Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1898-01-13


ing kiss around behind the ear of
some irresistible cherub. Once upon
time these defenseless little creatures
were the prey of absolute strangers
osculatory people who held up nurse
maids and kissed the pretty babies
The nursemaid of this latter-day civil
ization regards an approaching stran-
ger as she would kidnapper, and she
can freeze a kiss upon the most long
ing lips.
Even the mother heart denies the
mother lips. Even though she is not
conscious of any outward and visible
sign of an inward and invisible MI
crobe, the conscientious mother gives
her child the benefit Of the doubt and
does not give way to kisses. As for
the unregenerate father who smokes,
he is lucky to be allowed to stand afar
off and gaze at his child. The culti-
vators have spared no words to I'M
press upon him the unworthiness Of a
man who would approach, with his
"tobacco-tainted breath, the fresh
susceptibility of a baby.
There have always been, and proba-
bly, there still are, parents who are fit
subjects for the fool killer A type
which is very common in this class Is
that of the fathers and mothers who
feed their babies on any old thing that
comes handy. Generally the father
does it because it entertains him. For
some unexplained reason a father Of
this variety is enormously proud when
the baby eats cabbage and pickles and
fried sausage. He says that the young
ster has cast-iron stomach, and he
tells with unbridled glee that his kid
will eat anything you give it.
The child culhvators 90 to the other
extreme. In fact, they go to twenty
other extremes. In the centre, for in
stance, is the man who denies every
thing except milk to the child. The
next one admits a little meat, but shud-
ders at potatoes. The next recon-
mends potatoes, but rolls his eyes at
the mention of meat The next one
shakes his head at both meat and po-
tatoes and recommends oatmeal and
wheat preparations. Anotherputs his
trust in a soft boiled egg. And so it
goes.
If the men and women to be, who
are the babies Of this decade, turn out
to be no better physically than their
parents and grandparents, then there
Is nothing whatever in training.
Mentally and morally, the baby of
today is cared for with conscientious
ness. Maybe the methods are wrong,
but the lapse of few decades will be
necessary TO prove that. 1t is not the
correct thing nowadays to punish
child. So they say. You must divert
the child's attention. 1t sounds sim
pie, and some mothers seem to find it
so. When the baby howls for the ink
stand, which you do not want him to
have, you must divert his attention to
yesterdays newspaper, which YOU are
quite willing he should have. That is
the way it works.
Unfortunately, it is not so simple as
it sounds. On second thought you i'm
mediately recognize the improperly
of giving him the newspaper. He will
chew it as soon as he can get it to his
mouth, and every up-to-date mother
knows that printers ink is an undesir-
able addition to baby's menu. Also,
she knows that paper is manufactured
out of-something, size is not quite
sure what, but old rags recur to her
mind with great persistency. The
newspaper will not, therefore, do, so
baby's mind must be diverted a see.
ond time.
You pick up your pocketbook, and
baby allows himself TO be diverted
while he experiments. When the mon-
ey comes tumbling out with beauti-
full jingle, he forgives you the affair of
the inbstand and the newspaper. He
fixes his affection and his chubby fin
gers on big silver dollar and it tray-
els the road of all thing. in babyland
the road to his mouth. Then you
remember the grimy hand Of the CASH
boy who brought you that dollar
cashboy with-well, there is no time
for details This is the time for di-
version. You must divert baby mind
once more. And so it goes.-New
York Sun.