Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-03-10
TEETHENG DAYS.
VaIuabIs Recipes for Crying ChildreE
-HoWaMF. Smith UnderkOok
ao Qutet . RuEure PreHi-
dene and DEdn,e.
Ano,erTrue TaIesf Chndhood.

/ We'll 1AAcs Omlbu, IL lE QeT Clll0.
little boy, who has frequent scream
ing spells, making it lively for our
whole neighborhood, especially his
proud parents. 1t is pretty well set
tied that the child is not sick, ply
sicians have repeatedly assured Mrs.
Smith that there was really no cause
i for alarm. OF late these attacks had
been more persistent than usual and
all the women IN the neighborhood
had been in an intense state of ex-
citement because of them. One and
another of them has been nte wor-
ry the young mother with fearful
suggestions; or carefully compound
ed theories as to the best means of
quieting crying children. Mrs.
Brown was sure the little fellow had
worms. and advised turpeBtiHe on
sugar or a mild dose of pink root and
SIENNA. Old fashioned cures were the
best. she maintained. Mrs. Jones
quite agreed with Mrs. Brown as to
the nature of the malady but ltold
Mrs. Smith that it would kill the
boy to take turpentine and advised
bottle of Jayne's yermifuge as be-
ing pleasant and effectual. Mrs. Jen-
kins who was present at the conyer-
sation waited until Mrs. Jones took
her departure and then said in great
confidence that both these ladies
were good-hearted creatures but
very ignorant and quite behind the
times IN their knowledge Of medical
remedies. Thereupon she took a
bottle of sugar-coated pellets from
her pocket, which she said were
charged with an Invaluable tincture
for the cure of nervous disorders,
which she was scientifically certain
were tormenting poor Willie. Mrs.
Black came in as Mrs. Jenkins took
| dignifed departure and was pres
emily followed by dear, motheriy
Mrs. White. Mrs. Black said the
child showed strong symptoms OF
| having fits and recommended a
warm bath when ever crying
spell came on. Mrs. White said that
she always found cat-nip tea an ex-
cellent remedy for troublesome
children, even when they were as
old as this one. 1t was soothing
she said, and made the child sleep so
sweetly. She knew that without
cat1nip she could never have raised
one of her ten boys, saying nothing
of Sarah Ann who was always a del
icate and nervous girl.
Mrs. Maloney came in at the back
door one day fourishing "a formida-
BILE peach limb when Willie was on
his highest solo, and told him she
would beat the life out of HIM if he
did not stop worrying his mother so.
But the refractory infant yelled the
louder, and ran and buried his head in
his mothers lap. Then Mrs. Malo-
ney read Mrs. Smith a lecture on
the necessity of implicit obedience
and pointed to her own four boys
who new better than to peep if she
commanded silence. These boys
are SO filed with slavish fear that
they start when they hear the voice
of their mother. Poor Mrs Smith
couldn't bear the thought of Willie
fearing her, so she at once resolved
to reject Mrs. Maloney s advice. Mrs.
Barton said she had found it success
| full to dash cold water. in The faces
| of her children when they cried
| Mrs. johnson said it was much better
to strip the child and duck him in a
tub. One good woman limited dark
| ly Of St. Vitns' dance and advised a
thorough course OF medicine; anoth-
er thought she could discover incip,
lent signs of gastric fever and asked
| if the child ate week.-Mrs.. Smith as
sured her that Willie's appetite was
| very good. Both these ladies
thought that it was e case requiring
| medicine rather than punishment
and recommended that an eminent
practitioner be asked to make a di.
agnosis of the case, Mrs. Smith du.
| " reported all these wise sayings
| to Mr.. Smith as he visited home three
times day from his store down
town. Mr.. Smith weighed the mat
ter deliberately, examined the boy,
and concluded that he needed disci-
pline more than nervines and tonics
= One day Willie emphaticly declil-
| ed to spell ''cat" for the edifcatiou
of friend from the country. This
was clear case of disabedienoe, and
Mr., Smith thought the occasion 3
| fitting one for the exercise of pa
rental Jurisprudence. 1t was an Of
fense justifying confinement in q
| dark closet, where Willie was, at
once taken. There the poor little
| fellow thrashed around in a state OF
desperation, kicking, pounding and
making vocal noise enough for q
Boston jubilee. Mrs. Smith sug-
gested that he be taken out. She
thought that he had been punished
enough. This was done on condi-
ton that Willie would be a good
q boy. But the screaming continuing,
Mr.. Smith called for water, which
| he dashed into Willie's faces This
proved as useless as most lqwateF
cures, and Willie was stripped of
his Jacket and small clothes. The
water was turned into the bath.tub
and Mrs. Johnson's cure was tested.
Willie was taken up, kicking like a
mustang pony, and suspended over
the bathstnb, Papa saying ex-
citedly, "Stop that noise this min
ute or I'll throw youin head first. "
But Willie knew better and refus-
| ed to give in. Then his hair was
dipped in gently, then his head as
far as his eyes. Willie then. shout
ed, sTIl be dood I'll be dood r.
Mr., Smith came out with a tri-
umphsnt smile, carrying the con-
quered darling in his arms. But no
sooner did Willie catch Mrs. Smiths
eye than he resumed his shrieks,
Iouder, wider, than ever. Mr..
Smith then took Willie up stairs to
a vacant room, where, judging from
the sounds that issued forth, he
dealt with him more In anger than
in sorrow. Mrs. Maloney was YIN
dicated. Willie was brought down
in a state of exhaustion, but in a mo-
l ] -lAl l. i