Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-05-28
OUR BABY.
BY t. ADoLPHUs SMITH.


IwRITE as a son, as a husband, and as q
man of family. Ny subject is one of the
utmost importance to the married and
embarrassing community. | believe in
writing to the papers upon subjects OF
family interest. 1t lisa good thing.
Ofcourse have no sympathy in COM
mon with the silly people who ask for all
sorts of information from the family
newspaper" AS, for instance, where a
young man Just in society" wants to know
what he is to do with his napkin when
he is invited out to a "swelp' dinner
party and the editor tells him that he had
better take the article inquestion" home
and have it washed. That is absurd, OF
counsel
So. too, when a "miss in her teens"
cohfesses that she walks and fiirts with a
married man every night and wants to
know if there is anything wrong about 1t.
That, of course, is ridiculous!
Or where lone just commenced life"
writes to know what business will make
him rich in three years, without any in
vestment of capital or expenditure of
labor on his part. He must be an ass!
| write upon ,such ridiculous mat
tiers. But the sabject upon which
scratch these few lines reaches every
fathers heart; and as you answer 1t you
will carry joy 10 many household.
To come at il then--we are married.
BY we mean IphigenIa and /. / call
her "Pheegie" for short and as pet
name. But mother doesn't believe in pet
names and calls her plain Iphigenia.
Mother lives with us. l think 1t is
quite an advantage. But somehow Phee-
gle don't seem to think so. / am the
Youngest of seven sons. When father
died and was married my brothers said
that as they were older than l, and had
had more of dear mothers care, it would
be only fair to me to have mother spend
the rest of her life in my family.
thought that it was real atfectionate and
self-sacrifcing on their part. But some
how Pheegie don't seem to think so.
Dear mother is very sensitive about
being in the way. If she says it once a
day she does dozen times, that If we
feel she is trespassing in the little room
she occupies we have only to say so, and
she will lind humble cot in some retired
spot and there pass her widowed days
PRAYING for the welfare of her children
think this is very touching and sweet
on her part But somehow Pheegie don'i
seem to think so. She says: Suppose
we take her up some day-how much cot
do you suppose she would retire to-"
don't like the sentiment. How could
/ indorse il and have the assurance TO look
for the length of days promised in the
fifth commandment?
But this is not my subject. What
want to ask you about is our baby. we
have got baby. / mean Pheegie and /
and il II had not been for dear mother
don't know how we could have got along
Just as soon as the little thing was q
month old mother took it to sleep witt
her. She declared that never would {
wink of sleep come TO her eyelids If sh'
left that child for young and inexperl
enced parents TO roll on and smother
But when she took our little darling IL
this tender way to her grandmaterna
bosom, dear mother said, in just so many
words. that If her affection for the inian
was mIsconstrued, or if we grudged he
the playful caresses which the chile
might inadvertently bestow upon her, w
had only TO say as much, and she wouit
find humble cot in some retired spo
and then pass her widowed days prayinl
for her beloved children and grandchil
dren
Pheegie said, "Oh, bother the hum
BILE coti' But | don't think my dear wifi
understands mother. l thought Their
was something very touching in this dis
play OF q grandmamma's devotion. Bu
somehow Pheegie don't seem to think SO
As / said, however, we have got baby
He is boy. He is also very brigh
child, indeed. For that matter the worth,
nurse told Pheegie that she did not know
as she had ever nursed brighter youni
one. Our own baby is SIX months oil
now, and is very healthy. Dear mothe
says tina. she don't exactly like the wa.
in which it shakes its head every nov
and then. / think it Is queer, too, for 1t
head certainly does shake at times with
out the slightest occasion for it. some
times feel quite serious about 1t. Blu
Pheegie don't seem to feel so, and when
said I thought 1 ought TO speak 10 tn
doctor about il she said that might ais
tell him that the child's toes wriggie'
peculiarly. | didn't like her saying thai
and / noticed that dear mother dldn'
laugh. / agree with her that God give
us these precious wards to take care Of
Pheegie says that she supposes that CO.
also makes the precious wards hea'
shake. There is something in that. Bu
! wonder if Pheegie really loves tn
childs Mother often says that she hope
she does.