The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-12-10
Mr.. PEDDlcORD'S DAYIN BED.
He Takes ihc Dcctor'SE Advice and Obs
taInS Some Interesting Results.

Il think II stay IN Ded Today, re-
marked John Henry Peddicord when
the alarm clock went off ut T a few
mornings ago. d don't feel very we'll,
and I read a few days since an article
by prominent physician, in which he
said that if people would 60 to bed
and stay there whole day in every
month, and keep quiet, they would
live to good old age"
well, I think I would" said Mrs.
John Henry Peddicord encouragingly.
You have been complaining of q Sc
we're headache for several days, and l
have become quite anxious about you" )"
So John Henry turned over on his pill
low and settled himself for his un-
wonted luxury.
He had just got to sleep again
when the baby woke up. The baby
lad not read the learned article by
the prominent physician, and it would
have had 10 effect on her if she had.
She was opposed to sleep on general
principles, at any time, day or night,
and only succumbed at the latter time
from dire necessity, when she could
no longer prop her eyes open. But
stay in bed all day? Never!
Baby's waking was the signal for
her mamma to rise.
'John Henry, love-" said Mrs. Ped
dicord, "as you are not going to get
up, think I'll let you amuse baby
while I dress. The girl is busy this
morning: it's ironing morning, you
know. It'll be such help"
So while Mrs. Peddicord dressed,
John Henry Peddicord tried to amuse
the baby, but the attempt was not q
gigantic success. The baby wanted
to get up and begin it's days work,
but John Henry, having resolved to
put into practice the prominent ply
sician's theory, could not accede to
infants demand. though it was sup
ported by much heavy wailing.
To assist in the general work of
amusing baby, Mrs. John Henry Ped
dicord unloaded on the bed varied
assortment Of toys There were dolls,
tin wagons, locomotives, building
blocks and the like.
By the aid Of these adjuncts to in
fantile pacifcation and the expendit-
ure of more vital force than an entire
days work at the Office would con-
sumo, John Henry kept the baby in a
state OF comparative quiet for ten
minutes, and the word comparative"
is used adyisedly.
By this time Mrs. John Henry Ped
dicord was dressed.
':I'll take the baby now and dress
her." she said. I'm sure she hasn't
bothered you much, love. S'e's dust
as dood as dold; sc is mommer's title
toddles."
The second half of Mrs John Hen
ry's remarks was addressed to the ba-
by, not to John Henry.
'Mommer" took the baby, and John
Henry snuggled into his pillow for
another snooze. He had scarcely got
to sleep when he was awakened by
the wife of his bosom.
I'LL go and bring up your break
fast, love, if you'll just mind the baby
while I 60 downstairs for it. There's
the breakfast bell now. Baby will be
good, Tn sure. I'll set her on the
bed and you can play with her"
But baby had some conscientious
scruples about going to bed just after
dressing, and she filed several en-
phatic protests, which the disappear
a0ce of her mamma did not tend to
render less energetic.
This time John Henry's efforts to
assuage the grief of his child were
utterly unavailing. He endeayored to
explain to her that the features of Ed
ma, the chubby rubber doll, were
worthy of more than a casual glance,
but baby would not listen. Equally
unavailing were his efforts to point
out the wonderful beauties of a "choo-
choo" locomotive.
But finally Mrs. John Henry came
to her lords assistance and carried off
the baby, while he sat up in bed,
propped with pillows, ate his buttered
toast and his boiled eggs, drank his
coffee, and thought that the promi-
nent physicians idea was not such a
bad one after all.
His breakfast eaten, John Henry
Peddicord lay and dozed and lazily
dreamed for perhaps half an hour,
when his wife invaded the bedroom
again.
She had an idea.
"John Henry" she said, GIVE no
end of shopping to do, and just be-
lieve I'll 60 to-day, while you are at
home. No one can take care OF the
baby as we'll as you. feel so much
safer when you are at home with
baby dear, and you won't mind, will
you, love?"
John Henry groaned inwardly.
Oh, no; he wouldn't mind at all.
And he didn't for whole half hour
after Mrs. Peddicord had disappeared
The baby lad been fed, and for the
space of thirty minutes thereafter was
model of angelic sweetness, Then
came change, however, and the in
fant became more exacting.
John Henry performed various
gymnastic evolutions on the bed for
his audience of one infant, which was
duly applauded until the spectator
desired change of programme and
made her desire known very promptly.
flor M,s- Doli;nnrd hnd honn 1eo,,a