The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1891-12-04
HARD ON BABIES.
Nine Mothers Out OF Ten Inf1ict Torturl
Upon Their First-Bo

Nine Mothers Out OF Ten Inflict Tortures
Upon Their First-Born.
Babies are subjected to so many
hardships that it Is a source of constant
wonder that some of them do not die
Young IT others by reason of their in
experience are generally to be excused
If they sometimes fail TO hide the point
of a pin in the garments of their off
spring They are also to be pardoncd
IL they occasionally fail to discover
that it is collie and not hunger that
makes q baby wake the household in
the small hours of the morning with
its waiting. Nine mothers out Of ten,
however, manage to iniict fortunes
akin to barbarism upon their first
born, actuated by their intense solici-
tude that fresh air shall not enter their
baby's lungs OF course they don't
want the dear little thing to catch
cold, and so they put as much wrapping
around ten pounds of humanity as is
commonly used to envelope an Egypt
ian mummy.
The other day two young women
boarded a south bound car on State
street at the Madison street crossing.
They looked enough alike to be sisters,
and one of them carried six-weeks'
old baby. She was a dowdy miss to
whose tender care the baby had been
confided by its mother. And the
baby 1t was wrapped in a bundle of
flannel thick enough to ward off the
biting air of an Arctic winter, with
heavy flannel hood tied under its fat
and dimpled chin and thick white
veil drawn closely across its face. The
car was well crowded with passengers
and the atmosphere was decidedly
close. Before Adams street was reached
the baby was gasping for breath as it
lay on IFS nurses knee. To make mat
ters worse the poor little thing was
forced to lie fat on its stomach, while
a ceascless drumming was given its
back by tho good right hand of the
dowdy girl The mother, blissful in
her ignorance. sat all unconscious that
her darling's life was in danger.
Pat pat, pat pat went the dowdy
girls hand. 81 think baby's going to
Sleep" she confided to the mother at
her side Pat, pat, pat, pat the girls
hands went up and down on the baby's
back. The little martyr squirmed and
wriggleds finally managing to moan
loud enough TO call attention to its con-
dition. ''Oh, myl she's waking up"
said the dowdy girl, and the baby was
turned end for end like stick of wood,
while the patting continued with
scarcely perceptible break.
"Thirty-secon' streetr' bawled the
conductor. and the dowdy miss shifted
the patting to her left hand. Her right
arm had tired and she patted just bit
stronger, pleased, no doubt, with the
belief that she was putting the baby to
sleep. The fact was the baby was in
imminent danger of taking its last, long
sleep.
''Forty-secon' streetr' called the con-
drctor. a1d then a motherly old woman
betrayed her solicitude for the baby's
welfare. 81 think you had better take
that veil off," she said. leaning over to
the dowdy miss, ''for the baby is chok-
ing" And she pointed at its purple
face to prove her words. "Don't you
see its mouth full OF that veil? For
goodness sake, take it OFF, she added
with much earnestness. The young
mother looked up surprised and then
alarmed. She hastily removed the veil
and the baby gave a visible sign of re-
lief by regaining a healthy color. But
the dowdy girls hand kept up its rhy th-
mic motion. Broad smiles began to
chase across the faces of the passen-
gers and the patting operation was the
focus for all eyes. One old gentleman
could stand It no longer. whats the
matter with the child?'' he inquired
with much anxiety. ''Has it got some
thing stuck in its wind-pipe?' Then
the passengers laughed. The dowdy
girl looked insulted, and without deign-
ing to reply continued humping the
baby's back. At Fifty-second street
the young mother. the dowdy girl and
the much abused baby got off, and the
motherly old woman, the old gentle
man and all the passengers breathed
easier.
AS the car rolled southwark more
than ono passenger wondered to him
self how long baby would live il sub
jected to such treatment every day
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