The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-04-04
ANOTHER WOMAN's CHILD.
.-'oh, a nursemaid's> days drag wearil!
hz

E''Oh, a nursenaiS's> days drag YEARLY
Her life has scanty zest,
If wonderous fancies come to them
'Twere better to pardon instead of
condemn ~
When a handsome policeman dratweth
nigh, ~
With a smile in his eye, on his lips a,
| jest,
F1irting! No, never! Only coughing
i Ahern!''
i I have been asked in a letter, to
which a, score Of club women have
signed their names, ito write an article
on the danger of intrusting a helpless
sinfant to- the sole care of a young
best to explain, the grievances they
have in mind
1t is the woman who is well to do
whose social duties prevent. her from
giving the tine and attention to her
child which poor women lavish on
their babies. The poor mans wife,
even though she must work, never al
lows her child to be out of cher sight
She is bending over it at its faintesf
cry, Its tiny life depends upon her
watchfuI care.
Many a society matron thinks she
has done the right thing when she
sets aside a room as a nursery and
engages a maid as a nurse to look a,f-
ter her child. She buys it the warm
est. softest. and costliest of clothes
and the snartest go-cart as well.
Then she hands the rAins of the baby's
/ care to the nursenaaid. She Is quite
sure she has done her duty when she
instructs the girl that no matter what
comes or goes the child must have SO
many hours out of doors.
/ Few women reason the matter out.
! If the maid were to- be constantly on
her feet keeping going she would per-
! force cover many miles in a days
work. Out of sight of home and mis-
tress the average nurse girl rests half
! AM hour for every rod of ground she
| is not in love with it. It's continual
Ecries, which she is poweE4ess to pre-,
! vent, weary and annoy her. Left to
/ her own resources, she wanders with
er she win. If the gdod-1ooking young
postman or policeman whose route is
past the house stops to chat with her
| it is an unusually careful girl who
will stop to consider baby. The sun
may be shining down into his blink
ling eyes which he is trying to dig out
with his rose-1eaf crumpIed fists, but
| she doesn't notice his discomfort.
/ She is interested in the looking
| young man. Baby may squirIn out OF
| his warm coat or even bounce from
! his cart while she is gazing and adj
miring the departing form 8 Baby.s
have been woo1-gathering. He. has
gotten terrible fall She keeps him
/ OUT in her terror, until from sheer in
ability, he is unable to cry any more
Not one girl. out of a score is brave
enough to run quickly home and tell
| of the accident SO that mediral help
/ may be Summon ed ITO tell the amount
of injury done to the Infant, if any
! Madam sleeps late, after her night
lat opera or ball. Baby is washed and
/ dressed ere she sees him She does not
discover the black and blue place on
his spine. Not until baby fails so rap
] idly that even the causal observer may
notice, it is a. physician called in to
find the cause of its ailing. In alarm,
the girl throws up her position, and
4 goes no one knows where. Baby~sl1f-
fers from that want of care all of his
/ long life through.
/ There is but one inference to drawn
! mothers with young children should
never allow pleasures to interfere with
their daily inspection OF them. Even
though, a Snursenaid is instructed to
take them out, she should not be given
the privilege of taking them where it
is her own sweet will to remain in
definitely. Constant supervision, is
necessary for both nurse and her
Icharge. V