The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-11-05
WOMAN-HOME.
HUMAN MOTHERS COULD LEARN
FROM THE MOTHER CAT.

Examples OF Household Management-Mrs.
John Jacob Astor and Daneing-Advice
90 Young Yomen-siakes Artificial sun
shino-FashIons That Didn't Fit.
"She didn't kys the baby" and very
good thing she didn't. The baby has "a
bard enough time as IL Is without going
sutside the faInily circle for caresscs, so
bon't say II reproachfnlly; say II with joy.
You know how IL il with kittons-they
mustn't be handled too much II you want
@ratters." Bat the baby IL passed from
grandma 20 Third Cousin Maria. He Is
tlckled, tossed, squeezed, poked and kissed
until the marvel Is whore the World gets
IT. human 'ratters" To be sure, there
Is hero and there an Independent baby, a
BABY who holds all promiscuous cuddlings
In righteous scorn. He is not a popular
baby (reformcrs never are); you don't dare
boss him, you hesitate before trotting him,
and you would no moro think of burying
your face In the satin folds of his pink
neck than II he were young gentleman
OF years instead OF months. Mamma and
grandmamma call his lusty and rebeilious
yells "spunk;" diplomatic relatives get
out Of 10 with wise mods and the somewhat
ambiguous remark that the world will
hear from him yet. And so 10 does gen
orally. A baby born with sufficient firm
ness of character TO regulate the familisr-
ities of intimates will be pretty certain TO
have voice In the worlds affairs later
on, and TO some purpose. III there are
abuses Co be done away wlth-rats to be
caught, as 1t were--he'll be keen on tho
scont.
1t doesn't seem ns II IL would take any
thing beyond an ordinary endowment or
common sense 10 SEQ that IL handling Is
bad for kittens IL is ten times worse for
= babies. The average well hammered In
fant accepts the squeezings and tossings as
peculiar conditions of an existence he Is
too young 90 understand, and so late Is be
from angel land that he even ventures a
"goo goo" after peculiarly trying
squeeze. This we take as indicative OF en-
joyment, and wc squeeze again. IL he
protests, we look for pin--suroly moth
ing but a pin would make our "ownsy
downsy" cry when his little stomach was
fun. If he still murmurs, we toss him,
but If he lives through what would kill 80
lives in cat what does he amount tof
Look about you. What has he amounted
COZ For one atter how many sleek tabbies
comforty They aFc seldom SO lost TO all
sense OF duty that if "A mouse ran across
tho floor they. would not run after it.
They have even been known TO sit two
hours on stretch before a crack in the
china closet, but to 60 down cellar and de-
libcratoly hunt rats like common cat
they may not reason IL out, but they don
do it.
It Is unfortunate for tho kittens and
babies that their charms arc of so irresist'
ible nature, but irresistible or not what
right has an admiring stranger TO take
liberties with the helpless things just bo
cause they are soft and pretty It's quite
time some one took stand. Too many
babies are being "eaten up" by fond
grandmas, auntics and cousins. The coun
try can't stand tho drain.
Another thing. II ought not 10 take q
physician 20 teach us that tender baby
body is not 20 be sqeezcd and tossed about
like a worsted ball, and that everybody
breath, or even the breath Of an extensive
family circle, is not good for baby lungs
Where is the blame9 Watch the old cat
next time you take up her kittens to cud
die. Human mothers could take lesson
from this mother springfield Mass.
Republican.