The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-01-22

N TkHH world is to con
~ ;::; ;::;;: ::;:: !; ':::; i; :; :; ::;;: ::
again. The fact is, we could not vel
get along without them.
DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH AND BABIES
The distribution of children and
money seems to have been conducted
in this world with equal pigheaded-
ness. Many who want money and
would use it wisely never get any,
while those who have it in abundance
either find it bore or put in their
time yearning for some other blessing
to go along with the riches.
Children seem to be given out in
the same style. Where they are
wanted they don't come and where
they are not desired or particularly
we'll cared for they arrive annually.
It's lucky that everybody doesn't have
children, because as it is the number
of misplaced babies is enormous.
People think it's very easy to bring
up children until they try it. Old
maids daughters are as proverbially
perfect as are old bachelors sons.
| was in a friends kitchen once on
baking day. Her two small boys were
spatting dough cakes on the table,
their high chairs fairly lost in the
oceans of flour they had spilled on the
floor.
"When was a girl at home and
used to see my stepmother allowing my
hafbrothers to Ra1y Ral21yy vDoiMeedd Die ddfnyh my ch2}r h2r
dren never should do anything of the
SORT" said she. "Now look at
them !"
Some people seem to think that the
mere fact of being a mother teaches a
woman how to govern, control, in
struct and bring up her child. If this
was only so there would be scores OF
perfect mothers, instead of one or two
in every town. The truth is, because
a woman happens to have a child she
is not necessarily better fitted to take
care of it than she would be able to
play piano merely because there was
one in the house. "Mother instinct >
sounds we'll, but it generally teaches &
mother to feed her baby on mince pie
and pickles if it cries for them. A
woman must 60 outside of herself te
learn to take care of her children.
"WOULD YOU LIKE TO MANAGE
this child ?" the mother of a scream
ing boy inquired of young married
woman.
"Well, think I could,' was thu
frank reply, elf l begin early enough
l wouldn't care TO take him now.''
That's the whole gist of the matter
You must begin early enough. Don'1
think you can give baby its own way
until it is year old and then start
in to teach it obedience. Don't cross
. your children in every point, but in
sist on implicit obedience in the fe"
things in which your judgment ough
5 to rule. Don't be like the woman
who gave her first baby everything he
yelled for at the table but insisted or
his wearing heavy starched skirts ano
scratchy, head heating caps all the
time, because he "looked SO cunning
in them. Give the child its own wa,
S in posture, times of eating and time
: OF sleeping. If baby wants to lie OF
,, his stomach or curl. up in ball, le
e him; if he gets hungry a little befor'
: meal time, feed him; don't be a
: cranky as the old woman who wa
y found crying because of hunger.
: "Why don't you eat something ?
: the people asked.
t "I can't" was the sad reply. 81
3 isn't meal time"
t The state of the weather, the stat
!: of his health, thousand things ma
r occur to make baby hungry soone
e than he should be, by your rule, an
: when he is hrngry you are cruel if yo
r don't let hiun cat.
!. Let him have his own way in SLEEP
# ing also. Don't dose him with pare
e goric if he won't 60 to sleep the pal
d ticular evening you have set for visl
: ing the theatre. What with all I'll
vi published accounts of horrors cause
d by soothing syrups. one would thin
,r the day OF dosing babies to their rul
IS should be past, but it isn't.
d Only yesterday heard of youn
n mother who buys her paregoric bottl
], by the dozen at the village store, b
o cause she gets them cheaper. And
A. know of woman who had one Chi
a wakened out of
As SOOTHING SYRUP-CAUsED SYNCOPE
III to life of idiocy, and who has buris
half dozen bright babies down in t
family lot in the cemetery, yet s
ed buys the deadly syrup for her last bo
1T little one-the end is not yet.
y YOUR child cries, don't run to the pa