The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1874-07-02

IL used to be a pleasant recreation. But
that was before mounted cradle, snd baby
Jumpers aud uurscry-msids were hrongbt
into general use. The p'av things vcFe
cheap. 81 not homemade, aud were gx-
coedingiy primitive to- thoir construction.
a eigar-box mounted oa spools aud
drawn with . string, served as "a carriage
and the doll drawn ia it was made OF
rags and dressed iu calico, There was q
jumping-jack OF cardboard, which fur
nished endless entertainment, and clam
shells that made the incest tea.eups, and
a top, aud a whistle that grandpa made
out OF poplar stick, and a score Of blocks
picked up IN the carpenters shop. Baby
watched the building with eager interest,
crowed when Il was 6nishca, and knock
It down with his foot with infinite glee.
The peck measure was scat for him to
sit on, orr little world for him TO put IN
disorder and upset when the whim struck
him, or a car for him 10 get in, The
broom-haude was an uulaiIiug horse
that always came 20 time Graudma's
ball OF yarn was always IN order, and
when other sources failed there was the
cats tail, the pulling Of which invariably
produced music if il did not precipitate a
catasthrophe. Sometimes drawer was
opened and baby revealed in IFS contents
and sometimes the buuon-bag was II
mine Of treasures, There was endless
fun in getting the liItle toddllng, tunb-
| ling fellow up on his feet for a trot, and
tin pan with an iron spoon and hand
| ful Of beans was sort of paradise and
furnished delight for Il millennium. Baby
grew and made fun enough for the whole
household TO pay for bis care ten times
over. That way of tending the baby is
now obsolete. The hall floor ha been
earpeted, The primitive playthings have
/ been burned to make room for bushel
or two of toys. A hired servant, who
cares only for her pay and carries dime
novel in her pocket to read by stealth,
watches the little fellow in an indifferent
way, pushes the toys to him now aud
then, stuils him when he cries, and, when
be cries from tho stufling, doses him from
the bottle she carries in her pocket
She cannot play herself, All the play
has gone out Of her. She does not quite
sec what babies are born for. She looks
on them all as trials Of palieuce; and as
sure to bring out the bad temper in one
as a mustard poutice to raise a blisteE--
The dear little fellow Is the one plague oI
her life, and the only comfort she has il
when she has administered palegoric en-
ough to make him sleep beyond danger
of waking while she chaiIs with the gro
GERS boy or carries on an incipicnt nirta
ton with young sprig OF a gardener. -
Baby grows sickly and irritable ant
peevish. lie is exacting Of attention an(
unable TO amuse himself. His manners
are too demonstratiye for the dining-roou
and his temper too bad for the parIor. -
lie has bad nights. The old people lool
serious and say, He won't be raised, ant
even mamma thinks something is really
the matter with her cherub, and wonder
whether soothing syrup or the docto
will best meet his case. At any rat
something must be done right away, a
she has got new suit of clothes for th,
little fellow, showing his sweet littl
white knees, apd must trot him out 81
the neighbors can see what beautiful
eyes and hair he has, and how the blu
jacket with silk trimmings becomes hi
complexion, And baby endures it all
runs the gauntlet, escapes from his enc
mics, and finally survives even his schoo
teachers, with the endless examining anc
appears with faultess swalIow-tail anC
irreproachablo kids on bis way some
where. Some babies are terribly tough
You can no more Kill them than YOU cal
give dyspepsia to an india-rubber doll
But tor every gutta-perCha baby that j
proof against nurses and doses and pa
rental folly there are a dOzen real tiesl
aud-blood creatures who cannot STAN
such treatment aud fall by the way ~
They make beautiful funerals; but
there were an honest inquest held in niu
cases out OF ten the verdict would be
Died Of bad tending. Then this sort q
: care never trains children TO amusc them
selves, They have a surleit of toys, bu
; are not taught how to get amusement gu
of them. The modern baby with a b0us
full Of playthiugs has very little Of th
real roIlicking pleasure ard fun that III
boys aud girls used to get out Of shingl
toys quarter Of century ago. Th
trouble is not in the toys but IN the tend
. ing. Then it was real; now It is make
believe. Then 1t eutieed by sympathy
now it repels by want Of it, Then
trained to selt-carc; now It develops dC
Il peudence and creates desire 10 be amu0
ed aud cared for by others. Then it ur
unsealed a fountain Of joy In the heart
now it chokes the inward spring an
. breaks down vitality If not constitution
Babies are very good things in a hon.
: where they are wanted and rightly care
for.
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