Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1861-07-12
THE FIRST BABY.

/ III ulSl Cali Ol uCi ili HSA N"P3Stty VI a
mother.
Did you ever seq such darling@
she exclaimed, tossing the infant up and
down in her arms. 'ghere, baby, that's
mas old friend, Jane. He knows you
already, declare, sail the delighted pa
rent, as it smiled at tht bright ring which
I held up to it. 'Younever saw such a
quick child. He folio me with his
eyes all about tho room. Notice what
pretty little feet he has, the darling footsy-
tootsies;' and taking both feet in one
hand the mother fondly kissed them.
1t certainly is very pretty said l
trying to be polite, though l could not
( perceive that the infant was moro beau
tiful than dozen others had seen. 1T
has your eyes exactly, Nary
Yes, and dads mouth and chin,' said
my friend, apostrophidng the child F;
hasn't it, precious? ? aad she almost
smothered it with kisses.
As walked slowly honeward, l said
to myself, l wonder if, when / marry,
l shall ever be so foolish. Mary used to
be a sensible girl In fortnight after
wards l 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 is the healthiest
child she ever knew
To me it seemed that tle babe had not
grown an inch; and 10 avoid contradic-
ton, changed the theme. But, in a
moment, the doting mother was back to
her infant again.
i do believe its beginning TO cut its
teeth, she said, putting her finger into
the little ones mouth. Just feel how
hard the gum is there. Surely that's a
tooth coming there. Grandmother will
be here to-day, and I'll ask her if it isn't
So
laughed as l replied, am entirely
Ignorant Of such matters; but your child
really seems to be a very fine one
oh yes; everybody says that. Pretty,
pretty dear + And she tossed it up and
down until l thought the child would
have been shaken to pieces but the little
creature seemed to like the process very
much. 1T is growing at its mother? Tiny
niny little dear. What a precious it is
And she finished by almost deyouring it
with kisses.
When l next called, baby was still far
ther advanced.
'Only think, said my friend, when I
had made my way to the nursery, where
she now kept herself from morning till
night, baby begins TO eat give it a
piece of meat to-day--a piece Of real
broiled beefsteak already?
What ? said l, in my ignorance, for
this did look wonderful, the child eat
ing beefsteak already ?
'Oh? laughed my friend, seeing my
mistake, What a Ounce you are Jane.
But wait till you have babies your own
She says you eat beefsteak, darling, ad-
ded the proud mother addressing the in
fant, when you can only suck the juice.
You don't want TO choke yourself, do you,
baby ? Eating beefsteak It's funny
baby, isn't it ? And again she laughed
all the more because the child sympa-
thetically, crowed in return.
1t was not many weeks before the long
expected teeth really appeared.
Jane, Jane, baby has three teeth ? TIL
umphantly cried the mother as l 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. l knew all about Dante in
the original, and dozen other fine lady
accomplishments but nothing about ba-
bies teething.
Just look at the little pearls ? ex-
claimed my friend, as she opened the
childs mouth Are they not beautiful !?
You never saw anything so pretty-con-
fess that you never did. Precious dar-
ling continued the mother rapturously
hugging and kissing the child, : it is worth
its weight in gold
But the crowning miracle Of all was
when baby" began to walk Its
learning to creep had been duly heralded
to me. So also had its being able to stand
alone. though this meant, found, stand
ing with the support of chair. But
when it really walked alone, the import
ant fact was announced to me in a note,
Cor my friend could not wait until called.
Stand there said she to me in an ex-
ultant voice. No, stop, mean, how
can you be so stupid ? And, as 1 obeyed,
she took her station about yard of,
holding the little one by either arm.