The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-04-08

life. it was the custom of children to live
simply, and there health was the first object.
Her oracle was Mrs. Augustus St. Maur.
And this ladys talk was somewhat OF this or
der: my darling Eva cannot take her iron
tonic except in %ciaret, DIR. VI. says she
has a most peculiar constitution: simple
tonics enable her t. digest rlch dishes, and
without rich dishes, she would starve. For
she will not, she positively will not, eat any
thing but the most deliberately prepared
food. We have to keep a very expensive
cook on that account
And poor misguided Betsey listened to
this worshipper of the modern MolOch
fashion, as the ancient Israelites listened
to the Moloch worshippers of old. She
knew perfectly well that her children always
grew well and strong and fat and rosy when
they staid with their grandmother, and that
they began to pine and dwlndle as soon
| as they returned home. But fashion was
her god and she knew no other. She taught
her innocent little ones to fb and call ID. St.
s'the country" and Mrs. St Maur always be-
lieved it was country air which brought the
roses to their cheeks when they went to pay
visits to their grand mother.
But Betsey's fear Of her set learning
the truth, induced her gradually to toptheir
visits entirely, and at the time we speak OF,
they had not seen their grand mother for
several years. Jeremiah Cooks wealth
grew apace, and with it grew his wife s am
bition. The residence opposite them, a lar
ger ard handsomer one than theirs, fell va
cant. The occupant. left because their fam
lily had had much sickness there, which they
attributed to defective ventilation. But
the parlors were splendid, the vestibule
unique" the Dining room, a gem In
vain jeremiah urged that the place had a
bad reputation for health-several cases
of diptheria had occurred there. Mrs. St.
Maur was In raptures will the beauty of
the rooms and Mrs. De Lorme Couke must
have them. They moved in damp weather.
Freddy complained of sore throat, but his
mother was too much absorbed In selecting
furniture to attend to him next day he was
alarmingly i'll, and DR.. NJ. pronounced the
word Of fear ''diphtheria." Charlie and
Eddy followed, and in less than a week, the
beautiful boys were laid in Greenwood Gem
etery. Peor little martyrs, did they not
suffer as much as the babes, who were
thrown into the frey arms Of Moloch? and
died in probably half an hour? The youngest
boy survived, but fell a victim, some years
later, to an attack of indigestion.
Does not the childless mother, as she sits in
her gaudy drawing-room, feel like she had sold
her soul for a mess of pottage? No! she rolls
III her luxurious carriage through the beau
tiful avenues of Greenwood, stops at a cost
ly pile of sculptured marble, and lays four
bouquets of richest exotic flowers upon the
tomb. She is always seen at the most fash
ionable church and she thinks herself, and
her fellow worshippers of Moloch think her,
a most exemplary christian.
l know that children often die, whose pa
rents are not worshippers of Moloch. Not
all the Israelitish children who died, were
sacrificed to the ancient god. But some
Uere sacrificed then, and some are now.
IL. nj. /.