabt struck new panic to her
heart, and the tribe Of us could not get the crib
out Of the nursery again FAST enough to satisfy
my wife, though she assisted in her own person
and we'll nigh pulled the crib to pieces in her
frantic hurry.
We moved downstairs, but there Was no place
to STOW the nurse. and Mrs. McNillams said the
nurses experience would be Al inestimabie help.
So we returned, bag and baggage. to our own
bedrooms once more, and felt great gladness,
like sturm-bufeted birds that have found their
nest again.
Mrs. McWilhkms sped to the nursery to see
how things were going on there. She was back
in q momeor With new dread. She said:
"What can make the baby sleep so?"
why, my darling, Baby alrays sleeps Ike q
craven image"
s. + know, know but there's something Pc
culiar about his sleep now. He seems to-he |
seems to breathe go regularly O. this Is dread
full"
q But, my dear, he always breathas regularly"
"Oh, know It. but there's something dread
full about it now. His nurse is too Young and !
Maria shall stay there with her,
and be on hand If anything happens"
7o} 10 md hS%t r@1>~ vii :. a. !
you?"
"You can help me all want. wouldn't al
low anybody to do anything but myself, anyhow,
1t such time as this"
I said would feel mean to lie abed and sleep,
and leave her to watch and toll over our little
patient all the weary night. But she reconciled
ne to it. So old Maria departed and took up
her ancient quarters in the nursery.
Penelope coughed twice in her sleep.
"Oh, Why don't the doctor come? Mortimer,
his room is too varm- This room is certainly
90 warm. Turn OF the register-quick y
Ishut it off Riaucing at the Thermometer at
he same time and wondering to myself If 10
xa6 too warm for sick child.
The coachman arrived from down town, now,
With the news that our physician was i'll and con-
ined to bis bed. Mrs. McWlilia1ns turned dead
,ye upon me, and sad in dead voice: "There
) providence III it. It is foreordained. He
lever was sick before Never. We have not
,een living as we ought to live. Mortimer, time
uu tsult akAlA uAFt toA fOu HU. NOW you SG9 |
te result. Our child will never get well. Be
IT you can forgive yourself. Il never can
orgiye myself"
issid, without intent to hurt but with heed
ess choice Of words, that could not see that ne
lad been living such an abandoned life.
Mortimer! Do you want to bring tbs judg-
uent upon baby, too! !"
Then she began to cry, but suddenly ex-
1Rimed:
sThe doctor must have sent medicines ;"
I said:
81 Certainly they are here. WAS only wait
1g for YOU to giVe me chance"
- Well, do give them to me Don't you know |
hat every moment is precious now? But what
as the use IN sending medicines, when he kno,cs ,
lat the disease is iucurabe 2 "
I said that while there was life there was .
ope.
slope! Mortimer, you know no more what :
ou are talking about than the child uuhosn-
you would --As live the directions say