The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-02-01
Agricultural.
How a Man takes care Of his Baby.

In spite of all the statements to the con-
trary, there are men who help take care
their children. They are the kindest and
best husbands in the world. They do not
wish to see their wives overburdened with
care and worry, and they intend to help
them great deal, and actually do. Yet 1t
cannot be denied that their opinion con-
eerning the value of their services and their
wives opinion on the same subject do not
exactly coincide. One of those good hus-
bands will help dress the children for break
fast, and speak OF 1t with grandly virtuous
air, while the fact is that he only washed
the face of one while his wife
washed and dressed the other three. lie
helps get the children ready tor church
that is, he buttons up Dicks boots aud helps
Jenny put on her gloves after he has leisure
ly and omfortably dressed himself, while
his wife ties sashes, and hunts up odd gloves
and puts on collars, and curls Que child's
hair and washes an0ther's hands, and in
the intervals "does up her own hair, and
saves the baby from the razor, and Jcnny's
best bonnet from the baby. He stands pa
;iently t!l in the hall as the bells begin to
toll, and mildly calls, at is getting late,
Maria" Which fact Maria knows ~ well
as he does, for her hands are trembling so
with nervousness and haste that she can
hardly put a single pin in its right place.
Just AS the last strokes of the bell are sound
i,g, they hurry oil to church, losing entire
ly the calming influence which comes from
lesurely walk on fine Sunday morning.
He takes the opportunity to remark, with
just shade of reproof in his gentle tones,
al can't understand why it takes you so
long to get ready. 1t really does seem as if
with as much as l do to help you, we need
not be obliged to hurry so at the last min
ute. don't like to see you go up the aisle
with your face as red as lobster, which
of course, is very soothing to Maria's irrita-
ted nerves.
The father cares for the baby at night in
very much the same fashion. The mother
has lifted the child into her own bed, and
back into its cradle again, in the vain
hope that in one place or the other he viii
90 to sleep, has brought "drinks of water
for him, rocked the cradle and sung to it.
uneasy occupant softly and sleepily for al
hour, till finally she thinks that if she is t.
be in this semiamphibious state, half out o
bed and half in, the air from the open win
dow is too cool for her. She knows if sb
tries to shut it herself the little tyrant will
instantly miss her presence and be ten time
wider awake than ever, and all the hour
singing and rocking will be labor lost. So
with much regret, she softly asks John t.
get up and close the window. He has lai
remarkably still and breathed rather heavi
ly, and is somewhat difficult to arous
for man who afterward declares he wa
wide awake all the time. But like the goo
husband he is, he cheerfully closes the win
dow, and gets an extra blanket for the baby
and pleasantly asks, as he settles down int
the pillows again, "What makes the baby s
uneasy tonight ?" He manifests stIang
indifference to his wife's reply and in fac
nothing more is heard fiom him till morn
ing, while nis wife sleepily and painful
works away for an hour.
But at breakfast, with what complacenc
does he speak of the trouble the baby mad
as last night, with an Gus" fairly compre
hensiveness. The next night he goes into
room by himself to sleep. He 'cant STAN
it to have his rest broken so," but adds gen
erously, 'I'll take care of him the mex
night" And so he does till about twelv
o'clock, when the baby wakes and cries. Fo
ten minutes he tries faithfully to get him t
sleep again, and then ignominiously re
treats and calls for 'mamma"--From articl
by Mary Blake, IN Home and Society,"" Serb
ner for February.