The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-02-06
HARD ON BABIES Alb

p.
Nine Mothers Out or Ten InflIct Torturez
Upon Their First-Bo
Babies are subjected to so many
hardships that it is source of constant
wonder that some of them do not die.
Young mothers by reason Of their in
experience are generally to be excused
ii they sometimes foil to hide the point
of pin in the garments of their off
spring. They are also to be pardoned
IT they occasionally fell to discover
that it is collie and not hunger that
makes baby wake the household in
the small hours of the morning with
its wailing. Nine mothers out of ten,
however, manage to inflict fortunes
akin to barbarism upon their first
born, actuated by their intense solicit
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 us is
commonly used to envelope an Egypt
ian mummy.
boarded n south bound car on State
street at the Madison street crossing.
They looked enough alike to be siGters,
old baby. She was q dowdy miss to
whose tender care tho baby had been
confided by it's mother. And the
baby! 1t was wrapped in a bundle of
flannel thick enough to ward off the
biting mir 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 we'll crowded with passengers
and the atmosphere was decidedly
close. Before Adams street was reached.
the baby was gasping for breath as it
lay on its nurses knee. To make mat
ters worse the poor little thing was
forced to lie flat on its stomach, while
ceaseless drumming was given its
back by the good right hand of the
dowdy girl. The mother, blissful in
her ignorance sat all unconscious that
her darlings 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 ut
her side. Pat, pat, pat pat the girls
hands went up and down on the baby's
back. The little martyr squirmed and
wriggled, finally managing to moan
loud enough to call attention to its con-
dition. 'Oh, my! 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 a
scarcely perceptible break.
"Thirty-secon' streetp' 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' street, called the con-
ductor, and then n motherly old woman
betrayed her solicitude for the babys
welfare. II think you had better take
that veil off," she said, leaning over to
the dowdy miss, ''for the baby is chol-
ing" And sue 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 visible sign of re-
lief by regaining healthy color But
SiAS oO"AJ II hCpb up us TuYCI-
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 one passenger wondered to him
self how long baby would live if sub
jected to such treatment every day
Chicago Herald.