Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-19
A FIGHT OF AFFLICTIONS.
BY CHRISTINE rERHUNE HEERICK.
tCopv,i01ted, 1886. !

ION, amt those hard Trials, great LflDu-
latiOns! ~ seem at times to express with
marvellous aptness the experiences or
young mother with her first baby. 1t IS
the general custom to take it for granted
that after the advent of the little creature
there is only plain sailing ahead. Inc
newly-made mamma is described as
repOsng in the midst of happy
calm, too blissful to care for any
other occupation than holding and pet
! ting her baby, or for any more exciting
diversion than building air castles for the
tiny being who has been laid In her arms.
A iudious silence IS preserved as to collie,
sprue, sore mouth, "cradle-caf," "red
gum" scurf, Jaundice, and half dozen
kindred ailments that are lying IN wait
for the unfortunate infant, ready to pounce
upon it without moments warning. The
mothers heart is wrung by the sufterings
of her child-sutferings that rouse IN her
bitter specuiations as to the reasons OF
this misery endured by sinless babe to
whom pam cannot have been sent either
as discipline or correction, and make her
ask over again the centuries old question,
Did this child sin or its parentsW
Nor can she shake OFF apprehension
even when urged to do so by the argu-
ment that "all babies have to 20 through
the same thing" In the intervals when
she is not sorrOwing over the little ones
last discomfort or worrying as to what
may be the next development, she deter
mines that when once these pitfalls are
safely passed she will 50 prepare herself
by study and her baby by unceasing care
that later maladies may be, If possible,
avoided, or, at all events, lightened.
In pursuance OF this purpose, by the
time she is able to sit up and take notice
and get from the bed to the fire, she sur
rounds herself with every treatise she can
find on the proper method of training in
fants. The room is strewn with copies OF
Babyhood, Young Mothers Guides"
"Adyice to Wives and Mothers" articles
on "Infants' Food and Dress" and the
nursery columns offamily papers are Gag
erly perused In search OF Information
upon the all-im portant theme.
AT the outset, however, she takes eX
ception TO the statements laid down by
those versed in these matters. Medical
authorities aver that the human young,
like the offspring of dogs and cats, are
blind and deaf for short period after
birth, and the monthly nurse confirms the
statement without lessening the mothers
incredulitY. She knows better. She will
tell you proudly that baby knew her voice
when she was less than week old, and
could be soothed by it when all others
Jailed to quiet the wee creature. And
can she, who has gazed into her child's
eyes and met that steady,
wise gaze Jnat seems to express more
than words could ever say, doubt that the
little one recognizes herr Already there
is bond of subtle, yet keen sympathy,
between them, the force of which she
could not put into language, but which is
perhaps felt only the more keenly on that
account And beneath the sweet dignity
peculiar to babyhoOd, and the wOrldless
calm that seems to indicate voluntary
reticence rather than inability to put
thoughts into speech, the mother believes
that her child understands her and is one
with her as no other mortal could be.
The departure of the monthly nurse
heralds new order of affairs in the baby's
management. The mother, primed with
the theories her vigorous course of read
ing on juvenile training has enabled her
to formulate, has borne with ill-dlsguised
Impotence the many obstacles laid in
her way by the worthy Mrs. Camp. On
account OF her own youth and Inexperi-
ence she has felt some delicacv in assert
ing her convictions as to the radical
changes that should be made in the var
iOus departments of the nursery regime
She has advanced the belief that the child
should observe regular hours of sleeping
and be put to bed at O'clock in dark
ened chamber, instead of being
the conversation OF three or four grown
people until 10 or IL O'Clock. She has
feebly argued against letting the cradle
stand where the bright light from the
window can stream into baby's eyes as
she takes her morning nap, and has offered
a more vigorous protest against having
the nurse. who is sound sleeper aud de-
cldedy deaf in the bargain, take the child
| to bed with her. RecoIlections of the
| nj hnr w M finn hnd ha 9 81
omon's judgment by ''overlying' her child
haunt her own slumbers, rouse Ler from
| her couch at uncanny hours and bring her
| hurrying into the nursery to see with her
own eyes that her baby is still safe.
Her heroic efforts to effect change in
these respects are met with severe snubs
she is pOwerless to resist. She is told
that the child might as well get used to
having talking about her; that when her
eyelids are closed the light cannot pene-
trate them, and informed that often the
only way TO keep such iretful child
quiet is to take her into the nurses bed
The mother remarks hesitatingly that she
herself could not sleep under any of the
aforesaid circumstances, but her lack of
experience with babies makes her re-
mOnstrances 90 for naught.
The mother draws a long breath of re-
lief when Mrs. Camps plump football de-
seconds the stairs for the last time. and be-
gins her work of reform with unlimited
faith in the success of her schemes. Are
they not recommended as infalIble by all
writers on babies and their habits? Fol
lowing out one pet theory, there
fore, baby is given her supper at O'Clock,
tucked into her pretty bassinette, the gas
turned out and she coaxed TO slumber in
the orthodox mode by the strains of the
cradle hymn. This course of treatment
succeeds in dssipating whatever linger-
ing drOwsiness may have hung about the
young woman, whose vocal pro-
tests become 80 vigorous and
Withal so pitiiul that the
mother succumbs and takes the sobbing
little creature to her lap. Here Made
mOlselle promptly RECEIVERS her tranquil
ty and lies placidly, wide awake, her eyes
fixed upon slender line OF light that
shows itself through a crack in the door
for two hours and half. Nothing rutlles
her composure except an attempt to re-
! place her in the cradle, but such endeav-
ors are strenuously resisted. About
! O'Clock, after "A second supper, she finally
condescends to drop to sleep, and the
mother energies blinking from her retire
ment, not exactly jublant over her sue
cess, but determined none the less to stick
IL out.
Two hours later comes the next strug-
gle. The dictum of the family physician,
Endorsed by eminent nursery authorities,
has been that baOy's night meals must be