Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1880-12-02
Our Baby.


INEvER could see the use Of babies.
We have one &C our house that belongs
70 mother aud she thinks everything OF
It. can't see anything wonderful about
IL All Il can do Is 10 cry aud pull hair
and kick 10 hasn't hsif the sense OF
my dog. and il can't even chase cat.
Mother and Sue woqida't have dog In
the house, but they afe always going
ou about the baby agd saying ',ain't it
perfectly sweetr'
Tho worst thing about q baby Is that
you're expected 70 take care OF him,
aud then you get stolded afterward
folks say ''fiere JiH44yt 3stst hold the
baby minute, that's q good boy" and
then as soon as you have got il they say
Don't do that my goodness gracious
the boy win Kill the child hold ii up
straight you good-fornothing little
wretch IL Is pretty hard 10 do your
best and then be scolded for Il, but
that's the way boys are treated Per-
haps after I'm dead folks will wish they
had done differently.
Last Saturday mother and Sue went
out 10 make calls and told me 10 stay
home and take care Of the baby. There
was baseball match, but what did
they care? They didn't want to go to
Il, and so II made no difference whether
went to it or not. They said they
would be gone only a little while, and
that II the baby walked up was TO play
with It and keep il from crying and be
sure you don't let it swallow any pins.
OF course, had TO do It. The baby
was sound asleep when they went out,
so | left il Just for few minutes while
went to see II there was any pie in the
pantry. IL was a woman / wouldn't
be so dreadfully suspicious as To keep
everything locked up. When got back
up stairs again the baby was awake and
was bowling like he was full Of pins. So
/ gave him the first thing that came
handy 10 keep him quiet IL happened
TO be bottle of French polish with a
I sponge in il on the end of wire that
Sue uses TO black her shoes, because
/ girls are too lazy TO use a regular black
ing-brush
The baby stopped crying as soon rs
/ gave him the bottle and | sat down To
/ read the Ioaag People. The next time
/ | looked nj him he d got out the sponge
I NhN hDAul Ahlt MS AACb was ltN ifidNh'
/ This was nice fix, for knew nothing
could get the black "a his face, and
when mother came home she would say
J the baby was spoiled and had done il.
Now / think an all-back baby is evei
/ so much more stylish than an all-white
/ baby, and when / saw the baby was part
black | made up my mind that If
/ blacked it all over it would be worth
1 more than It ever had been, and per.
/ haps mother would be ever so much
/ pleased. So hurried up and gave Il q
/ good coat of black. You should have
seen how that baby shined' The polish
! dried Just as soon as il was put on, and
| had Just time 10 get the baby dressed
/ again when mother and Sue came in.
/ | wouldn't lower myself TO repeal
| their unkind language When you've
been called numbering little villain
and an unnatural son it will wrinkle il
your heart for ages. Altar what they
/ said to me | didn't even seem To minC
about father, but went mp stairs witt
him almost as If was going TO ohurct
or something that wouldn' hurt much
The baby is beautiful and shiny
though the doctor says il will wear of
| in few years. Nobody shows any
| gratitude for all the trouble | took, anC
| can tell you it isn't easy 10 black {
baby without getting il into his eyes
and hair. l sometimes think that IL i
hardly worth while 70 live in this colo
and unfeeling world, --'Jlmmy Bro'cH,
in Haper'S Young People.