The evening times., 1897-12-25

science. 1t is a serious and q solemn and
a salub, -. Thing 10 lie laby now.
| In tie matter OF rocking, for example.
\ where Is the mother who doesn't kno W be tier
than to rock her infant treasure? This is
| conside,ed to be almost as fearful a relic
of baTbaIism as are trOttius, tossing,
cuddling end other heathenish practices.
Every student of child culture holds these
do,nGs in pIorer adherence. Babies, by the
| way, 30 longer '.jUst grow" they are
| cultivated.
The expcnefts of modern child culture
| can make ar y man wonder that he lived
| through Ids infancy: lived to 'Ove and
| blesse I'll. ucther who rocked him in her
arms, and dosed him with old wives
remedies, and kissed him and tickled him
| and cudd!eI him, and also shook him and
''spatted the naughty hands, and other
wise administered discipline. Dear! dear!
those were dreadful times, according TO
the chile. cultiyators. One mustn't do any
| OF those things. They are all unhealthful.
| either mentally, OF morally, or Physically.
As might perhaps be expected, the new
doctrine has fiuurished more nightly
with some of tue fathers than with the
mothers. There is a certain young ply
| sician in this city is putting lis first
born through the latest infantile pa,'es.
Under strict orders from her husband,
the young mother refrains from handling
the child more than. is absolutely neces-
sary. Baby spends most of his waking
hours lying on a big wide bed. Although
still in tic ordinary long CLOTHES stage, he
doesn't ear these trailing garsnclts cx-
cept when lie is taken down stairs Tor
company drill. The rest of the time he
wears short dresses. Thus the doctors
young hopeful. rolls and kicks and COOS
and enjoys life. He must not be held IN
sitting posture, because his father sa VS.
that backbones are not worth much at
such an early stage of the game Of life.
Even supporting hands at the back of
young hopeful's neck and probable waist
are not sufficient precautions. Put him
on his back ard let him ruii
The kissing Of babies has also fallen
into disrepute. Formerly people felt that
they had to kiss avery baby, no matter
how uninyiting. lest the fond mother shoulI
think them Lacking in appreciation. Now
adays one ash permission of the particu-
lar parents before pressing a kiss arouad
behind the ear of some irresistible char ID.
Once upon a time these defenseless lii lie
creatures were the prey of absolute strang-
ers, osculatory people who held up nurse
maids aI,G kissed the pretty babies The
nursemail of this latter-day civilization
regards an approaching stranger as she
would kidDaper, and she can freeze Il
kiss upon the II ost lon s,inC lips.
Even the mother heart denies the mother
lips. Even though She is not conscious
of any outward aud visible sign OF an in
ward ana Invisible microbe, the CO rs Il
entious mother gives her child the benefit OF
the doubt and does not give way to kis ;,s.
As for the unregeneratefather who smokes,
lte is lucky to be allowed to stand af ar ofe
and gaze at his child. The cultiyators have
spared no words To impress upon him the
unworthiness OF man who would ap-
proach with his .'tobacco-tainted braa.h,"
the fresh susceptibility or a baby.
There have always been, and prob
ably there still are, parents who are fit
subjects for the fool-killer. type which
is very common in this class Is that OF the
fathers and mot hers VINO feed their Ia
bies on any old thing that coues handy.
Generally the father does 1t because il
entertains him. For some unexplained
reason a father of this variety is enOr-
Inously prcud when the baby eats cabbage
and pickles and fried sausage. He says
that the youngster has cast-iron stoin-
ach. and he tells with unbridled giee that
his kidJi eat anything you give-it.
The child cnitivators go to the other
extreaie. In fact. they go to tw enty other
extremes. In the center, for instance,
is the man who denies everything .N-
cept milk to the child The next one ad-
nits little meat, hut shudders at poti-
toes. The next recommends potatoes but
rolls his eyes at the Inention of mat.
The next one shakes his head at 10th
meat and potatoes, and recommends oat-
meal and wheat Preparations. Another
puts hfs trust in a soft-boiled egg. And
IT the men and women to be, who are
the babies of this decade, turn out to be
no better physically than their parents |
and grs rdpa rents, then their is nothing
whatever in training.
Mentally and morally the baby of today
is cared for with conscientiousness. Ma sbe
the methods are wrong, but the apse Of a |
few deca des will be necessary to prove that.
1t is not the correct thing nowadays to
punish child. So they say. You mist |
divert the ohild's attention. 1t so,rn,Is |
simple. and some mothers seem TO find it |
SO. Wien the baby howls for the inksta I'd, |
which You do not want him to have, You
must divert his attention to yesterdays |
which You are quite willing he |
should b; We. That is the way it works.
Unfortunately II is not so simple as It |
sounds. Or second thought YOU imme- |
diately recognize the impropriety Of giving |
him the newspaper. He will chew it rs /
soon as he can get it to his mouth, aud |
every Up-tC-iate mother knows that print |
ers' ink is an undesirable addition to q /
baby's menu. Also. she knows that % per |
ls manufactured out of-something. sha is.
not quite sue what. but old rags recar
to her mind with great persistency. The
newspaper will not, fherfore, do, so baby's
mind must be diverted second time
You pick up your pocIetbook, and baby
llIows himself to be diverted while he
experin ents. When the money comes
tumbling out with q beautiful jingle, lie
'orgives you the affair of the inkxta III
md the newspaper. He fixes his affecti.n
Ind his chubby fingers on a big silrer |
ioliar. and It travels the road Of all things
n babyiand-thc road to his mouth. Then
vou remember the grimy hand Of the ca sh-
10Y with-well, there Is no time for de- |
ails. This fE the time for diversion. YGu
must divert baby's mind once more. And |