The Van Buren press., 1877-04-17

MISCELLANY.
Mrs. Marbury's Story.
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Mrs Coates youngest child, fair
haired boy, about years old, romping
in the nursery at bedtime fell into the
bath the Nurse was preparing, before she
could add the cold water. He was half
undressed, and consequently severely
scalded, though she plucked him out al
most on the instant Mrs Coates was
at tue time dressing for dinner party
at the house Of a near neishbor IN Glou-
chester Crescent.
His screams penetrate to her dressing
room She is a woman of lmpetuous
temperament, whose children are the stars
in her sky. Up stairs to the nursery she
rushed, Que sleeve OF her nauve MORE
antique dress hanging loose, and in that
condition found her when the hastily
summoned family doctor sent for me an
hour and half later, the rich silk ruined
with linseed oil and limewater. What
ssany and dahssdmq ahs mqthff wr Jewels ' n he,
hair and ears flashed and shimmered as
she bent over the blistered limbs OF her
child trembling with torture scarcely less
than that which set him quiverlng as with
The agGe
As mother, Mrs. Coates is devoted,
fondly foolish, if may speak freely: her
children are without peer and so IS her
hus sbaud bu, she is hardly SO good a
mistress She is hasty and suspicious,
aud inflated by the fortune which came
to her with marriage,
Her first impulse, when little Charlie s
| limbs had been dressed and swathed in
saturated lint, was to dismiss the nurse
ry maid as being incapable to hold her
place. But the young woman, who was
really not in fault. insisted on having a
months notice and obtained it.
As a rule children are more patient un-
der suffering than their elders, but Char
lie was not one Of these, and his irrita-
bility retarded his recovery. Three
months elapsed before he was out of the
doctors hands
The offending nursemaid had gone to
get fresh place as she best could with a
character for capable negligence; and
Mrs, Coates, who was unknown to her
self lapeled as an undesirable mistress by
the clients of the register Office, unable
! to find substitute in time, compelled the
other maids to do the extra work be
tween them-she herself to tighten theil
labors, took her luncheon in the nursery
with the children's dinner. Mr.. Coates
lunched in the city.
Charles room opened into the nurse.
ry; the door was thrown back that he
might see and he seen when he was well
enough to watch his brothers at their les
sons or play, and thus ! could observe
what was passing in the rooms.
One Monday noon. Mrs Coates, presi
ding /; the nursery dinner table in an elab
crate morning robe, with rather wide
sleeves, rang the bell for Eliza.
"You have not laid the table proper.
lv, Eliza there is fork wanting by the
side OF my plate
The girl looked surprised, but answer
ed respectfully enough, "1'm sure plac
ed three there, ma am-two large forks
aud u small one
"Ifyou had done so, here they would
be say you think, another time" said
Mrs Coates, stifily, while the four young
people set their eyes upon the handmaid
as if to point their mothers words.
I'm sure, ma am-wel, l think she
corrected herself Il put three forks
there
IF you did, where is the third p and
Mrs Coates pointed to the two large sill
yer forks with their engraved crests dis
played, as though that were irreiragable
evidence of ofneglgence.
"Wel ma am, I'm sure--that is,
thought put small fork there; / re
member wipine the dust off it, stammer
ed Eliza, as she produced another from
the plate basket and laid il where the 9th
er should have been
Don't be so persistent, Eliza. The
fact speaks for itself"
And for Eliza, too" chimed in a
Young hopeful, who liked "A jolly row
But the young woman retired, making
no reply, aud the threatened storm blew
over
When Eliza came with my supper, ant
some arrowroot for little Charlie, thu
Others were all in bed and he secmingl,
in doze. Setting down the tray, SHE
whispered in considerable perturbation
"Do you know, Mrs. Marbury, l can
80. ca ,ba. e,rL hi,h or low I nj silr,