Daily Republican., 1883-11-16
Z" The Baby WaIks."


to Mr.. j. w. d. and wife.
I received very important letter
this week. 1t contained the announce
ment that " The baby walks" 1t Is
with no desire to pun that l say that
this Is great step forward for the
baby.
OF course, this event has not been en-
tirely unexpected in our family. !
have been looking every day for the
news for some time past. Our baby
has been remarkable baby from the
very first, and large number of his
Immediate relatives have been waiting
with bated breath for the tidings
that his long journey had commenced.
The particulars Of the auspicious
event are not to hand, but I can see In
my minds eye just how the wonderful
occurrence took place. The baby is out
in the country staying with his sisters,
and his cousins and his aunts," and l
suppose If they had been near enough to
atelegraph office they would have sent
me despatch about the supreme event.
Although the baby's fat legs are ridicu.
lously sturdy, he has had all along q
great ditfidence in trusting to them.
Now, last Sunday I held and still main
tain that the baby took one distinct
step toward his devoted father.
The news was inCredulously received
as being too good to be true, and the
whole family, from his grandmother to
the kitchen girl, collect, d around to see
| If be would take another, but the little
rascal seemed to think it was the
biggest kind Of joke TO bring his
fathers reputation for veracity into
question ty laughing and holding on to
chair, but refusing all the while TO
move away from it. 1t was all In vain
tina, held out my hands and all the
endearing inducemen could to take
the necessary steps to come TO me.
He would keep one hand on the
chair and reach out with the other but
not until he had clenched his pudgy
han arouud my finger would he let go
the chair. Once had enticed him In
this manner to quit the chair and then
suddenly withdrew my hand from his,
leaving him standing alone. He hovered
moment in wavering indecison and
then instead Of forward sat emphatically
down and resumed his favorite style OF
locomotiOn.
He never crept as an ordinary baby
would have done, but sort Of hitched
along. He would sit down, and, put
ting hand now on one side Of him and
again on thu other, his fat little body
swaying this way and that, would
hitch along with his little dumplings OF
feet ahead of him like a railway cow
catcher, and in this way he moved over
the floor at q 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 AZ an ornamental
superlluity.
1t was most comical TO see him forge
ahead, as the boat racers call it, with
both hands full, holding them up from
the floor and swaying forward with
out any help from them. He occa-
sionally took to his feet, aud with
breathless haste would work his
way along the wall In hand
overland fashion until, getting toe
elateI at As new excite nent he would
upset and ioll helplessly over on the
carpet.
These accidents shook his confidence
for the time being, In the stability o.
things, but, happily, baby's memory
iSas short as baby, and the perils o
peiestrianism were braved again anC
again. Often the poor little fellow
looked like u battle SCARED veteran af
ter his tum tles, but it is lucky thint
that babies are exceedingly elastic, 9th
erwiSe the population of this country
would not be so great as 1t Is now. Any
how, another competitor has entered
INTO the great walking match " The
baby walks"