The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-07

"Baby-raising is a far different ar
rangement these days from what it was
in days gone by" so I am told by a
friend of mine, who brought up the sub
ject yesterday after we had discussed all
the gossip, scandal, clothes and people
we knew.
"And what makes you think that?' I
inquired, seeing that my friend was quite
full of the subject. and that she had
something of interest to tell.
Il have been visiting in a household
where science rules the nursery, and l
have come to the conclusion that the
hand that rocks the cradle is not the
one that rules the world, but rather
adde's the brain of the poor, unfortu-
nate infant that wants to be rocked and
isn't" she said.
why, I thought the moment an in
FAINT screamed or even grunted that
every member Of a well-regulated house,
hold bolted at once for the kid, laying
aside the most important duties to min
lister to his small wants." I said.
Not at ALL" was the answer. Instead,
the infantile screams go entirely unno-
ticed-even by the mother, who hears
them with the utmost imperturbability .
!. Then she must be a very unnatural
mother" 1 said, vehemently.
NO; only an up-to-date mother who
applies science to the rearing of children
as she does to raising flowers or chickens
or pigs"
you mean where everything is meas
ured out for the baby, sterilized and
given on time by the watch, and all that
sort of thing?" 1 asked.
Precisely" said my friend, land that's
the sort of family I've been visiting re-
Gently, and I am going to tell you what
happened.
you know in the first place Belinda
is a literary characteristic modern Mad
anne De Steal of the village in which she
lives, and has no more business with
a baby than kitten has with break
fast plate. The evening of the day 1 ar
rived we were sitting in the library
about II o'clock, discussing the effect of
Bernard Shaw upon the drama, when
all at once the most bloodcurdling yells
were emitted from somewhere, and I sat
up and listened to see what on earth
was the matter"
And what did the mother dor l in
quired blandly.
Didn't even look up from the book
she was glancing over but kept bravely
on and talked about how belittling it
was for such a genius as Shaw to have
his Arms and the Man" turned into
comic opera, and called by such an abb
surd name as 1.-The Chocolate Soldier"
q" It's just Bobby said she. as the
piercing shrieks rent the air.
" 1T sounds like Indians I said, and
tried to rivet my attention upon Shaw
and the drama. is anyone with him %
I asked, after a spell.
I" With whom?' asked Belinda, uncon-
cernedly.
Why the baby, of course I an
swered alphabetically.
" oh! the baby, said she, absent-mind-
edly. No; it's the nurses evening out.
Don't bother-there's nothing the matter
with George Washington. He's simply
expanding his lungs It's good for him.
We'll, he must be an embryo San
dow or Swaboda or something else colos-
sal and mighty. from the sounds he emits
of those?'
Belinda paid no heed whatever to my
remark. but rapidly turned the pages of
another volume of Shawl Ind murmured
something about his treatise on The
Worldly Woman and his clever little
essay upon Going to Church.
Meanwhile, George Washington kept
bravely on expanding his lungs until
was very nearly deafened"
Perhaps pin is sticking him., sug-
gested.
I am far too good a mother, I'll have
you understand said Belinda In a huffy
tone, to use pins that would stick in my
Mary Bethea, Margaret Allen, Marion
Pinckard, Josephine Harris, Evelyn Far
ley, Virginia Minter, Jessie Matthews,