Feliciana sentinel., 1878-01-05
THE BABY.
MATERNAL AND PATERNAL LOVE.
EGustave DroZ.1

CGustave DroZ.l
How simple thing it is to be happy,
thought, and what IL strange mania in
people to go to China for amusement.
My wife was of my opinion, and we
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+ing
Their affection is a sort of exchange.
They only lave their child when their
pride of authority is fattered. Fathers
have something of 1and-proprietOr about
them You can analyse paternal love,
discover its causes and say: ~ love my
child because he is of such or such a
fashion,
And yet confessed to myself that my
wife was right. When q 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
u long time. At his first cry one would
say she recognized him-she seems to say:
1t is he; she taxes him without any EN-
| barrassment, her motions are easy, she
! suffers no Inconvenience and in her fold
ed arms baby finds fitting place ard
sleeps happily in this nest III ade for him.
One would think that woman has served
a mysterious apprenticeship to maternity.
On the contrary, man experiences great
uneasiness at the birth of a child. It's
first wailings affect him-but there is in
| his emotions more astonishment than
| love- His affection is not yet born. His
heart has need of reflection and OF ac-
cllstoming itself to these tendcrnesses so
new to him.
There is an apprenticeship in the trade
of papa. There is none IN that of mama.
II the father is morally awkward in
| loving his newborn, it must be admitted
that he Is also physically so in showing
| it his affection.
1t is only in trembling and 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
| strehgth-p00r man--t0 raise his child
than is necessary for breaking down &;
door. Ifhe kisses him, his beard stings
| him-if he touches him. his thick fingers
hurt him. He looks like bear thread
ing a needle.
| And yet, it is necessary to win the al
fecton of the poor father. who, at first,
meets only misfortnne-it is necessary to
| attract him, enchain him, make him ac
uuile relish for the trade. and not make
his role OF conscvi:r last t"" long.
Nature has provided! for this, and the
fa tller is advanced to The grade Of cor
poral on the day on which baby stammcrs
out his first syllable.
We must admit hat t!,s first STAN
mering of baby is very sweet, and that
this ra-pa hat the little creature first
mutters is admirably adapted for aflrc-
ting one. Is it not s, range that the first
word a human beirg uttcrs expresses ths
deepest and tendcrest of all sentiments
| Is it not touching to see this little
creature find ont all by himself the onl!
word which can surely soften him O
whom he has most need, the word thai
means:
Il am thine-love me, give INC Il place
in thy heart, open thy arms for mc-tho,
Seest l have not known anything yer,
long. l have just landed-but already
think Of thee, am of the family, l viii
eat at thy table and bear thy name-pa
pa-ph-pd."
In one word he has discovered th
most delicate tlattccy, the sweetest CT af
/, fcctions. He enters the world in mas
terly way.
All! the dear child! Fa-pa-pa-po-
e still hear his hesitating voice. still Sc
his two vermilion lips rise and fall. "
were all in a circle round him, on on
6 knees to be of his height. We said, sa
it again, little man say it aSan-wheI
It is thy papa? And he, whom everybod
cheered on, strct chcd out his arms, turn
ing his eyes towards me.
S l hugged him tight, feeling that tw
big tears prevented me from speaking.
e From this time on l was Il seriOl
Il papa.
1 was baptized.