Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-11-06
" Tho BABY Walks"

T. nt
received very important letter this
that The baby walks It is with no
dcstIe to pun that | say that this is 4 great
step forward for the baby.
OF course this egeut has not been en-
tirey unexpected in our family.
have been looking every day for the
news for some time past Oar baby
has been a remarkable baby from the
very first, and large number OF his
immediate relatives have been waiting
with batCd breath for thu tidiugs that his
long Journey had commenced. The parti
cU.als OF the auspiClOus event are not 70
hand, but can see in my minds eye just
how the wonderful occurrence took place.
The baby is out in the country staying
with h is sisters and his cousins and his
auuts" and ! suppose e they had been
near enough TO telegraph office they
would have sent me dispatch about the
supreme event. Although the baby's fat
legs are UdiCu,Ously sturdy, he has had
all along a great defiideuce in trusting to
them. Now, last sunday held and still
maintain that the baby took one distinct
step towards his devoted father. The new,
was i lUreduoI - y rece ysd as being too good
70 be true, and the whole family, from
his glaudm DtheC - the kitchen girl
collected around to see If no would tlks
auuther, bat the little rascal seemed TO
think it was the biggest kind Of a Joke 10
bTug his fathers reputation for veTaCity
into question by laughing aud holding on
20 char, but refusing all the while %
move away from 1t. IL WAS all ia
vain that ! held out my hands
aud all ths eudearng Inducements
| could to get him to take the
necessary steps 10 como to mo. He
would keep one hand on the chair au
reach out with the other but not until he
had ClluChed his pudgy hand around
my nDger would he lot 90 the chair. Once
| had cuticed him IN this manner 70 quit
the chair, aud then suddenly Withdrew
my hands from his, leaving him standing
alone. lie lowered a moment III wavering
indecslJn and then instead Of stopping sat
emphdtlca y down aud resumed his
favOrite style of lJCOmUtiOn. lie never
crept as an ordinary baby would have
done, but sort of hitchgd along. lie would
SIT down, and, putting a hand now one
side OF him aud again on the 9th ,r his fat
little body swayIng this way and that
would hitch along with his little dumpiugs
OF feed ahead OF him like a railroad COW
Gather, and this way he moved over the
moor in sitting posture at speed that
was wonderful, Practice had made him
so perfect at this sort Of movement that he
evidently came TO look on walking ~ al
ornamental supeTiiuity. II was most com
lCal to see him forge ahead as the boat rae
eTs call il, with both hands full, holding
them up from the floor and swaying
forward without any help from them.
lie occasionally took 10 his feet, aud
with breathless haste would work his way
along the wall in hand over hand fashion
until getting too eIated at his new excite
ment would upset and roll helplessy over
on the carpet. These accidents shook his
confidence for the time being IN the sta
blity OF things, but happily a baby 4
memory is as short as a baby, and the
perils of pedestriauism were brayod again
and again. Often tho poor little fellow
looked like a battle Scared veteran after
his tumbles, but IL is q lucky thing that
babies are exceedingly elastic, otherwise
the population OF this country would not
be as great as it is now. Anyhow
another competitor has entered into the
great walking match The baby
walks"