The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-05-01
Eskimo Baby.Life.

When a baby Eskimo's mother makes
the hood tor her reindeer suit, she
stretches it into a long sack or bag,
that hangs down behind and is sup
ported by her shoulders, and this bag
of r%eindeer's skin is his cradle and
home, where he lives until he knows
how to walk, when he gets his own
first suit of clothing.
This, however, is while the baby
Eskimo is out-of-doors or his mother is
making a social visit. When at his
own home, in order not to trouble his
mother while she is sewing or cooking
or doing such other work, the little
baby is allowed to roll around almost
without clothing, among the reindeer
skins that make the bed, where it
amuses itself with anything it can lay
its hands on, from a Ratchet to a snow.
stick.
You doubtless think little Boreas
should have a nice time rolling around
to his hearts content on the soft, warm
reindeer skins; but when / tell you
more about his little home, you may
not then think so. For his Winter home
is built of snoW.
''But won't the snow melt and the
house tumble IMP" you will ask. OF
course it will, if you get it warmer
than just the GOODNESS al which water
freezes; but during the greater part of
the year it is so cold that the snow
will not melt, v g when the Eskimo
burn fires in their stone lamps inside
these snow houses; so by closely regu-
lating the amount of the fire, they can
just Keep the snow from melting. In
short, it must always be cold enough
in their home to freeze.
So you a see that the little Eskimo
can not have a very nice time, and
you can't see how he can be almost
naked nearly all day long when it is so
cold. But such is the fact.
Yet, in spite of all this, the little fell
low really enjoys himself. He gets
used to the cold, and has great fun
frolicking around on the reindeer skins
and playing with his toys; and when 1
have told you some other stories about
the cold these little folks can endure,
you can understand how they can en-
JOY themselves in the snow huts, or
fgtoos, as they call them, when it is a
little colder than freezing.
~ CAhuCos ZIG hiC Will ScJ lOO WARM
in the snow house, and then the cell
ing will commence melting,-for you
all perhaps have learned at school that
when a room becomes warmed it is
warmer at the ceiling and cooler near
the floor. So with the hut of O ii
commences melting at the top because
it is warmer there,-and when two OF
three drops of cold water have fallen
on tho baby's bare shoulders. his
father or mother finds that it is getting
too warm, and cuts down the fire.
When the water commences drop
ping, the mother will often take {
SNOWFALL from the floor, where it il
colder than freezing, and stick i
against the point where the water i
dripping. There it freezes fast ant
soaks up the water just like a spongt
until it becomes full; and then she re
moves it and puts on another, as sool
as it commences to drip again. Some
times she will forget to remove it. an,
when it gets soaked and heavy wit
water and warm enough to lose it
freezing hold, down it comes! perhap
right on the baby's bare back, wher
it tlattens out like a slushy pancake
or into his face, as it once served me
-Liem. Frederick SchUatSd, IN 81
Nicholas for March.