Year: 1876

"There, there; I Will do anything
you want. But L can't raise anybody
with this bell. They're all gone to bed.
Where is the goose grease 2"


con the mantelpiece in the nursery.
If you will step there and speak to
Maria -


I brought the goose grease and went
to sleep again. Once more I was
called.


Mortimer, so hate to disturb you,
but the room is still too cold for me to
try to apply this stuff. Would you mind
lighting the fire2 1t is all ready to
touch a match to-"


I dragged myself out and lit the fire,
and then sat down, disconsolate.


Mortimer, don't sit there and catch
your death of cold. Come to bed"


AS was stepping in, she said:


But wait moment. Please give
the child some more of the medicine"


Which I did. 1t was q medicine
which made child more or less lively;
so my wife made use of its waking in d.
terval to strip it and grease it all over
with the goose oil. I was soon asleep
once more, but once more I had to get
up.


Mortimer, feel draught. feel
it distinctly. There is nothing 80 bad
for this disease as draught Please
move the crib in front of the fire."


l did it and collided with the rug
again, which threw into the fire. Mrs
McWllllams sprang out of bed and res
cued it, and we had some words. 1 had
another trifling interval of sleep and
then got up, by request, and construct
ed tiaxseed poultice. This was placed
upon the child's breast and left there to
do it's healing work.


A wood fire is not permanent thing.
got up every twenty minutes and re-
newed ours, and this gave Mrs. McWil-
hams an opportunity to shorten the
times of giving the medicines by ten
minutes, which was great satisfaction
to her. Now and then, between times,
1 reorganized the haxseed poultices s, and
applied sirapisms and othpr blisters
where unoccupied places could be found
upon the child. Well, toward morning
the wood gave out, and my wife wanted
me to go down cellar and get some
more. l said:


"My dear, it is a laborious job, and
tho child must be nearly warm enough,
with her extra clothing. Now, mightn' t
we put on another layer of poultices
and"-


did not finish because was inter-
rupted. lugged up wood from below
for some little time, and then turned in
and fell to snoring as only a man can
whose soul is worn out. Last at broad
daylight 1 felt q grip on my shoulder
that brought me to my senses suddenly.
My wife was glaring down on me and
gasping. As soon as she could command
her tongue she said


"It is over All over! The child's
perspiripg! What shall we do"


" Mercy, how you terrify me! I
don't know what we ought to do. May
be if we sccaped her and put her in the
draft again.


"Oh, idiot! There is not moment
to lose. Go for the doctor. Go your
self. Tell him he must come, dead or
alive"


I dragged that poor sick man from his
bed and brought him. He looked at
tho child and said she was not dying.
This was Joy unspeakable to me, but it
made my wife as if he had offered per-
sonal affront. Then he said the child's
cough was only caused by some trifing
irritation or other in the throat. At this
I thought my wife had mind to show
him the door. Now the doctor said he
would make the child cough harder and
dislodge the trouble. so he gave her
something that sent her into a spasm of
coughing, and presently up came lit
tie wood splinter or 30.


This child has no membranous
Group" said he. "She has been chew
ing bit of pine shingle or something
of the kind, and got some little slivers
in her throat. They won't do her any
hurt"


"No," said I. "I can we'll believe
that. Indeed, the turpentine that is in
them is very good for certain sorts CT
diseases that are peculiar to children.
Ny wife will tell you so."


But she did not. She turned away in
disdain, and left the room; and since
that time there is one episode in our life
which we never refer to. Hence the
tide of our days flows by in deep and
untroubled serenity.