The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1896-06-05
ARP AND THE BABIES
HE TAKES DELIGHT IN PLAY
ING WITH HIS GRAND.
CHILDREN.

| '"''''o ~ N''''' NY ''ib anu lily
daughter have been busy for week
fixing up short clothes for the little
girl, and | wondered what was the mat.
ter. I'VE are just making up some
spring dresses for Carolina" they said
"How many will it take?' said l
"Well, we will have to have II to start
on" said my wife, "onc for each day
and seven of them will have to go in
the wash, you know, every Monday
"llow many other garments?" said |
"Well, there are seven white skirts
AMI four hannels and some little
shorts, you know, but everything Is So
cheap now that her clothing doesn't
cost much. These nice little dresses
with lace trimmings and all only cost
80 cents apiece for all the material
and we do the work at home" Caro-
lima is our grandchild and lives in the
house with US and gives us lots Of
comfort. She loves me and love her
dearly and had rather nurse her and
frolic with her than go to town and
exchange wit and wisdom with the
literati and loafcrs. An old man and
a little child iit mighty we'll together.
1t is natures compromise. am Old
and wrinklcd and gray, but this little
child will put out her hand to come to
me whenever | come in the room.
That flatters me, Of course, though
her grandmother says it is just
because ! walked about with her
and that | spoil her and make it
harder for anybody else to nurse her.
She is cutting more teeth now, and is
just getting over the wlooring cough
and needs more nursing, and when
she puts out her inns to me I'm going
to take her and walk about with her
il the world comes to an end. I've
got a little soothing song that I've
been singing to our children for 40
years and | can get them to sleep
when nobody else can. The measles
are all over town now and she has got
to have them. Her little cousins have
been kissing her, and now they have
broken out, but that's all right. |
don't believe in hiding child from
the measles.
1t is 4 right big thing to raise a
cnild, and especially ten Of them. 1t
is the biggest thing in this life. There
are things that the newpapcrs and
society and congress make more fuss
about, but they won't compare with it
in Importance nor in purity and love
and sclf-sacrillce. The innocence,
helplessness and affection of a child.
say from one to five years old. is the
most blessed and attractive thing in
the world. About 3,0O0 600 babies are
born every year in the United States,
and II takes about 100000 people to
raise. them up to walking and talking
time. Then another crop comes on,
and another and another. The fact
is that about half the people in the
civilized world are engaged in raising
the other half. And it is a laborof
love. | speak from experience when
| say that the pleasure l have derived
from nursing, caring for, maintain
ing, pleasing and educating our chill
drcn has exceeded all that have real
lied from all other sources. And now
that am old AMI tired, / had rather
frOlic with grandchld than do any
thing else. OF course there are some
outsiders who care nothing about
these things. There are selfish moth
crs who arc absorbed in society and
it's fashions and follles who turn their
children off to be nurscd, and there
are some old bachelors who don't want
to be bothered with them, and some
business men who think that making
money is bigger thing, and hardly
have time to get acquainted with
their children, and there are Il big lot
Of thieves, burglars, robbers, drunk
ards and cOnyicts who care nothing
for children, but, nevertheless, the
masses of the people get married and
become engaged in raising children,
and this is the natural thing to do,
and brings more happiness than can
be found in any other state or condi-
tion. My wife and my daughter with
her first child are happier right now
In working for that little child than
they would be in any other 0ccupa-
tion, and so am |. wouldn't write Il
line for newspaper II | wasn't
obliged to. l would work in the gar
den and among the flowers, for that is
the next best thing aud keeps me in
good health.
But it didn't take as many garments
for our first children as it did for the
last. They were not changed every
day in the old times-cvery other day
was enough. My wife generally had
two on hand and 1t kept her busy
with needle and thread, for we never
had a sewing machine pntil our first
child was eight years Old. She did it
all with her flngers-plaits, tucks,
caps, bonnets, stockings
and all. There never was mother
who did mofe work or nicer work for
her children. 1t was just wonderful
that she wasn't raised to |