“When do they reach the distinguished honor of becoming poupons?” asked Louise, smiling.
“You may well say honor,” replied Susie. “It is the ambition of the babies to enter the pouponnat. This they do when they can walk well, and have learned to keep themselves clean. The poupons, in their turn, aspire to become bambins, where they have higher exercises, and commence the Froëbel exercises, slate exercises, and reading. The nurslings are promoted when about thirty months old, and the poupons, at from four to five years old.”
“Well, I must say I never saw children so happy—did you, Mrs. Burnham?”
“Never. Modern progress will eliminate the mother altogether by-and-by, I suspect.”
Some of the babies were crowing in their nurses’ arms, some sleeping in their elegant little cribs, canopied with snowy muslin, many playing and rolling over each other on the floor, or practising their first steps in the “walker,” an elliptical platform on castors, surrounded by a double railing just high enough for the little toddlers to cling to and lean on as they walked around between these railings. The first lesson in politeness, Susie said, was to wait in their cribs in the morning until their turn came to be bathed, and dressed, and fed, and the next to pass each other in the “walker” without jostling or crowding.
“I see you have no rocking-cradles. How do you get all these children to sleep?” asked Mrs. Kendrick.
“It is one of the prettiest sights you ever saw,” said Mrs. Forest, “to see these children all put into their little beds at night without rocking, and there singing themselves to sleep without any crying.”
“You don’t really mean to say they do that?” asked Mrs. Burnham, incredulously.
“They certainly do, all of them, after they have been here a short time. The gas burns low all night, and the little ones who do not sleep all night are fed, of course.”
“Well, wonders will never cease,” remarked Mrs. Burnham, who then inquired how this forest of little cribs were kept so perfectly sweet and fresh. One of the nurses showed these beds. Each one had a sacking bottom, holding about a bushel of wheaten-bran, over which was laid a little blanket. Any moisture penetrating this bran formed at once a solid lump, which was removed, leaving the rest all dry and clean. Fresh bran was added from time to time. Each bed had a soft little pillow, and plenty of covering.