THE WAIL OF THE UNWANTED.

NZ Truth, Issue 150, 2 May 1908, Page 6

THE WAIL OF THE UNWANTED.

TO THE EDITOR,

Sir,— l was born about five months ago m, a dear little village m Scotland, where my advent was hailed with delight, where little people like me were beloved, and where they flourished and multiplied. Such strange' creatures are they who inhabit that land— they actually have plenty of time and room for babies and lots of love to squander on them. Three months after I first saw the light m that little I Scottish village my parents made up their minds to cross the sea to a land called "God's Own Country," and, of course, to take me, with them. I was so pleased when I heard that I was going to that lovely place, thinking what a glorious | time I should have with the other little people over" there. I felt sure that as God is so fond of children he would be certain to have plenty of them m his own country ; and then children are so much more interesting than grown-ups. But I have made a great mistake. I see plenty I big people rushing/ about, but they don't j have babies with them. In the ' houses I have visited there are no children. When there is such a dearth of babies here, one -would think the people would hail with delight a little stranger like me, but they don't want me. Babies aife, a nuisance, they say ; they have no time for babiesmoney is so much more important. I do feel sorry for poor father and mother ; they are despised and rejected* here because they have been so foolish as to bring a baiby, but 'they did not know any better, 'poor things! Of course, it must be stupid and wrong of them, because everyone says so ; but the worst thing about it is that they don't seem sorry for what they Jiave done, and even hope to have more babies like me. Well, people like that don't deserve much sympathy, do they ? No one wants us to stay m their house, because you see, I am such a bother ; I cry occasionally ; no one wHI have my father ,to work for them because, you see, he has an encumbrance (that's me), and then if he continues of the same mind he might have other encumbrances later on, and, of course, that would never do at all. I have heard people say that father iyas such a man, he would be sure to get on m the new country as well as he had done m the old. But then, these were old-fash-ioned people who lived m the Old Country and who did not understand about "encumbrances!" Of course, I have not very much experience, being only five months old, but it seems ..to me that the world will -not last very long if there are to "be no more children. But then, . no doubt, the smart colonials who • can prevent such nuisances as babies coming into the world, will be able to invent some plan by which people will arrive all grown-up and ready, and what a happy place the world will be without . any bothering babies tp. spoil pleasure and. cause expense. — I am, ©tc, "ONE OF THE NUISANCES."