Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1895-07-16
ARP ON BABIES.
He Is..Right Glad That Women Love
Them 80 Much.
Great Men and Their ChIldren-AmbitioI
to Get Office or Wealth Prevents the
Father Too Often From watch
ing the Boys.
That was a pretty Persian rhyme
- til

While all around were crying"
Sir William Jones put 1t in better
verse:
"On parent knees a naked new born cEild
Lay weeping, while all around II smiled;
30 live that, sinking In thy last long sleep
weep"
What is moro wonderful or more beau
tiful than the maternal instinct-what
an attraction does birth in the family
have for all the sex-the women and
children, girl children / mean-the men
and the boys show no great concern.
The babes would have hard and peril
GUS time il entrusted to them. Babes
are born every day, every hour, by the
thousand. 1t is the most common and
universal event that concerns our hu-
manity. 1t is moro common than death,
for more come into the world than 60
out Of it every year, and yet the excite
ment Of birta goes on and is a big
thing with matrons and with maids.
For few days past / have sat in my
veranda and ruminated, for the women
come and 20 and the neighbors send
flowers and kind messages, and the girl
children come to see the baby, and the
tiniest one wants to hold it in her arms.
Verify, it looks like this was the first
and the last one that ever was born.
The three great events of our life-our
birth, marriage and death-are minis
tered to by woman. What sad affair
would either be without her presence,
her care and sympathy. The wonder 10
that she can go through the ordeal that
Providence has assigned her, ana be SO
contented, so calm and serene. What
mother ever harbors gloomy fears or
forebodings about her infant child?
How hopefully they look upon the fut-
ure-how happy in the love of her of
spring. The poet says:
"a mother is mother still,
The holiest thing alive"
And she is. wish that was as good,
as true and as loving as the average
mother in this land. l wish that was
as sure of heaven. Most of them have
a child up there, and they still treasure
every smile, every dimple, every song,
and in their waking dreams realize
what the poet SO beautifully said
"Oh, when mother meets on high
The babe she lost in infancy,
Hath she not then for pains and fears.
The day of woe, the watchful night,
For all her sorrows, all her tears
An Overpayment OF delight?"
The maternal instinct! The never
fading love of children. My wife is
serenely happy now, for there is another
child to look after, and she moves around
with her old alacrity. l used to help
her with her own, but my time is out. As
old man Calder said after the frst battle
of Manassas, II have fit enough"
used to tote the little chap around the
room sometimes half the night and sing
my little song until / wore it out, and
at times felt like the tired parent who
hugged his little boy to his bosom and
said: 81 wouldn't take a million dollars
for you-no l wouldn't-but wouldn't
give a nickel for another" 1t is a
weary business-nursing and caring for
little child. But it 10 part Of the
bargain, and has to be done, and it has
its rewards. The more the father helps
with the children the better he loves
them and the more they love him. The
country people, as a rule, have no nurses
for their children except the mem bers
of tho family, and their devotion to the
little helpless ones is beautiful.
The baby in country. homo is COM
mon property. All nurse it and their
father does his share when he comes
from the field. Goto country church
on Sunday and see how many fathers
are not ashamed to ''tote the child" and
keep it while preaching is going on.
Why shouldn't he? 1t shows his love to
the child and his loyalty to his wife.
The average farmer Las not a very wide
field for his ambition. He is not seeking
fame or Office or riches. He has no
longings for going to New York or
Washington or crossing the ocean. His
hops and desire is limited to his family
and his farm and be looks to God for
rain and sunshine. There is nothing
that weans him from his wife and
children or that gets between him and
them. Sometimes he takes the family
to town in the big wagon, and some-
times the children 60 with him to the
mill, and on Sundays all go to meeting,
and SO the weeks and months roll on
proving the truth Of the poets lines
Happy the man whose wish and care
A few paternal acres bound.D
It is given TO but few men in this
world to do any great thing, but all can
be happy IL they will be content with
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