The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1874-03-26

Some months ago | received letter
from the Royal Geographical Society,
informing me that this definition was
inaccurate: as, in tropical climates, ba-
bies had black faces, and were frequent
" found without any clothes worth
speaking of. This l don't believe. |
have often seen black men at St. James
Hall and elsewhere, but who ever saw
a black baby? l wrote back, saying
that if DR.. Livingstone brought, among
his specimens of other insects, any black
babies, l should have great pleasure IN
inspecting them and giving him Ger
titicate; that is, provided they didn't
prove stuffed seals or large cock
reaches.
There are a great number OF babies
in the world. Most of them are, how
ever. kept out of sight in cradles, hen
coops. aitics, and old clothes baskets.
A man once told me that the reas-
on of this is because, if they were
allowed to crawl about the streets or
marks no one could stir out for fear Of
walking on them.
Babies are nearly all the same size.
When very small they are called In
fants. and fed on butter, brown sugar,
and turpentine Sometimes turpentlne
rises to their heads, and they behave in
a most outrageous manner. once saw
an infant who drunk too much turpen-
tine sitting on pillow on the ground,
Yelling at respectable-looking old la
DIV, the infants grand aunt who had a
lot Of money. Whenever she pointed
her finger at the infant, it yelled louder
than ever, and tried to bite The grand
aunt left the house, and settled all her
money on an institution for elderly I'M
married women.
The education Of babies is generally
in very backward state; indeed, they
do not seem to know much of the Eng
lish language beyond the words papa"
mamma" "me," "go," by" Their at
teinpis al French are even worse; they
are continually using such low French
as "ajou." "day-day," 'ba-ba,' and by
by" 4 man once told me he had no
doubt that babies are descended from
negroes, for they always say me for l.
Babies do not differ much in temper
size or disposition. They are violent,
about the size Of pillow, and covetous
once saw baby with corkscrew,
a pair of tongs, handbcll. broken
hearth brush, and nothing could induce
il 10 part from any OF them. although
ii had got the corkscrew half way into
its ear. and the handle of the hearth
brush altogether down lis throat.
When Won come near a baby, il stretch
as ont its hand and clutches hold Of
your neck-tie This is. the mother tells
You, mark Of high favor and a sign
that the baby desires 10 kiss you
When you stoop forward to kiss the
creature, il seizcs you by the hair, and
every one but you laughs and says
what precious baby it is. You take
it in Your arms and hold ii on your
knee Immediately ii catches hold OF
your collar, and tries 10 stand upon
your best trousers with It's dirty boots |
If you don't allow it, the mother says,
80, do, Mr. So-and-so-let him stand up;
he is quite dehgted at having discov-
cred that he cab stand, and il won't /
burt him." 1t then lays hold Of your
and shoots out its finger
at your eye, and drives hand sticky
with wet sugar into the bosom Of your
Not unfrequently ii behaves in man
ncr so inconsiderate that description is
This makes You wish TO
put it down and stamp on it with your
right foot
Babies, like dogs, are not found wild
in any country. They are always to
be met with in the vicinity of mankind.
They are usually the companions of
women. In savage countries, when the
men are out hunting tigers with their
horses and dogs, the women amuse
themselves with feeding babies, and
scalps, and drying beef in the
sun; in civilized countries, when the
men are out shooting pigeons or hunt
ng hares with their dogs, the women
ook at babies, and sit down until their
lair grows down to their feet, put on
light dresses and learn the names of ,
heir children, if they have time after
coming in from Sepinu their friends Il