The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1906-08-18

got 'leven olive branches, as Brer Jen-
kins says-an' evy one Of dem has got
de ricketts, or de scrofulo or de con-
sumption an when dey amt in de
horsptal dey is passin' aroun' de hat
for charity case dey amt able to wuk
an support deyselfs.
Il amt sayin' one word gainst de
babies. Nawm, dat 1 amt. I love 'em,
an desc ole arms jest nachully forms
deyself into a cradle ev'y time I sees
one, an l specks de woman whut amt
never felt a little VAIN haid cuddle
down into her breast has done missed
bout de sweetest thing dat woman
ever knows.
"Yassum, ef dere is one pleasure in
dis world dat amt got no string to hit
hit is when you sets up wild a grin on
yo' face an watches how cute yo'
little pckaninny is. an tries to decide
whether you'd ruther he'd be President
of the United States or dislSiver perpe-
tual motion. Yassum, hit sho' am
true, as de Good Book says, dat baby
in de house is a well-spring of joy
but well-sprlng amt a flood
"An' a baby Is a mighty handy thing
to have aroun' de house. Hits bout
de best excuse for a real lazy, slack
woman dat ever was invented. Gaze
dey amt nothin dat you do, or leaves
undone, dat you can't lay on de baby.
eff a woman don't want to go to
chu'ch-she can't leave de baby. Eff
she's too shiftless to clean up de house
hits de baby dat mussed things up.
Eff she's too trtflin to patch her hus
bands britches-she had her hands full
wild nussin' de baby. Eff she wants to
go away from home in de summer-she
has to do hit for de sake of de baby.
Eff she's hankerin' to go TO de circus
she has to sackerfice herself an go to
take de baby. Yassum, a baby sho' is
sech a great convenience dat l don't
see how any woman keeps house wild
out one.
"Yassum, dey suttinly am useful, an
de Lawd knows how me an Ike would
a-gotter along so peaceful all desc
years eff dey hadn't always been a
baby aroun' dat was a sort of safety
we got mad, an say de things to dat
we dasnt say to each odder.
"Yassum, OATS de reason, I 'specks,
dat folkses dat hasn't got any chillens
gifts mo- divorces dam dem dat has
dey amt got no way to blow off steam.
"Yassum, baby sho does give you
a chanst to say yo' say in a tactful
way, an manys de time I is gathered
my little Abrahim Lincoln or Thomas
Jefferson or May Jane into my arms
an as l rocked 'em to sleep l would
remark kinder casual, and as ef I
didn't know Ike was a-listenin':
els muzzer's pwecious baby sorry
for po muzzer becaze size has to wuk
so hard along of baby havin' bad ole
daddy dat hangs round de corner sa-
looms. an draps his money in de craps
game? Yes, muzzers darlin' little
lammie is, an when he grows up he
amt gwine to be cuttin' his eye at
ev'y peart yellow gal dat comes along
an break his muZzer's heart, lax his
daddy do. No, muzzer's ootsy tootsy
wootsy is gwine to be a comfort to her,
an stay at home of evenings, an he
gwine to give her silk frock an a
flower hat an jay bird heel shoes, Std
of spendin all his money on hisself
lax dem whut his muzzer could name
eff she warnt a meek, patient, long
sufferin woman whut knew hit was a
wife's duty to teach her chillen to re-
spect DER father wheddvr he deserved
hit or no.
"Yassum, I sho' is seen Ike squirm
whilst talked baby talk to one of my
chillen Cose he had to set up and
make on lax he didn't hear hit, but
mos ginerally noticed dat he didn't
make no more towards iinin' de craps
game, an de mex day he was mighty
apt to fotch me pair of shoes or a
calico dress or somethin'.
"Nawn, 1 sho'ly don't see how a
woman manages her husband widout
de help of baby, Gaze chillen kinder
breaks a mans sperrit anyway, an
takes de starch out of him, an makes
him easy to handle.
"Yassum, chillen sho' is a great
blessin'-or a great misfortune cord
in to how dey turns out Dey's a wo-
mans joy-or her black sorrow. But
all dis talk bout race susancide is
plumb foolishness-lessen de men
thinks dat hit is safer TO git after de
women bout not havln' chilen dan hit
is to go after de politicianers whut
steal de folkses' money an de trusts
dat makes hit so de pos folks can't
support de chillen whut dey has"
DOROTHY DIX.