The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1895-02-27
TAKE A LESSON FROM rAssY.
Mothers Shouldn't Allow Their Babies n
Be Caressed to Excess.

You know how it is with kittens
they mustn't be handled too much II
you want "ratters." :" says the Springfield
Republican. But the baby is passed
from grandma to Third Cousin Maria:
he is tickled, tossed, squeezed, poked
and kissed until the marvel is where the
world gets its human "ratters." To be
sure, there is here and there an indie
pendent baby, baby. who holds all
promiscuous cuddlings in righteous
scorn. He is not popular baby gre
formers never are), you don't dare toss
him, you hesitate before trotting him.
and you would no more think of bury
ing your face in the satin folds of his
pink neck than if he were young gen.
tleman of years instead of months.
Mamma and grandma call his lusty and
rebellious yells "spunk"; diplomatic
relatives get out of it with wise mods
and the somewhat ambiguous remark
that "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 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 it were
he'll be keen on the scent / don't
think DR.. Parkhurst could have been a
popular" baby.
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 we'll
hammered infant accepts the squeezings
and tossing as peculiar conditions of an
existence he is too young - = 4 Gsz4s ~ ID
and SO late is he from angel land that
he even ventures goo goo" after
peculiarly trying squeeze. This we
take as indicative of enjoyment. and we
squeeze again; if he protests we look
for pin-surely. nothing but a pin
would make our "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 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
comfort? They are seldom so lost to
| all sense of duty that if 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 crack in the
cnlna cloSoL, DuG 10 60 uOWn ceiiaF anu
deliberately hunt rats, like a 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 ansadmiring stranger 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 being
"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 tender baby
body is not to be squeezed and tossed
about like worsted ball, and that every
body's breath, or even the breath of an
extensive family circle. is not good for
baby lungs. Where is the blame?
| Watch the old cat next time you take up
her kittens to cuddle; human mothers
could take lesson from this mother
| cat