Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-05-30
Fro m the New York Graphic,
OUR BABY.

write as a son, as husband, and
as man of family. My subject is
one of the utmost Importance to the
married and embarrassing communi-
ty. believe in writing to the pa
pers upon subjects of family interest.
1t is good thing.
Of course / have no sympathy in
common with the silly people who
ask for all sorts of information from
the family newspaper. As, for in
stance, where "a young man Just in
society" wants to know what he is to
do with his napkin when he is invited
out to swell dinner party, and the
editor tells him that he had better
take the article in question home and
have it washed. That is absurd, of
course.
So, too, when a miss in her teens,
confesses that she walks and flirts
with a married man every night, and
wants to know if there is anything
wrong about it. That, of course, is
ridiculous.
Or where one just commenced life,
writes to know what business will
make him rich in three years, with
out any investment of capital or ex-
penditure of labor on his part. He
must be an ass
write upon no such ridiculous
matters. But the subject upon which
/ scratch these few lines reaches ev-
cry mothers heart; and, as you an
swer it, you will carry joy to many
household.
To come to it. then
WE ARE MARRIED.
By we l mean Iphigenia andL. /
call her "Pheegie" for short and as a
pet name. But mother doesn't be-
lieve in pet names, and calls her plain
Iphigenia.
Mother lives with us. l think it is
quite an advantange. But somehow
Pheegie don't think so. I am the
youngest of seven sons. When faith
er died, and Twas married, my broth
ers said that as they were older than
], 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. l thought it was
real affectionate and self-sacrifcing
on their part. But somehow Pheegie
don't seem to think so.
Dear mother is very sensitive
about being in the way. If she says
it once day she says it a dozen
times, that if we feel she is trespass-
ing in the little room she occupies
we have only to say so, and she will
find a 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't 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 ike the sentiment. How
could I endorse it and have the as
surance to look for the length of
days promised in the fifth command
ment?
But this is not my subject. What
] want to ask you about is
I OUR BABY.
We have got a baby. mean Phee-
gle and l. Mother didn't have any,
thing to do about it. And yet, if it
had not been for dear mother, l don't
know how we could have got along.
Just as soon as the little thing was
a month old, mother took it to sleep
with her. She declared that never
would wink of sleep come to her
eyelids if she left that child for
young and inexperienced parents to
roll on and smother.
But when she took our little dar-
ling in this tenderway to her grand
maternal bosom, dear mother said In
just as many words that if her affec.
ton for the infant was misconstrued,
or if we grudgsd her the playful Ca
resses which the child might inadver-
fianflxy kuusCtv.y .,vIr,, hays yuJea had IN