The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-07-11
BILL ARP ON BABIES.
HIS EXPERIENCE AS a NURSE

He is Glad that Women Love Them
-Great Men and Their Children.
That was u pretty Persian rhyme
which said
"A newborn child lay crying
While all around were smiling;
An aged man was dying
And peacefully was smiling
While all around were crying"
Sir William Jones put it in better
verse
son p1Y Parent knees, naked newborn
Lay weeping, while all around it smiled.
SO live that, sinking in thy last long sleep
Calm thou mayst smile while all around
thee weep"
What Is more wonderful or beautiful
than the maternal instinct-what an
attraction does birth in the family
have for all the sex-the women and
children, girl children I mean-the
men and the boys show no great con-
Germ. The babes would have u hard
and perilOus time If entrusted to them
Babes are born every day, ovepy hour,
by the thousand. 1t is the most COM
mon and universal event that concerns
our humanity. 1t is more common
| than death, for more come into the
world than go out of it every year, and
yet the excitement of Il birth goes on
and is big thing with matrOns and
with maids. For q few days | have
sat in my veranda and ruminated, for
the women come and go and the neigh
bors send flowers and kind messages
and the girl children come to sec 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, Oar birth and marriage and
death, are ministered, too, by woman.
What q sad affair would either be
without her presence, her care and
sympathy. The wonder is that she
can go through the ordeal that provi-
dence has assigned her, and be 80 con-
tented, so calm and serene. What
mother ever harbors gloomy fears or
f0rebodings about her infant child :?
How hopefully they look upon the flu
ture-how happy in the love of her
offspring. The poet says:
"A mother is q mother still
The holiesl thing alive"
And she is. | wish that was as good
us true and rs loving as the average
mother in this land. | 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 beau
tifully said:
| so, when n 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 il
serenely happy now, for there is an.
| moves around with her old alacrity. |
used to help her with her own, but my
time is out. AS old man Calder said
after the first battle of Manassas, 81
have fit enough" J 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 Ct
wouldn't take q million dollars for you
no wouldn't--but wouldn't give Il
nickle for another" 1t is u weary bust
ness-nnrsing and caring for q little
child. But it is q part of the bargain, and
has to be done, and it has its rewards.
| children the better he loves them and
the more they love him. The country
people, Us u rule, have no nurses for
their children except the members Of
the family, and their devotion to the
little helpless ones is beautiful. The
baby in a country home is common
property. All nurse it and the father
does his share when he comes from
the field. Go to a 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 has not very
wide field for his ambition. He is not
seeking fame or office or ricGes. He
has no longings for going to New York
or Washington or crossing the ocean.
family and his farm and he looks to
God for rain and sunshine. There is
nothing that wcHns him from his wife
and children or that geLs between him
and them. Sometimes he takes the
family TO town in the big wagon, and
sometimes the children go with him
to the MILL and on Sundays all go to
meeting, and SO the weeks and months
roll 0n-prOving the truth of the poets
| lines
| "IIappy the man whose wish and care
A few paternal acres bound"
1t is given to but few men in this
world to do any great thing, but all
can be happy If they will be content
with their humble lot. | used to envy
the rich and great, but do not now. AS
q general rule grief and sorrow are
the perquisities Of riches and Of fame.
Great men are rarely blessed with
loving children. Not long ago one of
our noblest mon found himself face to
face at Delmonico's with IL drunken
son. His modification was intense
and the lines Of trouble still linger or
his face. The pressure OF public
affnirs and the constant struggle tC
keep up socially and politically con
snmed the time that should have been
devoted to his children. In such cases
the mother is their only safeguard
She may do all she can, but she can
not watch her boys when they get in
their teens. She can love and pra,
and chide, but still they will stray
away. 1t is pitiful to see the break ing
Of Il mothers heart over u son who is
on trial for his life. How closely does
she cling to him when all the world Is