The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-12-23
THE BABY.


ltuStaV6 DTOnl
How simple thing it is to be happy.
i thought, and what q strange mania In
people to 60 to China for amusement.
would remain long hours poking the
fire and talking over our feelings.
She would frequently say You, my
love, love him quite differently from
what I do. Fathers are more calcula-
ting. Their affection is O sort of ex-
change. They only love their child
when their pride Of authority is fiatter-
ed, Fathers have something Of land
proprietor about them. You can analyse
paternal love, discover it's causes and
say !" I love my child because he is OF
such or such fashion,"
And yet confessed to myself that my
wife was right. When child is born a
mothers affection cannot be compared
to a fathers. With her it is already
love. She seems to have known her
dear baby long time. At his first cry
one would say she recognized him-she
seems to say: 1t is he; she takes him
without any embarrassment, her mo-
tions are easy, she suffers no inconve-
nience, and in her folded arms baby
finds a fitting place and sleeps happily
In this nest made for him. One would
think that woman has served mystic
rious apprenticeship to maternity. On
the contrary, man experiences great
uneasiness at the birth OF child. Its
Hrst wailings affect him-but there is in
his emotions more astonishment than
love. His affection is not yet born. His
customing itself to these tendernesses
so new to him.
There is an apprenticeship in the trade
OF papa. There is none in that of mama.
lie the father is morally awkward in
loving his newborn, it must admitted
that he 10 also physically so in showing
IL his affection.
It is only in trembling aud with all
kinds Of contortions and efforts that he
lifts his little bundle. He fears to break
the child In two, and the latter knows it
and cries dreadfully. He employs more
strength-poor man-to raise his child
door. IT he kisses him, his beard stings
him--if he touches him, his thick
fingers hurt him. He looks like bear
threading a needle.
And yet, 1t is necessary to win the
affection Of the poor father, who, at
first, meets only misfortune-it is neces-
sary to attract him, enchain him, make
him acquire q relish for the trade, and
not make his role of oonscript last too
Nature has provided for this, and the
father Is advanced to the grade of cor
poral on the day on which baby STAN
mers out his first syllable.
We must admit that this first STAN
nering OF baby is very sweet, and that
this papa that the little creature first
mutters is admirably adapted for affect
ing one. is it not strange that the first
word q human being utters expresses
the deepest and tenderest Of all senti-
.ents2 49,.
Is It not touching to see this little
creature find out all by himself the only
word which can surely soften him of
whom he has most need. the word that
means: j -t.p.
II am thine-love me, give me place
thou seest.I have not known anything
very long. I have just landed-but al
ready I think Of thee, L am Of the
will eat at thy table and bear
thy name-pa.p d--pd-pG."
In one word he has discovered the
most delicate fiattery. the sweetest Of
affections. He enters the world in
All! the dear child! Pa.pa-pa-pa-I
still hear his hesitating voice. / still
see his. two vermilion lips rise and fall.
We were all In a'circi6 round him, on
our knees, to be Of his height. We
said, say 1t again, little man, say it
again--where Is thy papa? And he,
whom everybody cheered on, stretched
out his arms, turning his eyes towards
me. ~.
/ Rugged him tight, feeling that two
big tears prevented me from speaking.
From this time on / was q serious
papa. *, =
was baptized. .,N II; u