Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-04-20

Of mcezlng, hlccoagllng, yawnlng,
stretching, sucking and screaming
which, says the admlrlng papa, "were
all we'll performed by my infant" The
baby did not speak Of these perfoI-
manccs Of hs as "re1eY actions" until
he was seven months old. During
the liwt fortnight the infant would
start At q sudden sound aud wink his
eyes but though he noticed a candle
IN his ninth day, he was tor u long
time more susceptible TO sound than
to sight. Ills winkng was TO protect
h,s eyes and was not acquired, like
his knowledge Of sound. through ex-
pOricncc, In his forty ninth day he
was attracted by u brigh, colored tas-
sci. On his seventy seventh day he
took his boillo in his right hand, aud
could not he induced 10 take II In his
left hand until a week latter 80 that
the right hand was u week IN advance
Of the lcit aud yet the boy grew up
left handed, a tendency inherited from
his grandfather and his mother. In
his one hundred aud fourteenth day he
sho wed distinctly reasoning powers,
by grasping his fathers finger aud
drawing Il to his mouth, and then
after several failures, slipping his haod
down on the finger so that he could
get the end in his month. When
four months cd, he began to look in.
tenlly at his own hands, and to turn
his eyes in and squint frishtiully. BY
this ccnvergencc Of his eyes be got
the bearing OF things, and learned not
to grasp at objects beyond his reach.
But when he was two years and four
months old he could not hold a pen
or pencil neatly SO efficiently as bis
sister. who vas only fourteen months
Old.
Anger the infant exhibited early.
On his eight day he frowned before
crying I'll, but this may have been
from pain yet when he was ten
weeks he looked sour when cold mix
was given him, and Sigh, caase
would Sc, him into n violent passion
when he was four months old. Fear
was m early feeling also. When Il
few weeks old be would start and cry
at a sudden sound. Before he was four
months and half o!d his unnatural
father was accustomed 10 make close
to him many loud and strange noises,
which the baby took as an excellent
Joke, but at this period he made one
day long and snoring noise that
caused the baby 10 look grave and
cry. Naturally the child did not like
to have his father make n rhinoceros
of hlselt. He used also frighten the
boy by coming before him and stand.
ing with his back to him mo.iouless.
When the child was two years and a
quarter, his father took him to the
geological Gardens to study natural
history. The baby liked all the ami.
mails that were like those he knew,
such as deer and antclopes and all the
birds, but he was alarmed at the lal ge
animals in cages. This suggested TO
Mr.. Darwin that this vague but real
fear of wild beasts, independent of ex-
perience, is the inherited effect OF real
danger and abject superstition during
ancient savage times. Did it ever oc-
cur to Mr.. Darwin that the fact that
the beasts look savage and are Gagged
and are evidently feared by other peo'
pie is Sufficient to account for the fears
of the child We doubt that a tame
lion would be feared by child; often
children show no fear even OF a savage
dog or repa'svc hogs until experience
teaches them. Is the clhld's fright of
a turkey gobbler the result Of the Sab.
iect superstition of his grandmother 2
This Darwin baby showed hy his
eyes his pleasurable srnsa-
taking his first meals, and
when he was furly.seven days old he
smiled, and he pretty nearly Laughed
when he was llO, upon cloth being
thrown over his head aud suddenly
Four weeks earlier he
rad shown his humorous appreciation
If the joke ofpiuching his nose and
,heeks. (This is cheap experiment
hat anybody can try with almost any
,iud OF baby and We hope TO see it
ntroduced.) lie showed affection by
imiling, when he was two months old
,ut he did no. distinctly recognize
my body till he was four months old
when year old be voluntarily kissed
lis nurse (no;hipg IL said about the
Iort of nurse he had 50 that the oh.
Is vslueless Of course, ii his
,ursc were Young oud pretty. he
l.