Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1885-01-08

Solid Comfort Taken by u Young Married
Man with his First Born.
Chicago Tribune
Having settled themselves at table
in Toms back room tho young man pro
eeeded:
II just had rich time until that boy
of mine was weeks old. Then the
nurse left and my wife said could just
as well help her as not, and | was only
too tickled to be able to do something to
make myself useful. We had no crib for
the youngster then and he slept with us,
between his mother and me. l was cau-
toned not to roll on him in the night,
and | tried hard to keep still, but had
MT been asleep mOre'n minute when
my wife dug me in the ribs and yelled,
Get up! you're lying on Adolphus.' got
up, moved over into my place, and tried
to sleep. but l got on the baby again,
and finally wrapped myself in blanket
and spent the rest of the night on the
floor.
The next day got a crib, Then my
real trouble began. The boy would be
fed and put into the crib. and 1T turn in.
My pleasant dreams would flee as the
plaintive yell of that youth cut the air
and struck me with the energy of
steam hammer. Aided by gentle push
from my better half, I'd climb out, pick
ND the boy. and, clad In the clinging
folds of night shirt and pair of slip
pers. I'd sit me down to WOO the gentle
God of slumber on my sons account.
This attempt at wooing the gentle God
is the direct cause of the ruin you see
before you, Just the minute | picked
the baby from his bunk he'd stop yelling
and look at me in wide-eyed surprise
and seem to say: where in thunder did
you drop from?' Then, as | sat down
and tried to get him comfortably bal
anced on my knees, he'd begin clawing
the air and grunting cOntentedly.
"Abcut this time l. set my foot in mo-
ton, trot! trOt! and accompanied with a
seductive 'sh-h-h-h, th-ere-e-e'
that / hoped would soon lull him to
sleep. But nary lull. He'd look at me;
smils-his grandmother says it's collie
that makes him smile-and then take in
the furniture piece by piece. and stare
stupidity at the dimly burning gas jet.
He was perfectly cool about this. Moth
ing was done in haste. Each picture,
chair and ornament would receive a
minute inspection from those wide open
ed blue eyes, and your humble servant
kept digging away at the troll troll and
'sh-h-h' scheme all the while. Sud
| denly there would be- a slow closing of
the little white lids and the blue eyes
were hidden. Aha! Now he was going
to sleep. At lastl And I'd work the
trOt! trOt! with renewed vigOr. Then he'd
sigh tired little sigh. and when was
sure be was fast asleep I'd start to lay
him back in his crib.
"But just as / would lean over to lay
him down he'd open his eyes, COO happi-
ly. and seem to say: oh, Pm not asleep;
was just having some fun with you,
and there was nothing to do but take
him back to The chair and begin the
whole business over again. Another
three-quarters of an hour would drag
YEARLY by, and second time the baby g
eyes would close and sleep appear to have
come at last. How carefully I'd sneak
over to the crib and gently lay him on
his little quilt. How tenderly I'd tuck
him in and wish that he'd sleep for a
week or more, to give me chance to
catch up on what had lost. He doesn't
move, and tip-toe to the led that had
known so little of me for some time.
sneak in under covers, stretch myself,
think there never was anything quite so
comfortable as that bed, and close my
eyes for refreshing nap, when there
comes from the crib suspicious grunt,
followed by string Of spasmodic coughs
and an unmistakable yell.
Painfully climb out Of the restful
bed. snatch the infant from his dOwny
couch and quiet him with the same old
trot! trOtl troll while the chill night
brsezes float through the open window
and play peek-a-bOO with my modest
knees under the tapping flap of my night
shirt. This has been my nightly pro-
gramme for about tive weeks, and you
see the result before you. haven't slept
twenty consecutive minutes in twenty
consecutive days. You said something
about having comfort with that boy. !
fondly hoped I'd get it. I'm still hoping
And the gloomy leOk again stole over the
face OF the happy father. His eyes gazed
vaeantly into space as he mechanically
made his way to the door, and with shut
fling uncertain stoD he tOtt0r0d aWaV