The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-09-09
TIE ABUSE OF BABIES.

and in no way is sympathy more called
for than for the poor little abused ba-
bies; not the babies Of the poor, but
those of the well-to-do and the rich.
The little bare-legged, dirty-faeed tot,
whose mother does all the work Of a
household Of six or eight, is in many
ways the most fortunate Of babies. He
can sit in one little calico garment, on
the bare floor, and kick and roll with
perfect freedom. He can reach the
pump handle aud give himself com
Portable wetting two OF three times a
day, aud he eau laugh or cry unhin-
dered, just as the notion takes him. II
this independent little fellow could only
live in a clean, healthy part Of the city,
and be fed with judicious care on coarse
but nourishing food, his lot would be far
better than that of his aristocratic
brother on the fashionable street. AS il
is, he gets much more solid comfort out
Of life, though he may be more in dan
ger of sudden death. The trials and
troubles Of these little bare footed, in
cipient freemen are in most instances
beyond remedy; but it is the children Of
the better classes, whose parents are
able to do all that money can buy, who
are crying out all the time with the
touching, inarticulate voice Of childish
pain for the correction OF a hundred
abuses, which only requires a little
thought and self sacrifice. These chill
dren are overwhelmed with a volume Of
clothes as useless as they are injurious,
too long by half yard If they are In
fanps dresses, too many and too heavy
for hot weather, too light and too thin
for cold weather, and too fine for any
weather.
An infant is kept in its nurses arms,
when ii should lie kicking in freedom
on the bed OF floor. a little child is be-
ruflled and be-sashed until it can hardly
walk, aud then a nurse is put at its heels
I to see that none Of the ribbons or ruflles
are displaced. Every ehild-like, romp-
| ing movement is suppressed, every
childish scream hushed, till the tyranny
Of nurses and clothes becomes absolutely
slavery.
/ But these are not the worst troubles.
Babies are dressed by order Of fond
mothers until they are nearly smoth-
cred in lace and ribbons, and then
tucked into dainty carriages and trun-
died oil by thoughtless or over-loving
nurses, no one knows where. II the
children are pretty aud Interesting, so
much the worse for them they are no.
tieed by every passer, kissed by mouths
foul with breath from a disOrdered
stomach or bad teeth, and hugged up to
warm bodies from which their sensitive
little natures will absorb more disease
in five minutes than they would take
from any air In an hour.
If they have colored nurses, they are
often taken TO the filthiest parts Of the
city and tossed about from one careless
hand to another, until the little things
ache from head to foot with the rough
though good Jared fondling. II they
are sick, and consequently fretful, they
receive all the twitches and cross words
/ (and perhaps blows) that their nurses
are afraid to give them in presence Of
the mother. If the nurse is young, and
receives some attention from the men Of
her own set, she will make the daily air
ing Of her small charge a rendezvous,
and while she aud her lover are talking
comfortably in the shade of some house
or awning, the poor little helpless child
is blinking its eyes against lorturing
sun.
Oftentimes fearful risks are run in
crowded streets aud on dangerous cross
ings, and many little sufferer from hip
disease or deformed back may have its
trouble traced to some unknown fall on
the street.
These are sad facts to contemplate !;
but every business man that walks to
and fro from his store, and every prom
enader, can testify to their truth.
Small children that are taken for
walks are compelled to go long dis
tances, to stand on corners in the sun
perhaps, are scolded and jerked, and
then frightened into silence by the most
dreadful threats. The most awful prac-
tices are INDUCED in by nurses before
children, and oftentimes drugs are given
to keep them quiet; very often the
cheapest candy is given them-candy
poisonous with all sorts Of bad coloring-
and many otheI things that are bad,
often out Of purely ignorant good nature
on the part Of nurses.
Now, the remedy for all this does not
lie in remOrseless TRADE against these
same nurses; they are only human; they
have their troubles and their grievances;
and they seldom have any resource but
the human though wicked one Of vent
ing their anger on the helpless children
entrusted to them. Most Of them are
naturally kind, and suffer more pa
tiently children's tyranny than would
the parents, should the places of the
two classes be changed. And much Of
the injury children suffer comes more
from carelessness than from vieiousness.
The remedy lies with the mothers them
selves. They must either take the time
and the trouble to look after their chill
dren constantly, or they must accept the
consequences Of Sickness, death, aud,
what is worse, moral taint. They must
Z H.. al, fhfnkfng only for sfvIa and