Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-12-29
n BABY'S DIARY
Impressions OF "A Stranger Just
Ushercd Into This Existence.

Ushered Into This Existence.
New York Star; First Day-Wonder-
ful, heavenly AT last ! am really in the
world! Who would have thought that
one could breathe SO freely and cry out
so loud, ! am curious to see If all will
be as ] dreamed. How | shall enicy the
sunshine, the blue sky, and the fresh.
pure air that will cool my heated skim
Oh, if ! might odly see and feel them
now
Second Day-What a dreadful heat
How disappointed | amt This air. this
water, this light-how different it is from
what imagined. Patienccl / shall be
better awhile. This old woman who
nurses me doesn't seem TO understand me
at all.
Fifth Day-No deliverance yeti If it
goes on like this | can't hold ont much
longer. The whole ~livelong day | lie
smothcrcd in feathers. can hardly get
a breath of air. | am bound up in M
wooden and two linen s~waddling bands.
then a little shirt and a worsted jacket
are put onto me. ! am placed on a long
feather pillow, and . feather coverlid is
laid over me. The ~hanCings of my crib
are closely drawn, double curtains darken
the room, and the windows are tightly
shut, and there |, poor little creature,
must lie from morn til eve. MY glowing
skin is even worse o. than the stove be
side me, for that can give off its heat.
On! if | knew what to do. If | cry that
old woman gives me hot milk to drink,
and | am hotter than before. If my hands
feel cold, because my head is burning.
that cruel nurse brings a pair Of feather
pillows for them. ! am ready to die with
pain. ! turn my half closed eyes from
side 20 side seeking some escape, and my
tormentor says; The child is shivering,
he needs more warmth and she catches
up the thiCkest blanket she can find,
heats it on the stove and throws il over
me. Is no one coming To help me2
Tenth Day-Another fearful night The
air is sitting. | cry my best, but, but no
one understands me. ! must drink, drink
and drink again until | overflow. This
morning ! was longing for my bath, hop
ing it might be a little cooler than usual.
They began TO undo me. bat all at once
they bound me up again and put me in
that horrible pillow. The Nurse was
frightened about something, and of She
sent for the doctor. He came and looked
at me in my pillowy grave, and-did
nothing TO help me, although | looked al
him most pwitifully and tried so had to tell
him of my sufferings. Half an hou1
later | had to swallow a spoonful ol
nasty sweet stuff that self horribly; thai
was TO do my poor stomach good, Air
air, fresh, cool air; light, water! Shall
never know them in this world?
Twelfth Day-Well! II can't last much
longer There was a grand conclave Ell
al my aunts and female cousins yester
day, each had a new remedy for me auc
all agreed that a cold was the cause Of
my illness. They ordered that ! should
be kept warm; they gave me prepared
food and some strong wine that weni
through my heated brain and made me
like one dead. They bound q flannel
tightly around my stomach so that after
every t%easpOonful Of food | had to bring
some up. ! am gradually growing insensi-
BILE. Oh, that may only be soon over.
Thirteenth Day-Farewell, thou beat
tiful world. Thy light, thine air have no;
been given me / am going to where there
are no bands and all are free.