Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-05-25
Our Baby Again.

After this don't say anything more TO me
about babies. There's nothing more spite
full and malicious than baby. Our baby
got me into scrape once-the time BACKED
it. But didn't blame it so much that time,
because, after all, it was partly my fault
but now it has gone and done one Of the
meanest things baby ever did, and came
very near running me.
1t has been long time since mother and
Sue said they would never trust me to take
care Of the baby again, but the other day
they wanted to go to a funeral. They were
going to be gone about two hours, and was
to take care Of the baby till they came home
again. OF course | said | would do my
best, and so l did; only when boy does
try to do his best, he is sure TO get himself
into trouble.
They hadn't been gone ten minutes when
the baby woke up and cried, and knew it
did it on purpose. Now had once read in
an old magazine that If you put molasses
on baby's fingers, and give it feather to
play with, it will try to pick that feather off,
and amuse itself and keep quiet for ever so
long. | resolved TO try it; so went straight
downstairs and brought up the big molasses
Jug out of the cellar. Then I made a little
hole in one of mothers pillows, and pulled
out good handful of feathers.
Well, put a little molasses on the baby's
hands, aud put the feathers in its lap, and
told it to be good and play real pretty. The
baby began TO play with the feathers, Just
as the magazine said it would, so thought
| would let it enjoy itself while l went up to
my room to read little while.
The baby never made sound for ever so
long, and was thinking how pleased mother
and Sue would be to find out new plan for
keeping it quiet. | Just let it enjoy itself
till about ten minutes before the time when
they were to get back from the funeral, and
then | went down to mothers room to look
after the little innocent as Sue calls it.
Much innocence there is about that baby.
never saw such a spectacle. The baby
had got hold of the molasses Jug, which held
mornagallon, and had upset 1t and rolled all
pver in it. The feathers had stuck to it so
close that you couldn't hardly see its face,
and its head looked Just like chickens
head. You wouldn't believe how that mo-
lasses had spread over the carpet. 1t seemed
as if about half the room was covered with
it. And there sat that wretched little in
nocent," laughing to think how I'd catch it
when the folks came home.
Now wasn't it my duty to wash that baby,
and get the feathers and molasses off it
| Any sensible person would say that it was
| tried to wash it in the wash-basin, but the
feathers kept sticking on again as fast as
got them off. So | took it to the bath-tub
and turned the water on, and held the baby
right under the stream. The feathers were
gradually getting rinsed away, and the mo-
lasses was coming off beautifully, when
something happened.
The water made a good deal of noise, and
| was standing with my back to the bath
room DIOR so that did not hear anybody
come in. The first thing | knew Sue
snatched the baby away, and gave me such
a box over the ear. Then she screamed out,
Mother coma here, this wicked boy is
drowning the babyl" Mother came running
upstairs, and they carried the baby into
mothers room to dry it.
You should have heard what they said
when Sue slipped and sat down in the mid
die of the molasses, and cried out that her
best dress was ruined, and mother saw what
a state the carpet was in | wouldn't repeat
their language for worlds. 1t was personal,
that's what it was, and I've been told fifty
times never to make personal remarks.
shouldn't have condescended to notice it il
mother hadn't begun to cry and of course
| went and said was dreadfully sorry, and
that meant it all for the best, and wouldn't
have hurt the baby for anything, and begged
her to forgive me and not cry any more.
When father came home they told him al
about it, But he only said, My son, have
decided to try milder measures with you.
think you are punished enough when you
reflect that you have made your mother cry.
That was all, and | tell you Id rather a
hundred times have had him say, any son
come up stairs with me-" And now if you
don't admit that nothing could be meaneI
than the way that baby acted, shall really
be surprised and shocked-Jmmy Broom in
Hdrper's Young People.