The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-04-25
A Baby in
the Country

sDo you love me, little children v s"
blossoms that are curleq, A.
afe,a tender morning glories, round the
easement of the world!
There is something inexpressipiy
sweet and comforting in the sight oi
little children at play where the skies
are clear, the grass green ana 'he
trees wave a canopy of leaves above
them. Men ad women OF sensitive
natures bleed inwardly at the sight OF
children in the cities, stormlng the
dingy streets and rickety sidewalks
I'm a vain effort to find playground
somewhere In the metropolis, tne
souls and bodies of thousands OF chill
dren are .stunted beyond hope OF sal
walton by the poverty-stricken envir-
onment that blights hope and nappi-
ness. Even in the parks there are
surly signals of keep OF the grass
staring from almost every patcn Vi
greensward, and vigilant guardians
alert to swoop down on any daring tot
who has innocently plucked SO much
as a single blossom.
Housed in dingy and ill-vennlateo
shanties. as in the case OF the very
poor, and Theoretically sealed In MOD
ern fats, as in the case OF the very
uncomfortable. the city small boys
and girls, except the wealthy, are
shut out from sunlight and freedom al
most all the year round. No wonder
they rebel against such conditions;
no wonder they reach out for some
respite from the monotony OF exist
ence. and too often grow to tragicai
endings.
Yet in the country, thousand
slopes and flower-strewn forests beck
on to the children, and nature seems
to wonder that where so many sheep
and cattle wander over the emerald
carpets of outdoors, there should be
such a lack of children's forms and
faces. For in the country every fence
corner and hedge-row laughs into
blossom during the spring and sum-
mer, and sway into autumn, ana
flowers are there for the picking, and
seas Of waving grass, unblurred by
any warning, to romp and play in.
When we came from our apart
ments," as the garish and half-dark-
ened atrocities were called that we
camped in, our little girl was mere
slip of a child, as pale and lifeless al
most as stick of vermicelh. She
looked languidly on the apple-blos
SONS and the lilac blooms, and the
thick carpet of grass about the door
yard held no invitation out to her al
first But little by little, from one day
to another, she crept out into the sun
shine. and began to drift about annie
the glories Of the mild and sun-ilium
ined weather; and before we coulc
hardly realize 1t, she was beginning tt
steep herself In the life and color o.
It all. Her cheeks became sunburned
her hair bleached little from III
golden-brown hue nearly to faxen, ant
size began to laugh and run in the sun
shine, herself living ray of light
She grew like corn in the night.
'Lily-like. white as snow,
She hardly knew,
She was baby
So sweetly she grew"
Her appetite for milk was some
thing prodigious; and in fact, her az
petite for everything. In few month
she was eating almost as much as
grown person, and her baby limbs an
chest commenced to fill out and &c
firm until she was really anotne
child from the one we had brougf
from town. And every day was sue
a delight to her. Even when 1t rail
ed she would be running around
the yard, or out in the garden or o
chard, and her rudy cheeks an
sparkling eyes told of perfect healt
Just across the road was magnil
cent oak tree, and under this tree we
a large log. Here Lenore would gat
er acorns. and set the block with h
dishes. and have elaborate Barmecid
feasts to which all of the neighbo
were duly invited. Here she wou
hold extended conversations with h
invisible guests, and the ceremor
and etiquette prevailing was strict
I'D to date. All the toys we got h
and all that were sent her from Il
city soon palled upon her, but 4
fascination of the old oak never see
ed to lose its hold on her childi
fancy. 1t was massive trunk, wi
dense clustering shade of bro
leaves. and in it the jay-birds fol
gathered and planned raids on neis
boring birds nests, and occasional
choirs of blaekbirds swung in a
clacked and chanted as the win
rocked the limbs of their green-girdl
chancel.
Another of her joys was walk
down the road and picking clover bl
SONS. White and red she would ga
err huge punches of them, and CO
running back to the house in trium
with her treasures. Flowers of
kinds were her special delight, 9
she soon learned the names of so
of the commoner wild flowers. as "