The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-05-27
Something for Ctris no Eapect
TO Marry
uR- CAMP y

Immortal 10 her greed her affections.
her "g.oziug H4t,crIcs - those whom !
va polite u coueIiIate. her gross utGees
the pauper patient, her arrogance ami
her ignorance, her horrible relish Tor the
least agreeable features OF her profession
her living uuatarou~ and rcmiuISeeuoc~
all these are % many drops ~ N'tEsp. uf
on lie mtm3B OF such women a.. 4 score
YEAR, agg. accounted >ubordIuatlou to
her a. a part, and often the least to.er
able condition, vi the sacred, primal
cuIse, Of their sex.
Mrs. Camp as sc knew her then, was
a matron OF mature years or ~ acrld
spiu.ler Of the same date From the
moment 10 which her shadow fell upon
the porch floor Of the dwelling to which
She had been summoned, tothe glad hour
when 1t kissed the front steps IN with
drawing. the 'muchness Of her person
Atty possessed, pervaded. and filed the
premises. Children fled to silent corners
at the rattle Of her starchcd calico gown
The husband, at a ludicrous Disadvantage
in his own sight as in others eyes during
tins malign moon, drank his coffee and
carved his roast meekly opposite the
mob-cap that presided over the family
meal. For be il known that Mrs. Camp
would engage In DO place where she
was not allowed TO sit al the first table
with the host and hostess. The con-
sequences OF her refusal to stay out the
month were toe dire 10 be faced by the
boiiest aristocrat who ever wrote himself
down a householder. If his wife could
endure the disposition that overwhelmed
her, he would lie a craven were he to
49,. a., I,-, - ~, ,.t,,,s
sovereignty brushed him roughly.
The poor wife Bear me witness what
was her need of pity, We sisters whose JOY
that a man was born into the world was
at that era dashed 10y dread Of the
grim potentate who threw the tounda-
tons of your world out Of course Mrs.
Camp subordinated the wills of the rest
of the family. That Of her patient was
absorbed, soaked up, and squeezed out
into naught Whatever her appetite
craved when she had to eat for two was
decreed to be the worst thing possible for
one in her condition" The ten days
Of milk-tea. water-gruel and BUTTERFLIES
toast happily abolished now by physi-
clan aud nurse-were made trebly penl
tential by the unwritten laws of the u
tocrat In charge. Draughts, from what
ever quarter, were protested, the cup Of
cold water prayed for with tears was on
aemne as present death to the mother
and IA cole breeder for the infant -
long for a bath was unnatural, to talk Of
1t hereSy. Not a Sun-ray was admitted
to the vally OF the shad Nv OF birth. Shut
within jealousiy-cIosed doors, smothrrcd
in blankets, forbidden to turn herself in
bed. converse for halt an hour at a time
with her husban |, or to caresS her chil
dren IN hearing of the dragon who had
swallowed up her invidiluality. the nom
inal queen Of the home counted the weary
hours of what was daylight beyond her
chamber, the heavier ones OF the night
while the jailer lay snoring at her side
or al best on the other side Of the room
One of Mrs. Camps w~rought-iron prin
cIples was never to lose sight Of her pa
tent while awake, nor to be out of neal
ing when asleep. Not a letter was to be
read by the sick woman, aot a book or a
was tolerated in the guarded
precincts, for at least three weeks. Read
ing, like sunlight, was bad for the eyes
in her condition If she lacked for
amusement, there was always Mrs. Camp
ready with gossip, tattle, and tearsome
stories Of her manifold ghoulish expert
ences Mrs CAMP prided herself upon
her conversation.
"Deluge the room with sunshine ~
commanded a physician a few weeks ago
"a wise, great-hearted understanding
BESIDE a newly ade mother. If it
hurts her eyes, turn the led SO that it
will not strike directly upon them. But
have plenty of light. Make a fire in the
chimney, ventllate the room well every
day, and never let the thermometer rise
above sixty-eight, keeping the tempera-
ture even all day long. Build up her
strength by digestible, nutritious food;
keep her cheerful by pleasant chat, books,
and papers. Bear in mind hat she is not
W-onIy weak aud tired; a subject for
Naturc's cure, not mine
Set this picture over against the sket h
| have drawn above, and be thankful, O
young matron THAT you have come into
your kingdom of maternity III 1885 10
stead OF 1851
The mother might be dumb and pa
tient. Baby, a born and unschooled rebel,
was vOciterOus IN protest against his
share OF the torture decreed by monthly
nurse and winked at by the licensed prac
t%itioner. Mrs. Game was equal TO the
situation here also. Proceeding upon the
p~ostulate that 'all babies were born con
trary,' she took the new specimen 10
hand and a strong hand promptly.
She dosed him as soon as be was born
with sweet oil made thick with sugar;
swathed the yielding abdomen and ribs
10 bands Of linen and flannel pinned as
tightly as her sinewy fingers could dra y
them; filed him up to the lips with milk
and water; iolted him TO settle it until he
hiccoughed convuisIvely, then poured
down catnip-tea and aniseed-cord,al to
cure the colic, Devices Mixture and
Winslow' Soothing Syrup to coax bach
the sleep she had driven afar. Her ba-
bies' always yelled Justify and loudly,
but it was good for their lung. They
+ iectcl three fourths Of the food thrust
upon them, but that was a sign of "a
healthy child, She had mo opinion of
children who kept all they got When
she wanted Il real good nights rest"
she took the infant to her own bed, to
keep it warm and drowsy: and if the
slumbers of the two were prolonged,
the mother, forbidden to move or call,
counted the clock-ticks with anguished
senses, in the ~misgiving lest the her not
very uncomm tragedy Of an overlaid
baby might be made manifest with the
coming of the day.
Mrs. Camp not only ruled, she ramped
and rioted over her serfs. A mother who
had been settled for the night at nine
O'Clock, with Cruel and growls by her
nurse, lay in her darkened chamber, her
ears pierced by the screams of the baby
in the adjoining nursery. SummoDIng
an older child, she sent her to reconn )itre,
and learned that the nurse was sitting in
a rocking chair under a flaming gas bur
ner reading a novel, the child crying upon
her lap. The mother offered through the
messenger a timid suggestion: Her ba
bies always slept well Ia a dark room;
would not Mrs. Camp lay this one in the
cradle and turn down the light The an
swer came back, crisp and biting as q