The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-11-28

"hiiS 'h'J uuNc nlONtu llJO llle HOUSO
and she has--well, you have been there,
auntie, and you know how her house is
furnished, and she seems to have no
more household care than if she were
boarding, and does very little of her sew.
ing, either"
"And so | suppose she is n great deal
happier than You are, isn't she?" in.
quired Aunt Ruth.
"Oh don't mean that" snid Alice:
''that couldn't very well be. No." she
continued, thoughtfully, "she does not
seem very happy, with all her luxuries.
You know she looks fretted almost nj.
ways, and it is said that her husband is
not very devoted to his home. Somt
say he drinks heavily. I'm sure don't
know about that; seldom see him when
we 60 there hut think he seems mo.
rose and unsocial.
"ls that what you envy her? Or is it
her puny baby or her idlcncssP' quietly
queried Aunt Ruth.
ooh no, no, nor laughed Alice,
now her merry self again. 81 don't sup.
pose | really envy her at all But I'll
confess the whoh truth, auntie I've
been feeling rather shabby for quite II
while, i'll house and dress, and this morn.
ing asked Edward to let me refurnish
the parlors and take the present furni-
ture for other rooms, and he looked
sober and said he was afraid not, he
would think of it, and, somehow, it dis.
appointed me. thought we could af
ford it rs well MS our neighbors can af-
ford their luxurics or | wouldn't have
asked il.
Aant Ruth's keen eye ran over the
pretty room and glanced through the
open door into the parlors beyond. They
We're not extensively furnished, and yet
Aunt Ruth thought she had never seen
rooms more tasteful or attractive.
eyes, l know, auntic," SAID Alice, an.
swering the look, "our rooms are cozv
and usually l feel quite satisfied Will
them. But'-hcre she paused mo.
ment and then, with a blush and hul
Sly look at Aunt Ruth, she continued
"well, ! will just tell the truth to you
auntie; I'm afraid | see too often witt
other peoples eyes Usually, my little
home, with its sunny rooms and neat
furnishing, looks pleasant and pretty t,
me, and | feel as content as a bird in it,
nest; but rs soon as Mrs. DcLong oi
Mrs. Morris or any of our wealthy lady
friends come in, Mt once begin to CON.
trast my home with theirs and see how
cheap and shabby it must look to them
just coming from taeir elegant sur.
roundings, until f,vl as inferior as my
home looks. 1suppose it seems silly t,
you, Aunt Ruth, but it is true?"
Here she paused n moment, but n,
Aunt Ruth only looked ut her as if sh,
expected her 10 go on. she continued;
"And when Jennie Marston com
here, with her baby all dressed in lac,
and embroidery, looking so white an,
dainty, like lily, and Jennie look
around with that grand, languid air sh
has, as if she pitied me for having t.
look after my own home and baby, i
makes me feel as if L wouldn't do it an
other day and yet | am angry with my
self for letting her make me feel so.
"The other day, when she was in nm,
Bessy was sleepy as | held her, she said
"Dear me what n slave you max,
of yourself to your baby, don't you
Alice? I'm sure ! couldn't stand it
Why don't you get a nurse girl? !
would save you world of worry"
"Savc worry p mtcrioctcd Aunt Ruth
al should worry myself to death il yo
had one !! Only the other day1 saw Nr'
Marston's nurse ont with the baby in il
little carriage, and she was talking an
laughing with bold. looking fellow &
her side, pushing the carriage alon
without looking, when baby's long dres
got caught in the wheel in some way
and the next moment he was draggc
forward over the side and would hav
had his head dashed against the ston
pavement if / had not sprung forwar
and caught him. The girl was YER
much frightened aud begged me so earn
estly not to tell Mrs. Marston that
promised not to mention it if she wouI,
be more careful in the future. But
tell you, Alice, | don't believe in tn,
whole nursc-girl system. I've seen to'
much of it 1t il unnatural and unmcr
ciful Why, mothers act nowadays ~
if they were ashamed of their children
instead of being proud of them and cs
teeming them as the best gifts of God I
Neither do | believe in the common
practice of giving girl, or even a VIC
man, entire charge of child" reptile
Alice, "but only as relief to mother
at times"
"That may do" said Aunt Ruth, "
they can be trusted; but how is one
know? A lady friend of mine had
nurse. girl for her baby-a sickly lit
thing that couldn't hold its head u
alone-and she was never done telln
what n jewel that girl was-so kind
J baby, 80 devoted, so willing, and love
baby SO much And she paid her ext
wages for her services. One day we
, in there and found my friend was ou
=, but was told that she would soon retur
so 1 waited for her. In the back parl
7 the baby fretted and moaned in the arm
! of the nurse. This lasted some tim
when heard it make n peculiar soun
or two and stop crying. / leaned TO
ward in ny chair and looked throug
the folding-doors. There sat the nurse
| girl. with set teeth, shaking that poo
feeble little baby till it lay back hushe
and gasping, too weak and breathless
cry. while its little brother, four yeai
old, stood by with n frightened look, br
not saying word.
"For moment 1 was speechless an
bewildered. Then I called, in quit
Y voice, Freddie, come here and see me
little while, until mamma comes. ID
came to my side, and, going to the fal
a ther side of the room, where the nnrs =
[ could see, but not hear, me, l took hi
, upon my lap, and said, in low voice
Freddie, does Annie often treat DAD
: like thatY ~. -,
5 "He looked up at me, and then, W.T.
, | frightened glance over his shoulder
/ whispered, Yes, ma'am; lots OF tunes
[ She shakes him awful-till ne gets whit
q and she has to put water in his sace
: Ar1 she slaps and pinches me, 100, D1
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