St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1894-12-29
AS TO BABIES AND CATS.
4 eu,parison which should he INST ructtso
= to Mothers.

4 comparison which should he INST ructivo
to Mothers.
'.Sl,e didn't kiss the baby" and ;
very good thing shc didn't. The ba63
has hard enough time as it is withOu.
going outside the family circle for ca
resses: SO don't say 1t reproachfully,
say it with joy. You know how it !:
with kittens-thcv mustn't be handled
too much if you want 'ratters." But
the baby is passed from grandma to
Third Cousin Maria; he is tickled>
tosseG. squeezed. poked and kissed nm
til the marvel is where the world get
its human ..ratters.' To bc sure, there,
is here and there an independent baby
baby who holds all promiscuous cuds
dlings in righteous scorn. He is not q
popular baby treformers never are} yoc
don't dare toss him. you hesitate be.
fore trotting 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 in
stead Of months. Mamma and grand
mamma call his lusty and rebellious
Yells ''spunk;" diplomatic relatives get
out Of II with wise mods and the some-'
what ambiguous remark that 1.-The
world will hear from him yet" And
20 it does generally. A baby born
with snfii eient firmness of character to
regulate the familiarities of intimates
will be pretty certain to have voice
in the worlds affairs later on, and. to
some purpose II there are abuses to
be done away with-rats to be caught,
as ii were-he'll be keen on the scent.
1t doesn't seem as if itwould take
anything beyond an ordinary endow-
ment of common sense to see that II
handling is bad for kittens, it is ten
times worse for babies The average
well-mannered infant accepts the
squeezings and tossing as peculiar con-
ditions of an existence he is too young
to understand, and so late is he from
angel land that he even ventures a
goo goo'' after peculiarly trying
squeeze. This we take rs indicative of
enjoyment. and we squeeze again; if
he protests we look for a pin-surely,
nothing but pin would make our
''ownsey downscy" cry when his little
stomach was full: If he still murmurs.
we toss him. But If he lives through,
what would kill ninety lives in cat.
what does he amount to? Look about
you. what has he amounted to2 For
one ratter how many sleek Tabbies
and Toms are there DOING in upstairs
comfort? They are seldom so lost to
all sense of duty that if a mouse ran
across the floor they would not run
after it: they have even been known to
sit two hours on \ stretch before
crack in the china closet. but to go
down cellar, and deliberately huut
rats, like common cat. they may not
reason it out, but they don't do it.
It is unfortunate for the kittens and
sistible nature: but irresistible or
not, whas right has an admiring stran-
ger to take liberties with the helpless
little things just because they are soft
and pretty? It's quite time some ono
took stand. Too many babies are be-
ing '.eaten up'' by fond grandmas,
aunties and cousins The county
can't stand the drain.
Another thing: it ought not to take
physician to teach MS that tender
baby body is not to be squeezed and
tossed about like worsted ball, AID
that everybody's breath, or even the
breath of an extensive family circle. is
not good for baby lungs. Where is the
blame? Watch tine old eat the next
time You take up her kittens to end
die; human mothers could take q les
son from this mother cat-Springfield
Republican.