Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-06-14
ONE OF THE SEVEN AGES.
At first, the infant,
Mewling and pewking in the nurses arms.

IL has been computed that between
babies are born into the world each
year. The rate of production is there
fore about seventy minute, or rather
more than one for every beat Of the
clock. With the one-a-minute calcula-
ton every reader is familiar, but it is
not every ono who stops TO calculate
what this means when it comes TO a
years supply. And it will probably,
therefore, startle n good many persons
To find on the authority OF writer in
the Hospital that could the infants ola
single year be ranged in line in cradles
seven deep they would go round the
globe. We have the ingenious conclu-
sion also that supposing the little ones
to grow up and the sexes To be about
equally divided, we should have an
army hundred times as large as the
forces of the British empire. with q
wife in addition to every soldier The
same writer looks at the matter in u
still more picturesque light. He i'm
given point in their mothers charge
one by one, and the procession being
kept up continuously night and day un-
til the last-comer in the twelve-month
had passed by. A sufficiently liberal
rate of speed is allowed, but even with
these babies-iu-arms going past TWEEN
ty minute, the reviewing officer
would only have seen sixth part of
the infantile host file EDWARDS by the
time he had been year at his post.
In other words, the babe that had TO be
carried when the work began would be
able TO toddle onward itself when n
mere fraction of its comrades had
reached the saluting-post; and when
the years supply OF babies was taper
ing to close, there would be "a rear
guard not. of infants but OF romping
boys and girls. They would have
passed, in fact, out OF the maternal arms
into the hands of the school teacher.
Every moment OF nearly seven years
would be required TO complete this
grand parade of those little ones that
in the course of twelvemonth begin 10
play their part in the first age OF man.
1t is part this for which the infants
are very unequally equipped. There
are natural or physical differences to
begin with. Some infants are plump
and vigorous, and call for very little
attention to insure healthy develop
ment; others are so weak that the most
assiduous watchfulness is needed TO
keep the flickering sign of life they pos
sess from dying out. Some find their
way into homes where the only risk is
that they will be spoiled from excess of
love and tenderness; and others see the
light in places with little else in their
favor than the share of vitality, be it
much or little, with which they are in
dividually endowed. In all our towns
every day sees children born into the
lap of luxury. and others ushered alas
into existence amidst misery and want.
This is view Of the case which has
not escaped the survey of our essayest
in the Hospital, who speaks OF the
many who are born "only to find that
for q good many hours in the day they
must rub along as best they can in
charge Of a nurse only a little bigger
than themselves while mother is out
washing;" while others find themselves
in circumstances such as that of the
baby Grand Duke Michael Alexandra
witch. who before he was many weeks
old is reported to have had the sum of
| 1850 devoted TO his first years main
tenance; and some fifteen people en-
tirelysetapart for his personal service.
Buteven with the best intentions the
newcomers, according TO the country
TO which they belong, are subjected To
the most diverse experiences. They
may be sheltered from the slightest
touch of cold and nestled in cosy and
warm places, as is the rule amongst
/ Caucasian peoples; or they may be i'm
mersed in cold water and well rubbed
with snow after the manner OF certain
MOngolian tribes. In some lands. as
IN our own, the daily bath is insisted
upon the ground of health, and is
very soon enjoyed by the infant; but
away up within the Arctic circle dirt is
supposed to be part of the heritage of
/ life, aud the cleansing process Is al
! together unknown. And the lower
order OF Egyptians are even wOr e
than the EsquimauX in this matter; FOR
although the former enjoy "a mild II
climate and a closer touch with civil
ization, they leave their infans mot
only undressed and unwashed. but
they blacken their foreheads with SCOT
/, or bedaub them with clay, or keep
them wrapped up in black veil This
appears to be done with the object Of
depreciating the little ones in the eyes
OF strangers. A passport TO favor in
the houses in certain parts OF Egypt is
not obtained, as in our English homes,
by good word for the infant. There,
in order to be considerate and polite
"a visitor who looks at the baby must
say: Dear me! What a frightr or
What an ugly little thingr" And
fright it must be with its poor little
undressed body, suggestive OF the earth
earthly in IA very literal sense, and its
eyes irritated an inflamed by hybites.
1t is just possible, however, that this
studied ne ylect and denunciation Of the
babies in the land of the Pharaohs IN V
have been intended originally as a sort
OF domestic defense against kidnapping
for purposes OF slavery. AS at present
practiced it does not arise from any
lack of affection for the children, and
enlightenment should in time over