Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-06-23
Bahy's Rights--A Baby's Story--By
a BABY.

Bahy's kghts--A bahy's Story--by
q Baby.
Amt very old to writo-rm only
.ael II was my birthday yesterday,
nd don't have milk out Of my bottle
~ more-l have bread and milk out
vfa bowl. Bridget ties my bib under
" chin and feeds me very fast--shc
lesn't understand that | ought TO
ave time TO swallow. When shut
hy lips aud putter, she says, "There
rowl take your supper good, like a
darlin Ican't swallow whole bowl
20 a time; and cry, and she gives me
shake. After that | have the stomach
ache.
Lying awake with il one night, ]
legan 70 think that hadn't my rights;
nd / want EN-. How TO get em ]
don't know. cry all | can-but that's
40 use. kick, too-but what comes
uf itl They only give me drops to
make me sleep then ! feel hot, and
sick, and stupid all the next day One
# my rights is not 10 have drops; but
here now, how am / not to have EN-.
There it comes again
The most comfortable thing / ever
Lad was an India rubber bottle.
What are mothers made for, if a baby
! MT to have onel Who invented
rursing bottlesG l hate him, whoev-
cr he was
l have a mother, you know-a lady
who says she is, comes in sometimes
and tells other ladies' that she is "not
contented with Bridget +" Neither
I'm /, for that matter; but you see my
mother is not thinking of my rights,
but Of hers She wants TO vote, and
.vanting TO do it takes great deal OF
lime. She writes, too, for the news
liapers. When / want TO find out
'shether she is really my mother, and
legin to talk to her, she says Bridget.
You must really take that darlin' child
away-he disturbes me dreadfully~ p
Bridget'is big gand coarse her great
knobs Of knuckles hurt me. She ties
,irings too tight, and jogs me too hard.
Ny own mother is soft and fair, and
Ter skin is like silk, ! like to touch
er. I'm lady's baby, and one of my
ights is, that a lady should handle
nd dandle me. No one sees it. I'm
ut of on Bridget.
Mamma don't like to sit at the table
with Bridget, but she lets ber feed me
Perhaps have aristocratic notions,
100; who cares for them.
One day Bridget had a pig pewter
breastpin, with q yellow stone in it,
n her collar. and Il kept scratching
eay head; nobody knew it. One day
he took me out in my wagon and up
ct me; no one knew that either.
She takes me out to her cousins
-hanty where little Pat has the mea.
els or the small pox, and if | don't
catch' EN- both, it's because "Tbere's a
sweet little ehrub that sits up aloA, q
10 keep watch for poor molherless
babies.
Sometimes she leaves me alone in
she room with a CRATE FIRE. l always
nut my fingers into it. and then they
always burn. Once mamma found il
3ut and l had a different Bridget
they are all alike; they came from
the intelligence Office, and are rough
aud coarse, and smell of smoke, and
sake care Of me for money and not for
love. The new one is sleepy, and nod:
over and props me sometimes. One
,ot tipsy and lay on me- Some day
me will tumble down stairs with hel
zig feet and slipshod shoes, and break
Jay neck, / dare say.
A father, too, I have a right TO Z
father. Mine is Wall street man, h,
,oes out early and comes home to din
ner. Ishould think he might be very
nice TO know, but I'm not acquainted
with him be has nice black whiskers
and ho laughs and SAYS, ''hello, Ole
iellow," when We meet, and / try L
tell him about Bridget; and my feel
Ings overpOwer me and cry, and hs
ssys "Take the little rascal away
5iddy." One dreadful thing | do have
Il is a family doctor, he says I'm
very fine child, and does dreadfu
things 10 me. Once be lanced m,
suns, once be vaccinated me. Aftel
hat had a sore arm, and Bridget'l
line merino hurts it,
In summer there used to be som,
comfort in going out in my perambu
ator, and seeing that after all wa
not worse of than other babies, al
given over t) Bridgets, whom met
tut now its winter, and / have TO sta,
10 my nursery, in flannel shawl, anC
10 nothing but think and I've deci
led that ! must have my rights. A
whole mother ought TO belong to ev
cry baby and Bridget is an impo
siuon. A lAdy's BABY ought to Ii,
someiimes in lady's arms, and b,
talked to by lady. When lam abl,
to speak, l shall say what Bridge
says, and with her accent, and then
shall be scoldod, as if ii were my fault
That's the way with brother Tom.
Here ] lie now, while Bridget talk
to the milkman in the area. In
hungry; and damp and wretched. In
tired Of beingin the cradle, and shal
hurt myself If roll out / want III,
Oig orange on the mantle piece, an.
Q set in somebody's lap and have my
lcet tossed, and hear, aLittle pig coc,
70 market" but mamma is at a politi
cal meeting, and papa in Wall street
aud Bridge. in the area, and wb,
cares what ! want Rights / won
der where my rights are Nobod,
ialks about them. No matter, III
yell till / get EN-.
P. ST. have yelled, and Bridge
has given me drops. No matter. wber
I'm man, I'll go 10 for the rights o
oabies- I'm going to sleep. G0od-by