Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-07-30
Taking the Baby's Picture.

family consultation IS nelu, anu al inc
adult female members are detailed to go
to the photographer and see the perform
ance through said leading photo
grapher recently. I'VE are pleased" he
continued, sit the retinue is confined to
the Youngsters relatives. but generally a
neighbor or two are added to the train, to
give an unbiased opinion. I suppose. and
we generally know it's baby by hearing
the approach of the body-guard on the
staircase. In q recent case the fond father
had been coaxed to come and see baby's
picture taken. He looked bashful and
awkward His pretty little wife blushed
half the time-it was the first baby, you
see-and the grandmother, two aunts-
one of them an old maitland neighbor
assumed charge If the affair knew at
glance that it was useless for me to pro
test The old-maid aunt seized hold of
the baby and placed him on the chair. |
only ventured to arrange some OF the
drapery. The youngster, as soon as he
saw the camera turned full at him, began
to cry. This was the signal for the per-
Torrance to begin. The mother at
tempted to smile at her darling, but
the effort came near ending in tears.
The grandmother, who had provided
herself with large jumping jack. painted
red, white and black, stood beside the
camera, chuckling at her whimpering
grandson, and working the toy in an
energetic manner. One of the aunts
flourished a baby rattle, the nurse flut-
tered a red pocket handkerchief. and the
attending neighbor blew Justify on a small
tin horn. The father said nothing, but
i,,o Nd 10 T I'd Nj, 4
looked as if he was about to exclaim, On,
ah = The baby stopped crying at once
and put on look of amazement which
was half. also, of fear; and with this ex-
preston | was compelled to be content.
The grandmother said it was just perfect
picture, which it was not, for the child s
eyes looked as if they were about to fly
from their sockets. But grandma said it
was all right. She had had her circus.
What kind of babies are the most
difficult to manage ?'
"Oh, the babies which are not babies.
What | mean by this paradox is that we
have little trouble comparatively with the
very little babies themselves. 1t is when
the subject is just on the border-land
between babyhood and childhood, whel
they are old enough to be spoiled, to be
ill-natured and too dimly comprehend
what is going on about them, that the
pilot grapher's misfOrtunes begin. Some
of them will cry and kick and do all sorts
of il-natured things when they are put in
the chair. We not infrequently get our
shins skinned by some of these precocious
youngsters, but we must bear our pain
with tortitude and smile in the midst of
agony"
DO you ever fail utterly?"
Very seldom. Sometimes sugar plums
succeed as last resort, but not infre-
quently diplomacy is as successful with the
children as with their parents. Recently
little girl just able to walk, but with a
terribly obstinate temper. was brought up
attended by the customary retinue of rela-
tives and acquaintance of the family.
When she was asked to take the chair she
planted herself firmly in the middle of the
floor and exclaimed with a trown: Tot
won't do put on my most insinuating
smile and produced very pretty toy. The
little spit-fire sucked Ter thumb and
looked askance, but would not bulge A
most wonderfully colored stick OF candy
had no effect. She was bound not to take
a seat in the chair.
"At last said: Well, Tot, | won't tax e
your picture and want you to go right
out of here, for have another little girl
who wants her picture taken, and you
must 60 Me won't GO she said.
We'll, them said !, you must; now
don't 90 and get in that chair; you
mus stay right here The child
took her thumb out of her
mouth, and began to edge up towards the
chair. Now, Tot said |, you must not
get IN that chair, it is for that other little
girl.' All this time | was getting the
camera ready, and had the little bulb n
my pocket, without attracting Tots al
tention. She was bound to get in the
chair now, and she did | pretended to
be attempting to get her out of it, but was
all the time arranging her dress, while
my assistant was getting the camera at a
proper focus. Finally, said, Now Tot,
don't want you to stay in that chair but
if you stay there you must not look at my
pretty bird here This attracted her eyes
toward stuffed buebird, which was
mounted on tai pole at the right of the
camera. Tot will look said she, and at
once became interested This was my
opportunity. | squeezed the bulb, and
before she knew it we had a first-elass
negative. All this must be annoying
you say. Well. we charge for it. That's
why it costs a little more to have a babv's
picture taken than it does to get an adult:
photograph.-NeW York Mail and Er.
press.