St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-06-22
What to Do with The Baby.

Tired mothers often ask, almost in de-
spair, how they can accomplish the work
waiting for their very busy hands while a
baby, with its innumerable wants, is call
ing for attention, or clinging to the skirts
of their dresses.
Nothing short of competent help, so sell
dom found, can make the burden light
but in many ways it can be lessened.
"Our baby on pleasant mornings, after
being washed, dressed and fed, is carried
out into bed in a hammock of netting,
from which he cannot fall, but can kick
and crow and look up into the grand old
efms or around into the garden with
bright colored flowers. After swinging to
and fro for little while he will fall into
sweet sleep. If you can have your ham
mock on the piazza all the better Avoid
strong winds, but don't say you can't have
anything of that kind. You can make
your own hammock if necessary If you
have no trees in the right place, have four
posts driven into the ground and put up
an awning quilt will answer if you
have no canvas. The open air will soothe
fretful child and if well protected by
under fannels, long sleeved wooden shirts
as well as skirts, and kept carefully from
draughts of wind, will help carry your
child through teething much better than
soothing syrups,
Try it, weary mothers, and while you
rest your weary arms, read few lines to
think over, then take your rocking chair
and work basket and sit down by your
darling to enjoy its innocence and beauty.
You need the air to strengthen you for
your cares and duties, and to enable you
always to look into the sweet face with
smile and to speak in loving tones, so
quickly learned by the little one Mothers
often feel overwhelmed with the response
bility of bringing up their children while
they feel too weak and weary to be the
model mothers they long to be.
The mother of small children should
never work beyond her strength, but keep
herself calm and we'll that she may be a
cheerful, pleasant companion for them,
Now know many women will say they
are tobliged to overwork." l know it
often seems so, but, my dear friend, stop
and think Is it not your ambition to get
ahead, to make a good appearance or sus-
tain the reputation of an extra house
keeper, adding weight to the already
heavy burden that wife and mother must
carry? If "John" is to exacting, tell him
kindly that you are resolved not to work
so hard as to prevent you from being able
to have happy, cheerful home for him
self and children. If he is a sensible man,
presume he is, he will be willing to
plainly, especially if he finds you i'm
proving in health and temper. Remember
it is your duty to take care of yourself
that you may live to bring up your little
ones. The day is past when the women
can sacrifice themselves for their families
with impunity. Public sentiment has
undergone healthy and much needed
reform on that subject.
The innocent, irrepressible days of early
childhood pascal too quickly away. 1t
is the mothers golden hour" for i'm
planting right seeds in the fertile soil for
uprooting the wee dsere they shall sup
plant the flowers. Teach them cheerful
and ready obedience from the first. Teach
them that God made them and everything
they see that he loves them and sends
bright, BEAUTIFUL things to make them
happy. They can learn these simple
truths SO young that they will never re-
member learning them. The mother pos
sesses the golden key to child's heart and
she can write lessons of faith and trust
there. in such indelible letters, that the
infidel world can never blot out the lesson
or uproot the faith.-Es.