Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1852-09-25
The First Rahv.

MY oId schooltellow, Mary Thorny, had been
married nearly two years, when made my first
call on her IN her capacity of mother.
ibid you ever see such darng?" she ex-
claimed, tossing the infant up and down in her
arms. "There baby, that's mas old friend, Jane
Tie knows you already, declare" said the de-
lighted parent, as it smiled at bright ring
which held up to it, "You never saw such
quick child. He follows me with his ewes all
about the room Notice what pretty little feet
he has, the darling footsy-tootsies," and taking
both feet in one hand, the mother fondly kissed
| them.
ut is certainly very pretty" said ], trying to
be polite, though | could not perceive that the
| infant was more beautiful than dozeu others
had seen. "lt has your eyes exactly, Mary"
| 'Yes, and dada's mouth and chin,' said my
friend, apostrophising the child: hasn't it, pre-
cious?'
As walked slowly hemeward, said to my.
sell, lwonder if, when marry, l shall ever be
so foolish. Mary used to be sensible girl In
| fortnight afterwards, | called on my friend
again.
How baby grows she said: don't you see
it! | never knew child to grow so fast
Grandma says it's the healthest child she ever
knew
To me it seemed that the baby had not grown
| "iA anvil, e'AsA W oNoIu VIC i
changed the subject. But in moment, the
doting mother, was back to her baby again.
81 do believe it's beginning to cut its teeth"
she said, putting her finger into the little ones
mouth. "Just feel how hard the gums are
there, surely that's tooth coming through
Grandmother will be here to day, and I'll ask
| her if it isn't So"
| laughed as replied: II am entirely igno-
! rant Of such Matters but your child really
seems very fine one"
ooh, yes; everybody says that Pretty, pref
| ty dear' And she tossed it up and down, un.
till thought the child would have been shaken
to pieces; but the little creature seemed to like
the process very much. 'It is Growing at his
mother? It's laughing, is it? Tinny ninny
little dear. What sweet precious it is!''
And she finished by almost devonrng it with
kisses.
When next called, baby was still further ad-
vanced.
"OnIy Think" said my friend, when l had
made my way TO the nursery, where she had
gins to eat. | gave it piece of meat, to day
bit of real broiled beefsteak"
"What" said !, in my ignorance, for this did
look wonderful; "the child eating beefsteak
already!"
ooh! laughed my friend, seeing my mistake,
"What Ounce you are, Jane! But wait until
you have babies of your own. She says you
eat beefsteak, darling" added the proud moth
er, addressing the infant, "when you only suck
the juice. You don't want to choke yourself,
do you baby? Eat beefsteak! It's funny,
| baby isn't it!" And again she ughed-laugh-
ing all the more. because the child, sympathet-
ically, crowed in return.
| 1t was not many weeks before the long ex-
pected teeth appeared.
'Jane, Jane, baby has got three teethv tri.
umphantly cried the mother, as entered the
nursery. Three teeth, and he's only nine
months old! Did you ever hear of the like!'
confessed that had not. The whole thing
in fact was out of my range of knowledge. /
knew all about Dante, in the original, and
dozen other fine lady accomplishments, but no.
thing about babies teething-
'Just look at the little pearlsr exclaimed my
friend, as she opened the child's mouth. sAre
they not beautiful! You never saw anything
so pretty-confess that you never did. Precious
darling, continued the mother, rapturousy hug
ging and kissing the child. lit is worth its weight
in gold
But the crowning miracle of all was when
'baby' began to walk. Its learning to creep
had been heralded to me. So also had its being
able to stand alone, though this meant, found,
standing with the support of chair But
when it really walked alone, the important fact
was announced to me in note, for my friend
could not wait till called.
"Stand there,' she said to me, in an insult
ing voice. "No, stoop, mean, how can you be
so stupid! And, as obeyed, she took her sta
ton about yard off, holding the little one by
either arm. snow, see him." she cried, as he
toddled towards me, and finally succeeded in
gaining my arms, though once or twice fan
cied he would fall, a contingency from which he
was protected, however, by his mother hold
ing her arms on either side of him, an inch or
two off.
''There, did you ever see anything SO extra
ordinary! He's not a year old, either"
By this time began to be considerably in-
terested in "baby" myself. He had learned to
know me, aud would begin to crow whenever1
entered the nursery; and was therefore, al.
most as delighted as my friend, when for the
first time he pronounced my name.
"Djane," he said "Djanep'
His mother almost devoured him with kisses,
in return for this, wonderful triumph of the vo-
cal organs; and when she had finished, |, in my
turn, smothered him with caresses.
! never after that, smiled even to myself, at
the extravaganza of my friends affection for
her baby! the little love had twined himself
around my own heart-strings. How could Il
And now that am a mother myself, feel
less inclination to laugh, as others may do, over
that mystery of mysteries, mothers love for
her baby
aTThe "Pierce Club at Concord, N. H., the
home of the General, have gone out of their
way to make John Van Buren an honorary
LII. A..