Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-04-29
THE LADY AND THE
LULLABY CRADLE,

L
| to Sleep In the WRONG Way.
! The latest discovery Of the scientists
is that an infant, instead Of being
lulled to sleep by gentle swaying
movement, must fall on into slumber.
stationary, as it were, with all parts
Of the body resting in absolute repose.
The body of the child" say the med
ical experts, lis never at rest in a
cradle; and this perpetual movement
of the muscles tends to injurc the
spine and to tire the body. The child
| should sleep upon bed, with light,
warm coverlids and not be disturbed
until waking"
From all ages the cradle has been
the resting place of the young of the
human race, and this new dictum
| against it's use will cause consterna-
ton in all countries Of the world; for
no land but has its own style of cradle.
it will be laughed at, that is sure, and
possibly it may die the death of I'M
popularity.
Even the Laps have their cradles,
and ingenious ones they are. The
lovely soft moss of Lapland is gath
cred and is used for a lining. The
queer looking receptacle. reminding
you of a submarine boat, is fashioned
out of pliable wood This is suspend
ed from tree and is lined with moss.
After the baby is laid in his soft cradle
thick cover of moss is placed over
him; and in this sweet home he rests,
gently swayed by the zephyrs in the
tree to which his bed is swung. The
Laps have little cotton and wool and
the soft moss takes the place of bed
spreads and coverlids.
The Indians made a cradle of deer
skin fitted to a wooden foundation
which can be strapped upon the back.
When the Indian mother desires to
rest she stands her cradle against
tree; when she goes on again she picks
up the bed and straps it to her back;
SO she and the papoose journey along
in each others company, until the lit
tie one can walk.
In some tribes they have a very
pretty mourning cradle, corresponding
to our little white collins. The cradle
is made of fancy woods and dressed
with grains When a baby dies its
mother carries it in this cradle, If she
be on the march, or she tenderly lays
it in this bed and the simple funeral
rites are performed over it.
The Indians are fertile in the inven-
ton of cradles. In one tribe fat
head is considered a mark of beauty;
and the little occupant of the cradle is
provided with board which comes
down over his forehead and flattens it.
This is not such painful operation If
performed by degrees, and the fiat
headed Indian boys grow up as strong
| as their white cousins, who have never
been subjected to such process. The
cocoon cradle is another Indian inven-
ton. 1t is made from tough water
tight skin and is sewed up In such
way that only the head of the infant
protrudes. The inside is soft and COM
Portable, and when the baby wishes to
/ sleep he can draw in his head and
snuggle down in the depths of his bed
Some Of the cradles are very ingen-
ious. The Swedes place their babies in
little hammocks suspended above the
! mothers bed. At night, If the little
! one be restless, touch from the moth
er's arm will set the cradle swinging
| This plan is adopted in some parts OF
this country, and the sight of pretty
| grass hammock swining gently over a
handsome bed is not an inrrequent one
| in houses of plenty. The Swedes also
| have a springing cradle which con-
stantly jumps the child, gently or not.
| The Chinese employ balancing sys-
tenn which is very easily arranged. The
baby is placed in a wicker basket
which is tied to one end of a balancing
rod, on the same plan as ''see-saw."
| A weight is attached to the other end
of the rod. And so the baby see-saws
all day long. If there be two cradle
occupants in the family, both ends OF
the balancing rod can be well en-
ployed.
The Norwegians utilize their abund
ance of sheepskin for the making of
these little swinging beds. Taking a
skin, they fit it to rope hammock.
line it with bedding, place pillow in
it, and swing the happy baby off to
sleep.
1t is agreed, however, that bed
which is not so heating is the best.
Many of the savage tribes, and all of
the civilized ones, build their beds in
such a way that the sides are free and
open. Even a wooden crib has its
stats upon the side, allowing ventitla
ton to reach the bedding.
In countries where wood and carpen-
try are expensive, and where grass is
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