National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1869-01-29
Our Baby.
A BACHELORS EXPERIENCE WITH IT

1t was very pretty baby-that
is, tor baby. | had no fault to
find with it, as far as its individual
identity was concerned. If babies
must eXist-and | suppose there is
a necessity for the thing, else where
would all the grown people come
from ! this baby was as well in its
way as any other baby.
| mention these facts, merely to
prove that / am III no way preiu
diced. AS far as mortal man can
be, | am entirely al impartial wit
nesS.
1t was fast asleep in its cradle-a
little whitc beaded doll, with long
dark eyclasbes, and a crimson dot
of il mouth, against which lay its
tiny fist, with five well defined dim
pies in the five joints thereof. 1t
was fast asleep, | say, when Bertha
came airily into the room.
i am going over to the depot to
see mother off. Joseph. I'll be back
in half an hour. just keep an eye
TO the baby, while am gone, Will
you p
looked blanhly at my sister,
But while | was considering bow
best to express my total dissent tnm
her audaciouS proposition, She trip
ped out of the room, her ribbons
huttefiug in the soft spring air.
Silence doesn't always give con
sent, but Bertha had had taken it
for granted, in this matter, and |
was lett IA unwilling guardian of
my little nephew.
However, he was fast asleep =
that was one circumstance III my
favor. Mortal baby couldn't pre-
sent q more innocent and cherubic
aspect cham he did. So calmly
went Oh with my writing, soon be.
coming obliyiouS to his iutautilc
presence.
Talk about tending babies, quoth
to myself, dipping my goose-quill
triumphautly into the ink, why it's
thecasicst business in life. should
never spend my money hiring nur-
ScS, if that little enc WAS mine but
women never do know how to econ
mizc property
As these fancicS passed through
my mind the baby woke up aud
Sncezcd.
gave the cradle an oscilatory
kick, and then burst forth into the
well known burden Of bye a baby
bunting hut the little villain ahso.
. lutclN declined to shut his eyes again
/ like Il sensible baby. he opened
them wider than two miniature
moons, stared ut me with an air OF
malcvolcncc that made me a firm
believer in human dcprayity ever
/ since. and deliberately began 10 cry.
/ And the harder | rocked the cradle
and the louder | sang, the more
rcSolutc did that baby cry,
Hes hungry thought ! to my
SELF. Babies must be fed, and ii IS
highly rcpreheuSible OF bertha to
stay away so long.
90 | went uo"Ii INTO '''r P'"''H
and instituted Il search tor sCml
mix; Wll'ch nad Il vague i"o' Na'
thealet Erhef''il i''ti'tt'" "S '"o'n
less lhI'l AcN' hu' mn" t"e'e ""'
none Lamp o. H'eN"It ,.'., ; - y ?
hcioS'n'' uia""N 'N''! ,"."~ "'
mix was lIrf" every huo"' ="
coIlerlN'"lt au!"' ',"rT''. "s',,S V'"
lUNlon' nU' Hoi i "IoP TT ",'N'
All t"iN tl"l' i''''," me- ~
roaiN Oh my ncl'"'" "", NI~ =,
Nultehr'l ny H'N''Ht'' I"'Io"'" ''
apout me Il N'''l'SlN,
/ rushed l'au''Sti'H up sun
armed wilma hump ol sugar 'he III
soothing 'NprulthV ''"' SuEEcN'''
ltscli to NE,
'l}leSs ITS dear IlitIc Hcai'' th'fe
coniound NonF rarhtt'cah You kee
still! Take ltS sugar from IT'S owl
own uncle. that's Il littic goldr
/ boy.
e But the golden boy rcSoIutelN re
leeted the suga, screaming Iolidt
than ever; as II ITS lungs were Tort
oahN power, ana "arIailteu IeN'
to tire ont. II kicked ana struggle
: 1t paved the an, II got purple
: the FACE. Ashes OF king liefod an
I a'' .i'c rSN Pt''''N' "''O was " "i'
to do
IN VAN | executed war "'lll'
- around us c''niei III Nalh ! ran
Tue u'lllef 'eIl, anu Dhgle" l,
chl,,a orna,''''S, ana ""N'' u u
feather duStcr, aHd swung my go