American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-11-07
A Talk About the Babies.

| INC HuTScTJ was dppOlntcu LOT the lOp vi
the house. 1t was slightly and airy and
| spacious, full of light and sunshine
From it the noble domes and slender
| spires, even the far hills and the winding
| river, were clearly visible; and high up
above library and drawing room and din
| ing-rOOm the children could make as
much noise as they pleased, arrange their
| playthings in all that disorder which is
dear to the infantine heart, and pursue
| the momentous affairs of life without
running the risk of interference from
trivial frivolous and capricious elders.
| Truly, it was happy thought, this estab-
fishing the nursery at the top of the
| house
But only happy thought. For prac-
| tical results it would seem that the nurs-
cry is the one place that children will not
go to. A line of stereoscOpic views
reaches down the staircase. All the
chairs in the chambers are marshalcd
into one railroad train, and | am allowed
cricket to sit on only by sutferance.
My OWE room is invaded, my best shawl
converted into a tent, all my pretty little
Shakespeares serve as building blocks,
and am only too happy if | am not my
self pressed into service architect.
There are children under the dining room
table, children behind the sofa. children
in the china closet, and, as | live, there
is Baby-in- Brooches at this moment
dragging The Other Baby out of the best
drawingroOm cabinet, Nhere they have
been snugly bestowed at hide-and- seek.
HOuse-top nursery. indeed You may
turn it into a servants room, or billiard
room, or IA studio, but the children are
bubbling all over the house and never by
accident deviate into the hOuSe-top, I'M
less, perhaps, bust in clay is waiting
there its transition to marble. in which
case undoubtedly Baby-in- Brooches will
catch the general spirit of criticism and
think that eyebrow too high, papa"
and stick a billiard-cue into it by way of
definition, at the cost of an hours recon
struction by the patient artist.
1t is a disorderly and reprehensible
custom, this overflow of the children be
yond all bonds, this determined onset of
sturdy irrepressibles; but it cannot be
denied that thus do we get delightful and
unexpected flashes of fresh, individual
nature.
| go into the blue room of an Grand,
and behold, Star-Eyes curled up on the
middle of the bed, asleep, under dam
ask napkin. Presently in my nelghbor-
irfg room | hear a velvet voice calling
Cusnabe" l hold my peace to see
whereunto this will grow. Twenty times
she calls Cusnabe,' in every variety of
soft intonation, evidently experimenting
on her own voice. Then thuG, a pause,
patter, patter, patter, and i'll she shines,
all dewy with sleep, only "A little snip of
cambria falling off her shoulders, but all
her fine clothes tucked under her arm
and dropping along the way. Then,
without a word, without invitation from
me, without the least sign of encourage
ment, she climbs into my lap as calmly as
if she owned me, and unto this end was
| born, and for this came l into the
world; and the very assurance and as
sumption which in a grown person would
be intolerablc, in her are simply ador
able. Are shy and shame then merely
conventionalities? Who shall teach Star
Eyes the dividing line between the
charm of withdrawals No one, i'll
deed; for in the swift-coming years
swiftly will come to her the tremors of
self-distrust, and timidity and dread of
encrOachment; but as yet her universal
confidence, her absolute impossibility of
intrusion, and her guarantee of win
somcness.
And how her mantle of sleep falls off
from her, and the blue eyes wander
about the room. They meet paper doll
on the bureau. Whose is that nice lit
tie doll?"
at is yours. 1t was sent to you in a
letter"
Then ho for the bureau, and no! for all
the rest of the house; and, gathering up
her bestrewn garments i'll a struggling
wad under her arm, down the stairs she
creeps cautiously, and is soon again deep
in the mysteries of life.
Baby-in Brooches is fond of his sister
after high and mighty fashion. When
he is glOved and booted and close but
toned to the chin in all the dignity of 60
ing out to spend the day lie turns back
after the door is closed to hug her and
kiss her and calculate, Pretty creature!'
Yet she comes in from her play in the
yard quite pale and agitated, and presses
up against me close, as she asks, eagerly,
VIII Prince Butler snap Starry's legs
off," Prince Butler is the warllke dog OF
warlike general around the corner.
And that little rogue of Il Baby-in
Brooches has been telling her that Prince
Butler will snap her legs off. Telling her?
He tells her under my very eyes. He
leaves his sweetest tidbit at the table to
come round and whisper his awful screed
to Star-Eyes. But tarEyes has found
IA way to turn his flank, and now, when
the miscreant approaches her with his
GorgOns and chimeras dire, she simply
puts up her eager face. g lFW Prince
Butler snap Starry's legs OFF,"
mo, indeed"
Whereupon, turning to her Evil Nero
dach, she annihilates him with her No,
indeedy."
And the little wretch even dares to
practice upon me. Cusnabe," he says,
as he stands contemplating his varying
expressions in the great looking glass,
g climbed tree in the park to-day"
"Oh, no, you did not dare to climb Il
tree and break your legs?'
"Yes, did. Dangerous tree, too"
Who wonders that mans inhumanity to