The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-02-06
Our Baby.

never could see the use of babies
We have one at our house belongs to
mother, and she thinks everything Of It.
can't see anything wonderful about it.
All it can do is to cry and pull hair and
kick. 1t hasn't half the sense of my
dog, and can't even chase cat. Moth
er and Sue wouldn't have a dog in the
house, bat they are always going on
about the baby, and saying Isn't itper-
fectly sweet?'
The worst thing about a baby is that
you're expected to take care of it, and
then you get scolded afterward. Folks
say, Here, Jimmy, just hold the baby
minute, that's good boy" and then
as soon as You have got it they say,
Don't do thatl Just look at him! That
boy viii kill the child Hold it up
straight, you good-for-nothing little
best and then be scolded for it, but that
is the way boys are treated. Perhaps af-
ter am dead they win wish they had
done differently.
Last Saturday mother and Sue went
out to make calls, and told me to stay
at home and take care of the baby.
There was baseball match, but what
did they care for that? They didn't want
to go to it, so it made no difference
whether / did or not. They said they
would be gone only q little while, and II
the baby walked op was to play with
it and keep it still, and be sure and not
let it swallow any pins. OF course had
to do it. The baby was sound asleep
when they went out, so left it Just a
few minutes till I went to see If there
was any pie in the pantry. If was
woman l wouldn't be so dreadful1y sus-
picious 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 to keep him
quiet. IL CHANGED to be bottle of
French polish with sponge on the end
of a wire, that Sue uses to black her
boots, because girls are too lazy to use
the regular backing brush. The baby
stopped crying as soon as gave him
the bottle, and sat down to read pa
per. The next time looked at him he'd
got out the sponge, and about half of
his face was jet black. This was nice
fix, for knew nothing could get the
black off his face, and when mother came
home she would say the baby was spoil
ed and had done it. Now think an
all black baby is ever SO much more
stylish than an all white baby, and when
L saw that the baby was part black L
made up my mind that if BACKED it
all over it would be worth more than
it ever was before, and perhaps mother
would be glad. So hurried up and
very soon gave it a coat of black.
You should have seen how that baby
shinedi The polish dried as soon as it
was put on, and had just time to get
baby dressed again when mother and
Sue came in. wouldn't lower myself
to repeat their upkind language. When
you've been called a numbering little
villain and also an unnatural son it
rankles in your heart for ages. After
what they said to me, didn't even
seem to mind about father, but went up
stairs with him almost as if was going
to church or something that didn't hurt
much. The baby is beautiful and shiny,
though the doctors say it will wear off
in a few years. Nobody shows any
gratitude for all the trouble [ took, and
I tell you it isn't easys=to black a baby
without getting it into his hair and eyes.
/ sometimes think it is hardly worth
while to live in this cold and unfeeling
world.