The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-07-31
Tending the Baby.

TX u-eu 10 Dc pleasant rccrcarior. But
that wsIs before mounted cradles and baby
jumpers and nursery-maids were brought
into general Use. The playthings wcrs
cheap, II not homemade, and were exceesi-
ngly primitive In their construction. A
cigar-oox, mounted on spools and drawn
with string. served a. a carriage. and the
doll drawn In II Was made OF rags and
dressed In calico. There was a jumping.
jack 81 cardboard. which furnished endles.
entertainment. and clam-shells that made
the nieest tea-cups, and top, and whistle
thar grandpa made out OF 4 poplar stick
and a score 81 blocks picked up In the ear
p%nters shop Baby watched the build
ing with eager interest. crowed when il
Was finished and Knocked IL down with his
foot with infinite glee. The peek measure
was a seat for rim 10 sit on. or little
world for him 10 put In disorder and upset
when the whim struck him. or a car for
min "a get in. The broom-handle was an
unfIiling horse that always caEle 10 time
Grandma's ball OF yarn was always in o.
der. and when other sources f.ailesl there
was the eats tail. the pulling OF which in
variably produced music ifit did not pre-
cipitate "A catastrophe. Sometimes a drawer
was Opered and baby reveled in it, cor
tents. and sometimes the butron-bag was
a mine OF treasures. There was endles
fun in getting the little t0ddling. tumbling
fellow up on his ieet for a trot. and tin
pan with an iron spoon and a handful Of
BEANS was a sort of a paradise and fIrn-
shed delight for a millennium Baby
grew and made fun enough for the whole
household To pay for his care ten time,
over. That way of tending the baby i
now obsolete. The hall-hoor has been
carpeted- The primitive playthings have
been burned 10 make room for a bushel or
rwO OF toys. A hired servant. who only
cares for her pay and carries dime novel
Ia her pocket To read by stealth. watches
the little fellow in different way. pushes
thetOy< 10 him now and then. stufi> him
when h. erie. and when h. cries from the
Stuffing. doses him from the bottle she
carries in her pocket. She cannot play
herself All the play has gone out Of her.
~he does not quite sec what babies are
born for She looks on them all a trials
of Patience. and a. sure 10 bring our the
bad temper in one a A mustard poulfice
To raise blister. The dear little fellow
l. the one plague Of her life. and the only
comfort she has l. when she has admin
istered paregorie enough 10 make him
sleep beyond danger Of waking while she
chaffs with the grOcer's boy or carries on
an incipienr Irritation with young sprig
Of gardener. Baby grows sicsly and
irritable and peevish. lie j. exacting 81
attention and unable 10 amuSe himself.
His manners are too deTnOnstrarive for the
parlJr He has bad nights. The old peo-
pie hook serious. and say. = He won't b.
raised - and even mamma thinks some
thing ! really the matter with her eherub.
and wonders whether sO0thing-sirup or
the doctor viii best meet his case At
any rate something must b. done right
away. a. she has got a new suit Of clothes
for the little fellow. showing hi sweet lit
rie white knees and must rrOt him out 30
the neighbors can see what beautiful eyes
and hair he has. and how the blue Jacket
with ELK trimmings becomes hi- complex
ION. And baby enslure~ il all. runs the
gauntlet escapes from his enemies. and
finally survives even hi school Teachers
with the endless examining. and APPEAR
with f1ultleSs swaIlOw-tail and irreprOach-
able kids on nj way somewhere. some
babies are terribly tough. You can no
more Kill them than you can give dyspep-
IA To an india-rubber doll But for every
gutraPercha baby that i proof against
nurS-s. and doses and parental folly. there
are a dozen real fie~h-and-blood creatures
who cannot stand such treatment. and fall
DFAAAAAAA AnAfA-
al: bat If there were an honest inquest
held in nine eases OuI Of ten the verdict
would b.. = Died q BAD tending Then
this sort II care never trains children To
amnse themselves They have a surfeit
Of toys but are not taught how To get
amu-eHent cut II them. The mo,lern
baby. with house-full 81 playthings. ha~
very little of rhe RAJ rollicking pleasure
and fun that the BOYS and girls u--d 20 get
out II shingle toys quarter OF a century
ago The trouble j. not in the toys but in
the tending Then il was real /: now il j.
make-believe Then il enticed by sympa-
thy; now il repels BY want Of H. Then
II trained 10 self-care. now il develops
dependence and creates a desire 10 be
amused and cared for by others. Then il
un-ealed a fountain % joy in the heart
now il ch0kes the inward spring and
breaks down vitality if not constitution.
Babies are very good things in a hou-e
where they are wanted and rightly cared
fOE---ycr York Graphic.