California Agriculturist and Live Stock Journal. 



pljicttic. 



Nly Neighbor's Baby. 



CKOSS in my neighbor's window, 

 With its drapings of eutin and lace 

 ^^" I sue 'iieath its flowing ringlets, 

 A Ijiiby 6 innocent face. 

 His feet in crimson slipuers. 



Are tapping the polished glass. 

 And the crowd in the streets look upward. 

 And nod and smile as they pass. 



Just here in my cottage window, 



Catching flies in the snu. 

 With a patched and faded apron. 



Stands my own little one. 

 His face is as pure and handsome 



As the baby's over the way. 

 And he keeps my heart from breaking 



At my toiling, every day. 



Sometimes when the day is ended. 



And I sit in the dusk to rest, 

 "With the face of my sleeping darling 



Hugged close to my lonely breast, 

 I pray that my neighbor's baby 



May not catch heaven's roses all. 

 But that some may crown the forehead 



Of my loved one, as they fall. 



And when I draw the stockings 



From his little weary feet, 

 And kiss the rosy dimples 



In his limbs, so round and sweet, 

 I think of the dainty garments. 



Some little children wear, 

 And that my God witholds them 



From mine so pure and fair. 



May God forgive my envy, — 



I knew not what I said; 

 My heart is crushed and troubled, 



My neighbors boy is dead ! 

 I saw the little coffin 



As they carried it out to-day ; — 

 A mother's heart is breaking 



In the mansion over the way. 



The light is fair in my window : 



The flowers bloom at my door ; 

 My boy is chasingltbe sunbeams 



That dance on the cottage floor. 

 The roses of health are blooming 



On my darling's cheek to-day. 

 But the baby is gone from the window 



Of the mansion over the way. 



Two Ways of Feeding Our Babies. 



BY "JEWELL." 



The natural is the best -wiiy of course ; 

 with the mother's milk -and yet I have seen 

 more than one bottle-fed-baby that surpassed 

 in appearance and healthfulness, the breast- 

 fid one — simply because the latter child was 

 fi-d at any time when it was handy, or the 

 child cried for it ; the mother being of the 

 '••nslitiitlonalli/ tired sort, weary with work and 

 worrj' — and the poor babe living on tired, 

 sick milk, had an old, careworn look on its 

 face — while in the other case, baby was fed 

 r'(jularly. Ah mother's, remember ihal, every 

 three hours, and on healthy, strong cows milk, 

 uo sugar, no water — nothing but pure milk ; 

 and all night without any, after baby was a 

 few months old ; for it is by habit that our 

 infants learn to nurse all night — a torment to 

 themselves and jjarents. 



Dr. Fuller Walker of Ne-«' York says : 

 " Undoubtedly the gravest error committed 

 by parents, is in the matter of giving food to 

 their children. I find it almost always the 

 f let that a child suffering from inflanunalion of 

 'I": bou:e!s, has been fed (if it is dressed right) 

 « ith corn starch, coffee and tea, some upon 

 milk, bits of bread, meat cake, and a bit of 

 • very thing there is going about the house. 

 Not more than ten cases out of the 200 oc- 

 curred in infants below the age of six months, 

 and net more than twenty-five in children 

 over three years. These facts show that 



bowel complaints commence in children from 

 the time those having charge of them, begin 

 to stuff them with a variety of food, much of 

 which is totally unsuited to their little 

 stomaches and tender bowels." 



The other day, I was w-onderiug why it 

 was that so many women of the present day 

 cannot nurse their babies, but use bottles and 

 cows milk. To such an extent are they used, 

 that the trade in bottles and fixings thereto, 

 is an important one — and seems reduced to 

 perfection almost ; well, I asked myself, if 

 it would be a type of the " coming woman !" 

 And would the future, by opening its college 

 doors to her, its many avenues of trade, 

 making her equal before the law and giving 

 her equal power in politics through the 

 mighty ballot, was all this to be bought at 

 the expense of her dear privilege of nursing 

 and rearing her own children ? If so, it were 

 a dear price to pay, and I would say, keep 

 your ballot and man's government, rather 

 than ask me to pay so much for so little in 

 return. But what is the truth regarding the 

 mothers of to-day. Surely it is natural for 

 her to nurse her children. Something is 

 wrong if she does not. If we look far enough 

 into her habits of life and condition of health, 

 we will find errors existing, sufficient to 

 cause the evil. Then mothers and daughters, 

 let us study to know ourselves, and by living 

 in accordance with nature's laws, return to 

 the more natural condition of womanhood 

 and the nursing of our own babies. 



How Agnes Rears her Baby. 



Deak Emtoi: and Headers of the Agri- 

 cultukist: — There is so much truly valuable 

 reading in the last number of our paper that 

 I feel like sending you a few lines apprecia- 

 tive, not yet knowing -what will be the nature 

 of my article. 



It would seem that the intellects of our 

 contributors had been whetted for the occa- 

 sion, their thoughts shine out so bright and 

 clear. There is "Grandfather's Letter;" 

 the columns for the "Boys and Girls," 

 quite amusing — particularly the Little Folks' 

 Dictionary. Then the letters from our lady 

 friends: "Jewell," whose thoughts are al- 

 ways elevating and enlivening, has been more 

 lavish than usual, giving us two chats in one 

 visit. .\ud here, I believe, is my subject — 

 the talks about babies and babj--dressing. 



I have put some hints, which I have gath- 

 ered from "Jewell" and other like sources, 

 into practice in the rearing of onr last baby, 

 who, ten months old, is now 



sweetly sleeping by my side. 

 And can assure you I thus far feel well re- 

 paid for doing so. Many times a day I call 

 her Rose-bud, Peach-blossom, etc., for her 

 clear, lively, healthful appearance suggests 

 just such names. She has 



A DELICATE, SICKLY MOTHER, 



And has consequently been fed from the bot- 

 tle since three weeks old. As I have been 

 benefitted, so may others be, if I tell you 

 just how I have cared for her. It has been 

 done with my own hands since she was one 

 week old; for I had great faith in the antici- 

 pated course, and was determined it should 

 be carried out to letter, and must say I am 



encouraged by a spirit of triumph thus far. 

 She has been dressed according to 



"JEWELL'S " APPROVED STYI.E. 



In long-sleeved flannels. When changing 

 the outside plaid flannel wrappers for white 

 muslin, I add an extra soft flannel under-gai- 

 ment. Then baby takes no cold. I like to 

 see babies in white as well as any one, but 

 prefer the comfort of the child, and would as 

 soon think of keeping myself in white. 

 The only objection to the plaid flannels is 

 that they shrink; but as a substitute there 

 are pretty shades of waterproof, which, when 

 trimmed with something bright are very use- 

 ful and not out of taste, when wo consider 

 the benefit. 



Now for the feeding, which is uo less im- 

 portant. Although there is much said and 

 written against the 



N0RSIXG BOTTLE, 



I speak in its favor. It is better to have two 

 for use. I prefer those with rubber and 

 glass tube, with these cone brushes for clean- 

 sing; but the little brush for cleansing the 

 tube loses the bristles, and is, I think, unfit. 

 I therefore picked the bristles from "the wire 

 and substituted a piece of fine sponge. A 

 piece on each end of the wire is good, you 

 will find — one quite small, the other larger. 

 I separate the tube into its parts and 

 . cleanse it, with the bottle, thoroughly once 

 or twice a day. 



PBEPAEING THE FOOD. 



At first I used clear, sweet milk heated to 

 blood heat, without sugar or water. At times 

 this would be too constipating. Boiled milk 

 would be more so. Then I must look for 

 other food for her, for baby must have no 

 medicine. Indian meal was suggested to my 

 mind. I put a few spoonfuls to sdak in water 

 over night, next morning stirred and strained 

 through a perforated tin strainer, boiled in a 

 smooth porcelain kettle (kept for the purpose 

 as baby's taste is delicate), added a little 

 sweet milk and fed from the bottle through 

 the day. This has prevented constipation. 



For three months past her food has been 

 prepared for the daytime in this way, alter- 

 nating wheat-meal, oat-meal and corn-meal, 

 without sugar, only a little sweet milk. Our 

 little calves are fed on milk, grains, etc., with- 

 out sugar, and they get their teeth without 

 being sick. Our little girl has six teeth, has 

 had no diarhita, asks not to be held through 

 the day-time but amuses herself with jilays 

 on the floor and sleeps. Has done all her 



SLEEPrSG OUT OF DOOES 



Since two weeks old, except in stormy weath- 

 er. Sheltered from the wind, her sleeps have 

 been from two to four hours in length. 



Another item must not be left out — I com- 

 menced feeding her not oftener than once in 

 two hours •nhen awake. A few days care 

 will regulate this, and attention to it will reg- 

 ulate the entire habits of the child. Since 

 six months old she does not take food inside 

 of three hours. Each day she has had 



A FULL BATH 



In tepid water. On taking her from the tub 

 she is wrapped in flannel or shawl for a few 

 minutes to prevent chilliness and produce an 

 even circulation, then rubbed gently and 

 diessed. As cold weather advances may 

 bathe her less. 



I do not write this to boast of our baby 



