The text discusses how sudden shocks can awaken someone, integrating humor with the serious topic of soothing a crying child. It shares a story of a woman trying to calm her crying child on a ferry, which amuses her fellow passengers. The humor and varied sounds eventually cause the child and its mother to fall asleep.
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and Shaken into Sleep and sometimes awakened by a sudden shock, which penetrates from the lumbar vertebrae to the brains. So it is permitted for us to mix a little joke within serious matters. (Since people sometimes tell stories on Wagons and Boats to prevent falling asleep) we shall present here a witty incident about a Crying Child. A Woman traveling by Ferry Boat, having an excessively crying Child with her; made great efforts to quiet it by shaking and soothing, so as not to disturb the Passengers: during which she repeatedly added, "Now, Now, Lucretia, Lucretia, etc." A Wag among the Travelers, paying attention to this, along with the irritation from the crying: asked with a Porcelain Face; "Madam, what is the name of that Child?" "Lucretia, my Lord," the Mother responded with good intention: Whereupon the other, nodding his Head, said: "Ah dear Screamer Lucretia;" which evoked such excessive Laughter among all the Travelers that the Child's spirits, subdued by all the varied Sounds of Giggles, Laughter, and Chuckles, and with his weary Mother, fell asleep together.
Those who can observe the Impressions as liquid-like Bodies, can understand why a Man, when he quickly spins around with his Body a few times, seems to see all objects whirl around. For after this circle the Spirits are impressed, because they turn away from the...