Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-12
BaIsIng n BABY Dy r6uIe.

We have just had some visitors al
our house whom | was heartily glad to
see depart I hope they won't come
again very soon-not, at least, until
they can come without bringing wear
and half Ole baby with them. II
was not the baby that made me lose
my usual serenity of soul. It was the
father and mother. The child was
good enough-better than most babes
would have been under similar cir
cumstances, better by far than would
have been had | been in its place,
knowing half as much as | know now.
These parents were raising their
little Charles by rule. No one must
dare to call the child Charley" or by
any of the ''baby names" dear to baby
lovers. 1t was against the rule to
do so. They had called that poor little
thing Charles" since the day of its
birth. 1t lived and breathed and had
its being according to rules as un-
alterable rs the law that "changeth
never" of which II have all read.
The trouble began the first night.
At exactly Z o'clock they took the baby.
kicking rebelliously, away from my
little boy of the same age, and one a
year older, and carried him off up
stairs, where he was undressed and
put to bed. His parents Immediately
rejoined lis in the parlor, leaving the
child kicking and screaming in actual
fright in the room above.
1--WE always put him to bed in the
dark" said the child's mother com
placently, needless of the shrieks
above.
''But he may not feel well after the
ride of a hundred miles to-day" said
my wife. Then, too, the little fell
low is in a strange room and 4 strange
house"
That makes no difference at all; l
never go to him after put him to bed,
no matter how long he cries" said the
mother.
Mamma! mamma! mamma" shrek
ed the child. Baby 'fraid! baby
'fraid"
Charles! lie still and hush right
upr
Charles didn't ''hush up" He was
a delicate, nervous child, and had
worked himself into such an excited
state of mind that he could not con-
troll himself. His cries we're pitiful.
''Charles!" cried out the father a
second time.
Would you mind if I ran I'D to the
poor little fellow for moment?" asked
my wife, greatly distressed by the
child's cries.
1--WE never have any one 90 to him, 2"
said the mother, coidly. He must
learn to obey us"
They do not know to this day, but
slipped out into the kitchen and ran up
the back stairs and went to that baby
myself. The poor little soul was fairly
quivering with fear and excitement.
His little fingers clutched at me as l
bent over him, and when l lay down
by him he clasped both arms tight
around my neck and lay trembling and
sobhing in my arms.
| believe in rules and in systems for
raising babies, but there is not rule
OF system that can not be set aside to
the advantage of the baby. have
seen children whose every movement
was regulated by a fixed and unalter-
able rule and they were not the hap
piest or the most pleasant children in
the world. | have known such chill
dren to break away from the restraint
and the irksome rules of home at a
surprisingly early age, and, once free
and rejoicing in their unrestrained
liberty, they did things they might
never have done had they not been
held with such tight rein ali their
lives. We need wisdom and the cou-
slant recollection tina. we were once
children and like-minded with these
little ones of ours in the making and
enforcement of rules for their guidance
and happin=ss.- BGbuheOd