“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. “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’ ’tall—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 sweetheart 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 pretty 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!” “Missis I ’cla’ I never done noth’n’ ’tall 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?”