Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1882-02-01
The Vaccination Party.
BY A. f. Ramsey.


Of my young children for, on this sub
iect, French and American ideas are
widely different. One of these ex-
periences amuses me still, and when |
tell 1t | cali it my Vaccination Party.
Ny little boy was about two months
old wheu | asked the docter if he would
no. yacclnate him. Not now be an
swered. 4 always vacciuate in the
spring, and when / am ready / will lei
you know
dismissed the matter from my mind
until Que day, in May lackey came TO
my door with large wLite envelope
directed 10 Me. 1t aas tied around with
blue ribbon, and instead OF a mono.
gram there was the 1gure Of naked
baby printed IN silver.
Altogether it was so gorgeous that
thought il must be an invitation 10 a
baptism, or, at least, the announcement
OF a birth, as it is customary In Paris
to send out cards upon either event.
When opened 1t, found 1t ali inyI.
tation indeed, but unlike any other
had ever seen or received. translated
it 10 myself.
Monsieur le docteur Rignier has the
honor Of Informing Madame Smith that
he is TO yeccinate at his house (Ailh q
genisse) on Tuesday, May 2lst. He has
mush pleasure in the hope that Master
Fred Smith will be present. Two O'Clock
precisely
l did not in the least know what was
meant by the word genisse, aud being
too careless or too busy to get a dicIios.
ary, l cCntented myself by thinking,
oh, that probably is French for virus !;
something about vaccination at any
rate.' But l was coon TO have its real
meaning impressed upon my mind.
Baby, on the appointed day, was ta-
ken TO the DOCTORS house. As soon as
l reached the foot of the staircase.
W hich led 10 the DOCTORS apartment, l
heard the strangest commolion. IT.
seemed as If something very heavy were
being pulled and pushed. There was a
shutting of feet, slipping, scrambliug
noise, mixed up with the sounds OF an
animals heavy painting and means and
exclamations Of Ho aud Hey and Ha
from mems voices.
Above me, half way up the flight, l
saw, to my amszement, a young COW
which two peasants were pushing and
dragging up the waxed and polished
steps of the steep, narrow staircase.
The poor beast had its feet tied upI
in rags to prevent Its hoofs from scratch
ing the wood, and it went slipping and
sliding over the CLASSY surface as It it
" ere skating, and striking out with both
sets OF legs at once, falling at every step
only to be urged on again by the hands
and volces Of the two peasants.
In the midst Of the laughter the scene
excited, it suddenly dawned upon me
that this was a genisse, and that 1t was
to be used Tor vaccination.
Sure enough, the men led the trem.
bling creature up one more flight and
into the doctor door. Here it disap- |
peared by a side entrance. while / was
shown into parlor.
There l found twenty.one ladies-I
counted them each with q baby on |
her knee,
At two O'Clock the doctor came N,
spoke to Us, inquired after the health OF
each baby, and asked US TO uhdress the
little ones at ouce, SO rs not to keep |
lim waiting.
Then the tolding.doors between the
and parlor were thrown
open and the work began, each lady |
pas sing with her child INTO the dining
.oom, taking her turn 10 tbe order
q which she arrived
Before my turn came, nearly all the
babies had been yaccinated, and were
lowlug Justify, and even one young
,lrl was sobbing from sympathy.
When went into tue dinlug-room,
ound my friend the qeatsse lying fiat on
he floor, being held down by the two
peasants, who were sitting, the one on
her head, the other on her launches,
while from the sores Oh her stomach
he DOCTORS assistant was taking the vir
Is The physician needed.
Ny poor little man soon had the
lreadtul poison In his teudet arm, aud
.ftec listeniug tC a few directions as to
yhal | should DO Tor baby, carried
lin back 10 the parlor, where he add
d bis Shrieks TO those of his felloS-su!-
erers.
It. spite of my sorrow for the babies,
his scene was almost as funny 10 me
"a the one on the stairs. Each child
,ad its own key 10 cry iu, It's own way
# doing it, aud each mother had her
,wn way OF administering comfort.
Some of them walked up and down,
oqgipg the children in their arms; some
rotted away for dear life some rocked
md crooned, and nearly every one had
brought nursing.bottle, or a cake, or
,racker, as a certain panacea.
II wa. not long before the desired
fleet WAS produced, aud comparative
uiet relsned. We heard the COW depart
no The babies bare shoulders were re-
lothed ; The doctor warned US once
more about taxing cold, and the Vacci-
nation Party was oyer. But, as l said
learned one thing, at least-geHisse
oes not mean virus, It meals-a
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