The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1888-07-27
ALL o

A few years ago the king of 1surmah
had a cradle made which was ofmango
wood, cased inside and out with gold,
and studded with diamonds, rubics,
%sapphircs, and cMeralds, and is said to
have cost 1000 rupees.
The Russians hang their cradles
from fixed hooks, and Il loop beneath
the sleeping infant permits of the rock
ing being done by the mothers foot.
The Esquimaux have no cradles.
Baby lies snug and comfortable
enough among the bear skins of the
igloo, and when it goes out il is lust
tucked into the head of the mothers
otter-fur cloak.
Moses cradle of bullrushes dates
from only 1900 to 1,GO0 years before
Christ. Rut Sargon was set atloat in q
similar cradle on the Euplratcs nearly
four thousand years before Christ.
Thus that little Egyptian craft-no
doubt a common form of cradle mere
ly pitched to make it tloat-has been
made to appear comparatively modern.
Among the Turkish p~easantry may
be met with two forms of the cradle
which seem to suggest the transition
from the merely pendent bed swinging
from a single point of suspension to
the cradle upon rockers. One is q
horizontal form of the hanging cradle
on the ground designed 10 give us
nearly as may be the same motion.
Swedish cradles are often designed
to give II double motion. They are
suspended from the end of IL flexible
pole projecting from the wall of the
room. Or they hang from u strong
spiral spring. Thus the infant may be
swung to and fro or jog up and down.
Probably baby Swcdcs like it, but
there are a great many adults i'm whom
either motion. continued for five min
utcs, would cngcndcr a horrible sensa-
ton as of scasickncss.
The practice Of rocking seems to be
almost as universal us the use of cradlcs,
though modern intelligence seems i'm
clined TO abandon ii. Till the last few
years no English mother would ever
have thought of adopting a cradle
without rockers. and pretty much the
same may lie said of mothers all over
the world. Almost all forms of the
thing are designed either for swinging
from a point of suspension or oscillat-
ing on rockers.
in medieval England the official
rocker in the aristocratic nursery vas
as well established "a functionary as q
turnspit in the Kitchen. Royal nurscr-
les had their staffs of rockers, who
were deemed indispensable TO the
dignity and well being Of the budding
royalty. The infant son of James III.
had not been born four and twenty
hours before four rockers were APP
pointed to his service, and the house
hold of her majesty. Queen Victoria,
used formerly TO comprise u similar
staff. if it does not 10 this day.
Archdcacon Gray, in his work on
China, speaks Of cradles there sus-
pended from the ceiling. This. he
says, is to protect the children from the
attacks of rats. which are extremely
numerous in Chinese houses. Possibly
that may afford a clew 10 tho origin
of the practice of rocking. The hang
ing up of IL chill's cot to the ceiling oi
q room or the branch of q tree would
safeguard it from many insects and
animals. aud when thus suspended
it would he apt to swing to and
fro when touched or blown by the
wind. Probably this motion would
be found To have u somewhat dazing,
soothing influence on the brain of the
child. and hence may have originated
the idea of iulling the child to sleol
10y the motion.