Union and American. [volume] (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1875-1877, 1876-03-16
DEPTH OF A MOTHERS LOVE.
A Case OF M embranous Group In
the williams FaIniiy--Littie
rssuelouess -Dfet--Adytce- -stsats
should Have Been Heeded--
A HestIess Ntght tor
Poor M,WtlItams--
The Doctors Dis
eoyery.
BY MARK TWAIN.

y
able disease, membranous Group,
was ravaging the town and driving
all mothers mad with terror, i
called Mrs. McWilliam's attention
to little Penelope, and said
Darling, l wouldn't let that child
be chewing that pine stick, If L
we're you"
"Precious, where is the harm in
itT' said she, but at the same time
preparing to take away TIE stick
for women can not receive even
the most palpably jndicious sugges-
ton without arguing it; that is,
married women.
"Love, it is notorious that pine
is the least nutritious wood that 3
child can eat"
My wife's hand paused in the
act of taking the stick, and re-
turned 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 back and
the kidneys"
"Ah! | was under a misappre-
hension. / did not know that the
child's kidneys and spine were af-
fected, and that the family physi-
clan had recommended"-
"Who said that the child's spine
and kidneys were atfectedf"
my love, you intimated it,"
"rhe idea! | never intimated
anything of the kind"
why, my dear, it hasn't been
two minutes since you-said'--
"Bothcr what / said! Idon't care
what did say. There isn't any
harm in the child's chewing a bit
of pine stick if she wants to, and
you know it perfectly well, and
she shall chew it, too! So there,
now"
"Say no more, my dear. now
see the force of your reasoning,
and / will go and order two or
three cords of the best pine wood
to-day. No child of mine shall
want while p
"Oh, please 60 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 20 to arguing, and
arguing, and arguing, till you
don't know what you are talking
about, and you never do"
"VeIy well, it shall be as you
say. But there is a want of logic
in your last remark, which
However, she was gone with a
flourish before l colld finish, and
had taken the child with her.
That night, vt dinner, she con
fronted me with a face as white as
a sheet.
"Oh, Mortimer, there's another.
Little Georgie Gordon's taken"
"Mcmbranous croup!'
"Membran0us Group"
SIS there any hope for him?"
"Nohe in the wide world. Oh,
what is to become Of us?'
BY and by our nurse brought in
our Penelope to say good night
and offer the customary prayer ut
the mothers knee. In the midst
of Nov | lay me down to Sleep"
she gave a slight cough. My wife
fell back like one stricken with
death. But the next moment she
was up and running away with
the activeness which terror in
spires.
She commanded that the child's
crib be removed from the nursery
to our bedroom; and she went
along to see the order executed.
She took me with her, of course.
We got matters arranged with
speed A cot bed was put up in
my wife's dressing room for the
nurse. But now Mrs, McWilliams
SAID we were too far away from the
other baby, and what if he we've to
have the symptoms in the night!
and she blanched again, poor
thing.
We then restored the crib and
the nurse to the nursery, and put
up a bed for ourselves in room
adjoining.
Presently, however, Mrs. Nc
Williams said: "Suppose the baby
should catch it from PenelopeY"
This thought struck a new panic
to her heart, and the tribe of us
could not get the crib out Of the
nursery again fast enough TO salts
fy my wife, though she assisted in
her own person, and well nigh
pulled the CRIB to pieces in her
frantic hurry.
We moved down stairs, hut there
was no place to stow the nurse, and
Mrs. McWillians said the nurses
experience would be an inesti-
mablc help. So we returned, bag
and baggage, to our own bed.
room once more, and felt great
gladness, like storm -buffeted birds
that have found their nest again.
Mrs. McWilliams sped to the
nursery to see how things were
going on there. She was back in
a moment with q new dread. She
said:
"What can make the baby sleep
| soir