Omaha daily bee., 1911-07-23
GRANDMOTHER eRUMBLES A BIT
Can't Get Used 90 the Modern
Way of MOtheriRE
baby.

The grandmother sat down with some
decision and carefully selected the new
est novel,
81 suppose l may as well begin to be
modern. too" she exclaimed, with an In
dignation that set her lace ruffles CULVER
ing. zone doesn't seem to get much out
OF being a grandmother in these days.
suppose ia better learn to smoke and ad-
mlre post-impressionism
"of course, l don't know anything about
babies only having had six of my own
and helped my mother to bring up half
Of her ten, so they have to tell me that
handling isn't good for them, and that
IL you kiss them you are worse than a
criminal.
What are babies for ia like to know T?
What's the good Of having them II you
can't hug them now and again? Are they
sent to help us or merely TO be brought
up? My mother always said that she got
no fun out of her own children-they
came so quickly, and she felt so RESPONSE
BILE: but that she got her reward so to
speak. when mine came along as play
things 1 suppose ! thought I'd get some
satisfaction out of being a grandmother,
too: but instead I've only to put my nose
inside a nursery to be told that I'm an
lnsanitary, out-of-date old humbug by
some stafched and sterilized and certif-
Gated nurse.
Mobiles baby has to have all his play
things sterillzed. II the darling's india
rubber monkey drops on the floor he can't
have II back until It has been dipped in
boiling water again. But I remember
when Molly was a baby herself on my
knee there was nothing she liked better to
play with than my gold locket that was
never sterilized in its existence. She cut
all her teeth on that locket, Mollie did,
and was never sure that she didn't swal-
low one of the little pearls in it-but she
was as fine a baby as her own boy is.
Then there is Susan's baby. / haven't
been to stay with Susan since last Sep
TENDER and then 1 packed up and came
away on the third day because 1 couldn't
see that child treated so. Put to bed in
the dark-waken, and cryin' at that
| And l had sent Susan the loveliest rock
ing chair for a birthday present just be-
fore and had been humming up the old
rhymes my mother put me to sleep with
| in her arms! Why, 1 rocked my youngest
boy to sleep every night until he was
years old, and always thought it was
| the best part Of the day when l had him
| In my arms at the fire and we told one
another stories, I know he liked it, too
| and will remember it as long as he re.
members anything.
It's all very well for Susan to say that
what he likes isn't the point. She says
that babies must be taught not to be
troublesome; but how can you love any.
thing that isn't the least trouble? II
babies were all alike there wouldn't b.
any pleasure in having them. 1 know
that all my six had to be amused in diff
rerent ways, and my mother said II wal
just the same with her ten.
Things are soon going to be so wei
regulated on a scientific basis that a mar
won't be able to recognize his own hous,
when he comes home at night-but then
l suppose when everything is alike mis-
takes won't matter
Anyhow I'm glad got my turn a
mothering before science came along anC
wiped out all the compensations for tn.
sufferings and responsibilities. I'm glat
my babies came when babies were still
allowed to be hssed."-St. Louis Globe
Democrat.