The Jersey City news., 1891-04-04
UNDRESSED KIDS.
How Little People Are Photo
graphed-A Puppy the Bait.

ing a sunbeam.
A baby is a great practical joker.
So is sunbeam. See the way they'll
dance in your eyes when you're trying
to read-the sunbeam, not the baby.
II there's anything a camera hates it's
Joke. Giggles are like death to it,
and a genuine laugh fills it with dis
may A smile is different, but then
smiling at that hideous cyclops OF
thing is no joke.
If an intelligent baby could be pre-
vailed upon to deliver monologue on
what / Know About Photograph
ers," it would probably prove what
our advertisers call interesting read
ing matter" But babies are disgust
ingly non-eommittal as a rule.
There was high carnival at lead
ing photographers the other day. 1t
was Baby Day." and very lively
"Baby Day.
The first youngster that came in
brought a good many people with
him. One of them was his mother
and another was his nurse. The rest
were his admiring subjects.
He was a naughty, self-willed little
potentate, and he did hate the long
frilled strings to his muslin diadem.
He went into the dressing-room swad-
died in lace, muslin and flannel. lie
came out without stitch upon him.
He was much humiliated by this lack
OF costume. He evidently regarded it
as lowering to his dignity, and he had
no scruples about expressing his views
vigorously. He simply yelled. The
hard-hearted photographer listened
unmoved to his cries, but the satel-
lites were miserably distressed. They
petted him. They said, "See the
choo-choo.n They held watches TO
his distracted ears, but all in vain.
At last the hard hearted photog-
rapher interfered. "Give him to
me, he said He put that shrieking
youngster into a big shell. He
stepped to the camera. He took a
rubber ball in his hand.
Now he said.
From behind that camera started a
wriggling, barking puppy, held in the
ruthless hand of an assistant. The
piercing cries stopped with jerk
snap" and it was done.
''As long as winking,n said the pho
tographer.
The young gentleman was lifted
from his shelly couch and departed.
H forgot to cry again.
The next baby was only nine
months old, but it had life and vim
enough to be 900 months old. 1t was
hard to take this one.
He kicked and crowed and ''ah
good" till the stony photographer
himself smiled. The puppy was no
use. Every time he appeared the rosy,
dimpled. laughing little rascal gave
a s@f.x -. Ia1f
wiggled his every toe and finger like
mad. At last the nurse appeared with
a gay balloon. A start, a gurgle, a
snap-and it was done.
1--WE let them take their own poses,o
said the photographer. "They always
look prettier and take better pictures.
The old idea was that you must CLASP
a wretched. half strangled child by
the gown and hold it bolt upright
while the camera stared him out of
countenance.
''The result was a picture of a stiff,
frightened doll. Not a healthrul,
jolly baby. That's all past now.
Natures the thing, and the less
clothes the babies the better for
babies. Their clothes are always un-
wieldly, frilly, ruffiy things that only
make them awkward and take away
every bit of freedom and grace. They
jump about a lot, but they usually
succumb to the fascinations of a
puppy.
was well nigh hopeless. The puppy
was as a dog of ashes, the balloon was
but bubble that had burst, to this
baby. 1t was a dear, plump, little
thing, too. 1t had no nurse. Its
mother carried it herself. You didn't
blame her when you saw the dinpled
little thing. generally try to get
the fond parents as much out of the
way as possible, for they usually con-
trive to ruin every thing. So made
the little woman in widows weeds
go away and leave me to manage
little Miss Dumpling. | couldn't do
it. She just wouldn't be managed.
She drew down her round face and
frowned and put her tiny dimpled fists
before her eyes, scowling like thun-
der cloud.
''The puppy barked madly and the
balloon tioated an airy, scarlet bub-
BILE.
mo go.
81 was in despair. when suddenly
from behind the screen peered sweet
face, framed in a widows bonnet.
Merry chimes, what chan2el
That sulking baby gave crow
that would cheer a sexton-snap-an
the picture was a great success
Nature knows a thing or two after
all, doesn't she? That's one thing the
photographers are slowly but surely
learning.
A natural face Is ahead of studied
one every time, and there isn't lace
dress woven that is as becoming to a
baby as its own rosy. dimpled skin.
Characteristics of Hair.
The quality and color OF the hair
was subjects of speculative theory
for the ancients. Lank hair was con
sidered indicative Of pusillanimity and
cowardice, yet the head of Napoleo n
the Great was guiltless of a single curl;
while frizzly hair was thought au in
dication of coarseness and clumsiness