The Indiana State sentinel., 1894-11-07

"She didn't kiss the baby and q very
good thing she didn't. The baby las a
hard enough time as It is without going
outside the family circle for careases, so
don't say it reproschfully; say it with joy.
You know how it is with kittens-they
mustn't be handled too much if you want
'-ratters." But the baby IS passed from
grandma 10 Third Cousin Maria. lie is
tickled. tossed, squeezed, po<ed and kissed
until the marvel is where the world gets
its human "ratters" To be sure, there
IS here and there an Independent baby,
baby who holds all promiscuous cuddiings
IN righteous scorn. He is not a popular
baby (reformers never are); you don't dare
toss him, you hesitate before trottlng him,
and you would no more think of buryIng
your face in the satin folds of his pink
neck than If he were young gentleman
of years instead -of months. Mamma and
grandmamma call his lusty and rcbellious
yells "spunk;" diplomatic relatives get
out of it with wise mods and the somewhat
ambiguous remark that tire world will
hear from him yet" And 50 it does gem
orally. A baby born with sufficient firm
ness of character to regulate the familiar
titles of intimates will be pretty certain TO
have a voice In the worlds affairs later
on, and TO some purpose. II there are
abuses TO be done away With-rats - be
caught, as il were-hell 3e keen OF the
scent
Tt doesn't seem as if it would take any
thing beyond an ordinary endowment of
common sense to see that if handling is
bad for kittens it is ten times worse for
babies. The average weil-mannered in
fant accepts the squeezings and tOssinss
as peculiar conditions of an existence he
Is too young 10 understand, and so la,e is
Irv,
a goo goo after a peculiarly trying
squeeze. This we take indicative Of
enjoyment and we squeeze again. If he
protests. we look for pin-surely moth
ing but a pin would make our ''Ownsy
downsy'' cry when his little stomach was
full. If he still murmurs we toss him.
but il he lives through what would kill
ninety lives in cat what does he amount
10? Look about You. WHAT has he
amounted to? For one ratter how many
sleek tabbies and Coms are there doing in
upstairs comfort? They are seldom 50
lost 70 all sense of duty that if a mouse
ran across the floor they would not run
after II. They have even been known 10
sit two hours on a stretch before a crack
in the china closet, but TO go down cellar
and deliberately hunt rats like common
cat-they may not reason it out, but
they don't DO it.
IL is unfortunate for the kittens and
babies that their charms are of 50 irresist-
ib,e a nature. but Irresistible or not what
right has an admiring stranger To take
liberties with the helpless things just be-
cause they are soft and pretty? It's quite
time some one took "A stand. Too many
babies are being eaten up by fond
grandmas aunties and cousins. Tne
country cant stand the drain.
Another thing. II ought not 10 take
physician TO teach us that a tender baby
body is not 20 be squeezed and tossed
about like a wOrsted bail. and that every
body's breath. or even the breath of an
extensive family circle is not good for
baby lungs. Where is the blame? Watch
the old cat next time you take up her
kittens to cuddle. Human mothers could
take a lesson from this mother cat
Springfield (IassD Republican.