The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-07-18
HE MADE BABY SLEEP.

How a Hard Hearted Man Declared Wal
gu a Screaming Infant and Won.
It is a paradoxical fact that the only per
sons who know exactly how children should
be brought up are the people who neve,
have any.
Now there is a reason for everything, co
pecially for a paradox, and the reason
which presents itself in thiB case is that
the sentimentality INDUCED In by the over
fond mother too often overbalances bel
good sense and good judgment.
There is a man in New York who had
pranced around nights waiting on young
household tyrants and catering to the fool.
ish sentimentality of the mother till be
was tired of it.
In vain he begged her to let the stout
lunged scion of recent date cry it out when
he reused the neighborhood in the middle
of the night to promote entertainment for
his benefit.
The foolish hearted mother feared the
combat with one-year-old despot, whose
persistence she was familiar with. But
when a man entertains an idea to the ex-
tent Of turning it three or four times over
in his mind you may look for results. The
Sunday following the idea became a reso-
luton.
Mr.. Baby had been in the habit of being
rocked to sleep for his daily nap-it was a
! favor he bestowed as a reward for the pa
thence Of the rocker-he slept when he
couldn't longer prop his eyelids up. He
was therefore very much amazed that Sun
day after his mother had gone to church,
when he was placed on the bed, bottle of
milk put in his hand and he was told to 20
to sleep.
He swallowed the milk without stopping
for breath, and then rose up and INDUCED
in vigorous howl. The man on the out
side of the door believed in filing up the
internal organism, so again he filled the
bottle, and this time strapped the youthful
enthusiast on his back on pillow and left
him. But after swallowing the second in
stallment of tactical refreshment the IN
daunted baby again rose up-pillow and
all-and while promenading about on the
bed with some difficulty, sent up his voice
in a mighty volume.
The father looked about to see that the
windows were ali secure. Then he went in
and strapped another pillow, this time to
the front of the disturber of the Sunday
peace. By this time Mr.. Baby perceived
that war was declared. His chubby arms
and legs struck ont right and left, accom-
panied with muffled but vigorous bowls.
The clock moved along toward the hour
for the mother to return. The man on the
outside began to grow nervous. Certain
facts presented themselves to his mind in
new light. He began to understand his
wife's reluctance to the plan.
Then he went out to the back of the
house and blackened his shoes. He pol
ished them very carefully, to consume as
much time as possible, and when the door
bell rang he started guilUily, half expecting
a vigilance committee from the Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
The cries had ceased, and when his wife
entered he was calmly reading the paper.
and there were only strangled sobs coming
at regular intervals from the sleeping in
nocent TO tell the tale. But she was a
woman of comprehension. and she knew
there had been a conflict
Again that night determined man re-
peated the contest of the morning-but it
was brief One-and before he went to his
business the next morning he wrested a
solemn vow from the mother that she
would repeat the experiment at the hour
lot the nap
The vanquished enemy of personal COM
fort gave one long, despsiring note of sur
render, and that was the last of it.
There Is a great deal Of sentimentality
wasted on small children by syupathetic
and foolish parents. That is the reason
why old maids and bachelors and childless
people really do know great deal better
how to bring up child than its parents
do.-New York Evening Sun.