The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1869-03-03
The Advantages of Allowing
Babies to Cry.
From Hearth aIi,l Eninr.

When my littsc Paul wa> born
looked forward To- siege OF coIics,
cramps. and rutnip-tca. made up my
mind for ruckimg>, and trotiin.., and
paitin.>: : for amy thing aud every thin"
in lh. baby line. No uorrluict even
Jugs said to myself, nor sound nights
sleep. nor mOonii:ht-riac- in our new
cutter this winter, and thru cant rrnd
much. nor write such long letters to
mother. ] rrpackcd my silk dresses
ami my velvet palctot down iu the bot
tom OF my big trunk, saying: Il
Ahant want them.
| alwuy, had taste for martyrs.
The idea OF this ,no,hcrly martyrdom
rather suited me; an,l then that pre-.
ciuu> kitten OF u baby! 80 perfectly
cunning. from his soft black head to
his little pink heels! My nurse said {:
lie will learn to cry after you 10y and
ty land ! said: "Oh. won't that DC
dc!i.htluI!'
lam rather given to idcalizing so my
husband thinks-miy husband is Il very
practical man. Now, must own that the
reality OF bcin. sacrificed to a baby. nS
to time, health. and strength. including
on!ighi-ridcS. ni@hl->lccp>. books.
aud letters to mother, isn't quite 80
lovely, though it be delightfully."- Ma.
lunna-likc, and altogether in accUr-
dance with the ideas OF the "womans
sphere people. Nevertheless. ]
rocked and trottcd and "tcm,lcd" to
the utmost limit. When baby woke
from sleep, | flew to him IT the first
whimpcr. scizins him up into my arms {;
aud the young gentleman soon bccan"
80 tond OF this little operation that his
nap, grew to be regularly OF about i've
minutes duration. But like unto old
Dame somebody, in Mother Goose.
"victuals aud drink were his chici
occupation. Whenever he cried. fed
him; il he opened his mouth, | fed
him; i: he rolled his eyes, ! fed him :;
IL he had tho collie, | fed biss.. and ii he
didn't have the collie, ! ted him; and
when the poor baby cried bccausu he
could hold no Ip Cs3. !e.l. fed, fed him.
lsn't it strliZe hIut youn. mothers (and
old Oue:Y will persist in believing that
= t,4ty las but one sensation, mud that
= sbuRyer1
Now this baby Of mine was Of al.
together too choice material to be
trusted for IN instant to any hands but
my own, and so things wont on, until
ono OF tho henlthisst, bcSt-naturrd
children ever born became cross
little brnr. The worst OF it was there
was no "ict up" to It. Taught school
once, anil had my Saturdays, and
blessed my nights. Now there were no
Saturdays, nor days, nor nights, and
on. on it must 90, it seemed TO nc, till
the boy should Ie twcuty-onc.
Twill confess It to you, dear HEARTH
AND lIoME-I wouldn't to any body
cise-but really one afternoon had
become 50 ncrvously exhausted aud
,suru.out, 80 nearly wild. TINT for one
;jiiinute, one little minute, ! felt just ~
II I must throw baby down on the
H9Gr and'ruu.
One day tho lad began his "tan-
trums," as hia father calls thcm, just as
began my dinner. These two bcgin-
nings invariably coincidcd in point Of
time. sprauS. 3S usual, to fly to him,
but my husband planted himself firmly
against the dininS.rQom door.
"Now," said he, "let him cry it out
l stood for moment aShast ut tho au-
dnclty Of tho idea, though / could not
help admirins the sublime manly cour-
nsc that dared 10 even prompt such
bold rebellion against tho household
tyrant. ...
Why, he'll kill himself oryiNg," l
objected. -,
NO, ho won't" replied tho intrepid
man, laughing, rs he drew nc, half
rcsikting, back to my chair aud my
dinner. "Katy,"' he continued. "that
Child Is killing sou, and spelling him
self. and there's no sense IN 1t. ! be-
licvc In baby being q pleasant thing
in u house, aud not nuisance"
"Oh! you aro q man. said ! faintly'
and don't know about babies.
II know" he replied, THAT nature
newer intended them to StarYo their