“You rose,” said Mrs. Slang, “quiet that child!”
Rose walked it, and sang to it; but it did not hush.

“You Rose! if you do not quiet that child, I lay I
make you.”

“I is tried, ma'am,” said Rose, “an' he would'nt get
hushed”—(Child cries louder.)

“Fetch him here to me, you good for nothing hussy
you. What's the matter with him?” reaching out her
arms to receive him.

“I dun know ma'am.”

“Nhei—nhun—nho—nha'am!” (mocking and grinning
at Rose.)

As Rose delivered the child, she gave visible signs of
dodging, just as the child left her arms; and, that she
might not be disappointed, Mrs. Slang gave her a box:
in which there seemed to be no anger mixed at all;
and which Rose received as a matter of course, without
even changing countenance under it.

“Da den!” said Mrs. Slang, “come elong e muddy
(mother.) Did nassy Yosey, (Rose,) pague muddy
thweety chilluns? (children)—pressing the child to her
bosom, and rocking it backward and forward tenderly.
“Muddins will whippy ole nassy Yosey. Ah! you old
uggy Yosey,” (knocking at Rose playfully.) “Da den;
muddy did wippy bad Yosey.”

(Child continues crying.)

“Why what upon earth ails the child? Rose, you've
hurt this child, somehow or other!”

“No m'm, 'cla' I didn't—I was jis sitt'n down dar in
the rock'n chair long side o' Miss Nancy's bureau, an'
want doin' nothin' 't all to him, jis playin' wid him, and
he jis begin to cry heself, when nobody wa'n't doin'
nothin' 't all to him, and nobody wa'nt in dar nuther
sept jis me and him, and I was”—

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“Nhing—nhing—nhing—and I expect you hit his
head against the bureau.”

“Let Muddy see where ole bad Yosey knocky heady
'gin de bureaus. Muddy will see,” taking off the child's
cap, and finding nothing.

(Child cries on.)

“Muddy's baby was hongry. Dat was what ails
muddy's darling, thsweety ones. Was cho hongry, an'
nobody would givy litty darling any sings 't all for eaty?'
(loosing her frock bosom.) “No, nobody would gim
tshweety ones any sings fo'eat 't all”—(offers the breast
to the child, who rejects it, rolls over, kicks, and screams
worse than ever.)

“Hush! you little brat! I believe it's nothing in the
world but crossness. Hush! (shaking it,) hush I tell
you.” (Child cries to the NE PLUS ULTRA.)

“Why surely a pin must stick the child.—Yes, was
e bad pin did ticky chilluns. Let muddy see where de
uggy pin did ticky dear prettous creter”—(examining)—
“Why no, it isn't a pin. Why what can be the matter
with the child! It must have the cholic surely.
Rose, go bring me the paragoric off the mantle-piece.—
Yes, muddy's baby did hab e tolic. Dat was what did
ail muddy's prettous darly baby.” (Pressing it to her
bosom and rocking it. Child cries on.)

Rose brought the paragoric, handed it, dodged, and
got her expectations realized as before.

“Now go bring me the sugar, and some water.”

Rose brought them, and delivered both without the
customary reward; for at that instant, the child being
laid perfectly still on the lap, hushed.

The paragoric was administered, and the child received
it with only a whimper now and then. As soon
as it received the medicine, the mother raised it up and
it began to cry.

[figure description] Page 143.[end figure description]

“Why Lord help my soul, what's the matter with the
child! what have you done to him, you little hussy?”
(rising and walking towards Rose.)

“'Cla' Missis, I eint done nothin' 't all—was jis sittin'
down da by Miss Nancy's bu—”

“You lie, you slut,” (hitting her a passing slap,) “I
know you've hurt him. Hush, my baby,” (singing the
Coquet,) don't you cry, your sweet-heart will come
by'm'by; da, de dum dum dum day, da de dum diddle
dum dum day.”

(Child cries on.)

“Lord help my soul and body, what can be the matter
with my baby!” (tears coming in her own eyes.)
“Something's the matter with it; I know it is, (laying
the child on her lap, and feeling its arms, to see whether
it flinched at the touch of any particular part.) But
the child cried less while she was feeling it than before.

“Yes, dat was it; wanted litty arms yubb'd. Mud
will yub its sweet little arms.”

(Child begins again.)

“What upon earth can make my baby cry so!” rising
and walking to the window. (Stops at the window,
and the child hushes.)

“Yes, dat was it: did want to look out 'e windys.
See the petty chickens. O-o-o-h! Look, at, the beauty,
rooster!! Yonder's old aunt Betty! See old aunt
Betty, pickin' up chips. Yes, ole aunt Betty, pickin' up
chip fo' bake bicky, (biscuit) fo' good chilluns. Good
aunt Betty fo' make bicky fo' sweet baby's supper.”

(Child begins again.)

“Hoo-o-o! see de windy!” (knocking on the window.
Child screams.

“You Rose, what have you done to this child! You
little hussy you, if you don't tell me how you hurt him,
I'll whip you as long as I can find you.”

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“Missis I 'cla I never done noth'n' 't all to him. I
was jis sett'n' down da by Miss Nancy's bu”—

“If you say `Miss Nancy's bureau' to me again, I'll
stuff Miss Nancy's bureau down your throat, you little
lying slut. I'm just as sure you've hurt him, as if I'd
seen you. How did you hurt him?”

Here Rose was reduced to a non plus; for, upon the
peril of having a bureau stuffed down her throat, she
dare not repeat the oft-told tale, and she knew no other.
She therefore stood mute.

“Julia,” said Mr. Slang, “bring the child to me, and
let me see if I can discover the cause of his crying.”

Mr. Slang took the child, and commenced a careful
examination of it. He removed its cap, and beginning
at the crown of its head, he extended the search slowly
and cautiously downward, accompanying the eye with
the touch of the finger. He had not proceeded far in
this way, before he discovered in the right ear of the
child, a small feather, the cause, of course, of all its
wailing. The cause removed, the child soon changed
its tears to smiles, greatly to the delight of all, and to
none more than to Rose.

BALDWIN.