on, and only observe that Mrs. Pickle's mother and
aunt stood godmothers, and the commodore assisted at the ceremony as
godfather to the child, who was christened by the name of Peregrine, in
compliment to the memory of a deceased uncle. While the mother confined
to her bed, and incapable of maintaining her own authority, Mrs. Grizzle
took charge of the infant baby double claim, and superintended, with
surprising vigilance, the nurse and midwife in all the particulars of
their respective offices, which were performed by her express direction.
But no sooner was Mrs. Pickle in a condition to reassume the management
of her own affairs, when she thought proper to alter certain regulations
concerning the child, which had obtained in consequence of her sister's
orders, directing, among other innovations, that the bandages with which
the infant had been so neatly rolled up, like an Egyptian mummy, should
be loosened and laid aside, in order to rid nature of all restraint,
and give the blood free scope to circulate; and, with her own hands she
plunged him headlong every morning into a tub full of cold water. This
operation seemed so barbarous to the tender-hearted Mrs. Grizzle, that
she not only opposed it with all her eloquence, shedding abundance of
tears over the sacrifice when it was made; and took horse immediately,
and departed for the habitation of an eminent country physician, whom
she consulted in these words: "Pray, doctor, is it not both dangerous
and cruel to be the means of letting a poor tender infant perish
by sousing it in water as cold as ice?"--"Yes," replied the doctor,
"downright murder, I affirm."--"I see you are a person of great learning
and sagacity," said the other; "and I must beg you will be so good as
to signify your opinion in your own handwriting." The doctor immediately
complied with her request, and expressed himself upon a slip of paper to
this purpose:--

"These are to certify whom it may concern, that I firmly
believe, and it is my unalterable opinion, that who soever
letteth an infant perish, by sousing it in cold water, even
though the said water should not be so cold as ice, is in
effect guilty of the murder of the said infant, as witness
my hand,
"Comfit Colocynth."

Having obtained this certificate, for which the physician was handsomely
acknowledged, she returned, exalting, and hoping, with such authority,
to overthrow all opposition. Ac