The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-08-04
ABOUT KISSING BABIES.
ppalling Behavior OF Young Mothers
Timely Suggestions
[Bostoll Pos

"a AnleAy SHEgesI0nss
q [Boston Post.I
4 Maternal pride is beautiful thing at
81 distance, but close at hand ii Ia mar
low, aggressive and sometimes appall-
Sag. III 1t would exhaust itself In the
d ouuent patois Of the nursery-tba
Marvellous pigeon dialect, that obfus-
#ates the infant mind for at least six
months longer than the most serious
I'D sensible eonHersa ten Hetrald de
Nobody could complain. But the
homage which young mothers pay
sheir offspring does not In their minds
Constitute a complete discharge of
Secessary obligations. What they so
passionately give themselves they
Think should be exacted Of others
Granted without asking any
Questions. As q consequence baby
Kissing invitations have become much
more customary than ia agreeable to at
least the average masculine mind.
unfortunately b baby when put by its
naternal relative under a mans nose to
be kissed cannot be- refused, like prof
Rered piece of roast pig or @ section of
The calm but highly wrought
)ectangyR~ with which this assumed
#8lvilege Ia offered will intimidate the
Soutest heart. The person of whom
mis- service Is demanded may not be "a
chesterfield in his manners. and per
Il aps scorna the conventionalities OF
bite society. He may even affect "a
tide in brusqueness and a disregard OF
bmmon courtesies, but he will not re-
use to kiss q woman's baby, ordered
S1p in the short notice usually given, un-
aess he is made Of different clay from
that which enters into the composition
bf the great mass Of humanity. His cow
hrdiee or powerlessness may make him
angry with himself, but that fact will not
affect the result when he IL brought face
10 face again with the same disagreeablt
Of moral compulsion.
IL q protest will do any good, that pro
lest should be uttered. Mothers put the
public and their infants under toe
aeavy tribute for their own pleasure il
Affering up as osculatory sacrifices te
Ill their friends and acquaintance
EHhese pudgy epitomes Of men and Wo
aaaen. There Is little satisfaction In
Kissing, unless there is mutual assent
#a the arrangement, either tacit or ex-
Dressed. When men are called upon tc
q ISIS babies they do not comply willingly
Z hey may preserve an exterior us placiC
ND a summer lake, but within they are
sent up volcanoes Of unutterable re
lonstrance, or perhaps profanity. NJ
san-especially il he is a bachelor, AND
iii that class there are great many
II list now-knows what part Of a baby il
attended for kissing, and experience
aaohes him nothing. If be tries its
ps they are moist, irresponsible and
Generally unsatisfactory lifts cheek the
ammy point Of impact offers him Nc
atural encouragement to repeat the
oeration. The infant is hardly NOR
MI be congratulated than the one who
@hstows these compliments or tokens Of
fection. Even the kisses showered
pom IL by the warmth Of maternal love
neither understands nor appreciates,
i'll it may well protest with all the
rec or its uniformed ideas and I'm.
gulated will against having its tender
atures invaded by a stiff manly beard
Hnbody stands in awe Of baby to the
tent OF fearing to ask favors Of it,
ithout any forced conditions in the
after, the babies will be kissed quite
Z much as their grown-up acquaint-
ices desire, and doubtless more than
physically good for them. We move
an abolition Of the courtesies now
stomary in the nursery circle, or al
ast q transfer of the initiative, and
2 Ii do our best to keep the terms oil
8 Ia treaty inyiolhte,