Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-02-07
As mo- babies ANp oArs.
A Comparison which should Be INSTRUCT
20 Mothera.


A Comparison which should Be Instructive
60 Mothers.
'She didn't kiss the baby" and n
very good thing she didn't. The baby
has hard enough time as IL iswithout
going outside the family circle for ca
rcsses; so don't say IL reproachfully,
say it with Joy. You know how IL is
with kittens-they mustn't be handled
too much IL yos want "ratters." But
the baby is passed from grandma to
Third Cousin Maria; he is ticlSled,
tossed. squeezed, polsed and kissed un-
I'll the marvel is where the world gets
it's human "ratters." To be sure, there
is here and there an independent baby,
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 buryinR your face in the
satin folds of his pink neck than II he
were a young gentleman of years i'm
stead of months. Mamma and grand
mammr call his lusty and rebellious
yells ''spunl;" 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 familiarities of intimates
will be pretty certain to have a 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-hell be keen on the scent.
IL doesn't seem as IL IL would take
anything beyond an ordinary endow-
ment of common sense to see that IL
handling is bad for kittens, IL 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; II
he protests we look for a pin-surely,
nothing but a pin would make our
"ownsey downsey" cry when his little
stomach was full; II he still murmurs,
we toss him. But II he lives through
what would kill ninety lives in a cat.
what does he amount to? Look about
you, what has he amounted to? 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 IL a 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 go
down cellar and deliberately huut
rats, like n 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 or
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
physician to teach us that a tender
baby body is not TO be squeezed and
tossed about like worsted ball, and
that erybody's breath, or even the
breath of an extensive family circle. is
not good for baby lungs. Where is the
blame? Watch the old eat the next
time you take up her kittens TO cud-
die: human mothers could take les
son from this mother cat.-Spring6eld
Republican.