The Van Buren press., 1895-11-16
BABIES DON'T LIKE SURF.
sut FAthsrs Seldom aesm to Apprseiasa
Ihls Fact.


This Face
Perhaps as interesting an amusement
rs quiet man has a right 20 expect al
eoney Island, may b had by watching
the Young ones who are taking their
first bath in the sea Ninety-nins out
Of every hundred Of them ara actually
miserable and below and bawl in tho
most interesting way. A crying baby,
which IN tho house would be nerve-
seraping horror. fizzies out at tho sea
beach into = mere toy with q squawk
that has no CARRYING power
The fathers and big brothers who
lake the babies Ia 30 the water haven't,
rs d rule, much more sense than the
young ones. They wade out with Jim
my or Susie whimpering and gripping
with all the strength of their little
arms and legs, and squaliing whenever
the surf splashes on them. Tho father
resssnrss them by saving; .Aw, shat
up. you little fool amt a-eoin' to
kill yer.' Thai more than ever eon-
vinces the young one that a sudden and
sloppy death awaits il. and ii howls
The father sets it down in the cold
water up TO its waist 1t gasps while
waiting for the worst and walls: II
want to go and see my mamma Boo
hoo-hoe-hooi''
''Oh, NOS Won must stay right here
with papa See all the people out in
the water. They like it. It's NICE"
No. it ain't Qol oot Aggie-aggle-
gol-lop-pistneer' A big wave comes
along and tips the child over and flls
il full of sea water. Its ears are mil
and it thinks it is drowning, and just
rs IL opens its mouth TO halloo MUIR
ierl' the water rushes in and ehokes
It OF all the nasty things sea water
Ii perhaps as nasty as it can be and
still be.elean. The poor child retehes.
snorts. coughs and cries all at once.
The father laughs = mean, heartless
laugh that destroys the bahy's faith in
mankind, and especially in it's father.
While it is recovering itself and think
ing what. fiend = father can be when
he tries, it is held out of the water.
When he attempts TO put ID back
again there is . life and death strug-
gle. He conquerA He Is the stronger.
The child tights and squalls, and when
the kicking, struggling, SCARED crea-
ture gets into the water again it is
Just IN time 10 be drowned as before,
except that this time ii swallows more
water, because its lungs are nearly
empty. 1t is hauled out, half strangled.
tor ID don know how 10 keep the salt
water out of it's mouth or from going
/ further. Either route the brine may
choose to take is likely 10 be extremely
unpleasant
I About this time the father loses his
temper and slaps the yonng one. This
seems brutal. but 10 isn't noticed.
Things can not be any worse A blow
in the face don't matter when you are
being drowned The mother, who is
standing on the beach, often interferes
1t this point and jawing match is be-
| yun, which somebody else will hear
carried on all the way home on this
trolley car. Sometimes, she says moth
ing about her husbands blundering
,lumsinsss, remembering the time
when, as she verify believes, he tried
10 drown her in teaching her to swim
He always says she never was IN wa
ter above her Waste. but she knows ii
was over her head. becanss IL went in
her ears and her feet were Oh
the ground. and how can water
get into body's ears and your feet
be OF the ground unless the water !.
over your head? But she's not going
10 begin all that over again now. s.
she says: ''0h. yes; Snsis must learn
TO swim. like nice lictle girl"
| sNawl Nav. don't want 10 go IL
any more. wah-ah-ah-ahv' and they
have TO take the wrstchsd young ons
out and dress IL
| After such scare. IL will be many Z
day before that child can be coaxed
into the water again. Once hit, twice
shy. OF course, wise folk overcome q
child's natural fear of the water By
taking it where there is no serf at firsi
and coaxing il out further BY degrees
Children seem TO have the most fur
in the water, however, when they art
let alone. N. Y. Period