Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1884-10-24
MiscellamenMs.
GRANDMOTHER.

us she dead yet J"
should grievo to hear that she was.
| am referring to the good. natured, ever
ready, old-fashioned grandmother of days
gone by, she was my grandmother and
yours, and, indeed, everybody clse's when
one was needed [ remember her as
gray-haired, wrinkle-faced, and hands
crippled with the hard work of pioneer
days. | remember her sympathetic voice
and soft touch--her steel bowed spccta-
Giles her quaint snuff box her busting
look aud anxious tones as she came in
the back way and called out.
"And so that boys had to give up
and 60 to bed. Dear me /! but it's too
bad though | guess its nothing serious,
and hope you won't worry Lets see
him. Alum Stomach out of order
and he's got some fever Had my chill
drcn taken this way dozen of times and
in two days they were out playing"
1t was worth months sickness to see
her hustle around after horse raddish
leaves to make drafts for the feet, cloths
to wet in cold water for the head mus
tard for the back Of the neck-a bit of
rhubarb to swecten the stomach and TO
hear her say:
"Well, now, who'd thought it; but
don't worry Mercy on me 4! but my
Dan'l has been sicker'n that fifty differ
ent times and isn't dead yet Just you
go right down and finish your baking
and leave me take care of him | just
dotc on sick folks !"
And didn't things turn out just as
she had predicted? Aud three days af-
ter didn't she come down into the back
lot where | was eating sour crab apples
and fling up her hands and exclaim
"For the lands sake but does this
boy mean to kill himself afore the SUN
mer is out %
If mother had pain in her sid~ she
ran over to SEQ grandma. If father went
lame it was grandma who had remedy.
Not in our family alone, but in dozen
Not in one case but in hundred.
Who had catnip and smart weed aud
may weed and oak bark and spice bush
and mustard Grandmother, Of course
Who knew what was good for earache
toothache, IauDdice, languor, loss Of APP
petite, rheumatism, billiousness and
hundred other ills -? Grandmother.
And if her remedies failed 10 arrest
disease and the doctor was sent for how
kindly courteous he was Everything
she bad done was professionally justified
and he seemed almost sorry that she
hadn't worked cure and deprived him
Of his fee. lilo would take the case and
warrant n cure, but, of course, must de-
pend upon her to great extent. Such
a compliment was worth more than a
new house to her.
And il death came grandmother was
there to weep with the family and TO
console all Others It was her poor old
fingers which closed the eyes-whch
helped to make the shroud--which ar
ranged the lifeloss hands. IL was her
voice which kept Whispering "Therc
there poor thing don't take It 80 much to
heart! lie is far better of than we are,
and you must live on for those left be-
hind" She was with tho mouners-at
the grave-back to the house to cheer
the heart-broken and leave them at night
with feeling that it was for the best.
And it was a holiday when grand
mother came over with her knitting or
sewing for an afternoon visit. She had
the big rocking-chair and the cosiest
corner, and no queen was moro respected.
She remembered tho war with Mexico,
and the fall Of stars, and two or three
earthquakes. She recollected what every
body had dreamed, and how it came out,
and who married who and how they
prospercd. She had seen two or three
Presidents; been to New York and
Niagara Falls. She was a medical col
lege, an encyclopedia aud book of ad-
ventures combined, aud her going away
at night left a vacancy that she alone
could Gill;
Is she still liyingl II so, may the
world reverence her. Is she dead? II
80, may tho sunshine Of Heaven have
ua1p her iln hnnniaat on0ol NJ than all