Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1894-11-23
AS TO BABIES AND CATS.
4 Comparison Which Should BE Instructive
IN Mnthara

to Mothers.
"She didn't kiss the baby and q
very good thing she didn't. The baby
has a hard enough time as IT iswithout
going outside the family circle for ca.
resses; so don't say it reproachfully,
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 to
Third Cousin Maria; he is tickled,
tossed, squeezed, poked and kissed un-
til the marvel is where the world gets
it's human ''ratters." To be sure, there
is here and there an independent baby,
a baby who holds all promiscuous cud-
dlings in righteous scorn. He is not a
popular baby (reformers never are) you
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 it with wise mods and the some-
what ambiguous remark that 1.-The
world will hear from him yet" And
so it does generally. A baby born
with sufficient firmness of character to
regulate the familiaritics of intimates
will be pretty certain to have voice
in the worlds affairs later on, and to
some purpose. If there are abuses to
be done away with--rats to be caught,
as IL were-he'll be keen on the scent.
1t doesn't seem as if it would take
anything beyond an ordinary endow'
ment of common sense to see that If
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 as indicative OF
enjoyment, and we squeeze again; il
he protests we look for a pin-surely,
buO q pm Noulu OuI
''ownsey downsey" 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 to? For
one ratter how many sleek Tables
and Toms are there doing in upstairs
comfort? They are seldom so lost to
all sense of duty that if mouse ran
across the floor they would not run
after it; they have even been known to
sit two hours on a stretch before a
crack in the china closet, but to &C
down cellar and deliberately huut
rats, like common cat, they may not
reason it out but they don't do it.
1t is unfortunate for the kittens and
babies that their charms are of so ire.
sistible nature; but irresistible OF
not, what 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 one
took stand. Too many babies are be
ing "eaten up" by fond grandmas
aunties and cousins. The country
can't stand the drain.
Another thing; it ought not to take
a physician to teach us that tender
baby body is not to be squeezed ant
tossed about like worsted ball, ant
that everybody's breath, or even tn,
breath of an extensive family circle, il
not good for baby lungs. Where is the
blame? Watch the old cat the mex
time you take up her kittens to cud
die; human mothers could take les
son from this mother cat.-Springfelt
] Rennhlicnn