The Galaxy, May, 1877 Vol. XXIII.—May, 1877.—No. 5.

A vivid, lively voice takes us aboard a bustling river cruise in 1875, where a young mother recounts the whirlwind of her own transformation—from penniless, third‑class wanderer lugging parcels across Europe to a comfortably fed, first‑class traveler cradling a “progressive baby.” She sketches her daily anxieties—over toast, chocolate, and misplaced words—with humor and affection, while the scenic Rhine serves as a backdrop for her modest triumphs and tender moments with her infant.

When another couple appears, traveling without a nurse, their baby’s constant wailing draws the narrator’s instinctive compassion. She steps in, soothing the cry with a portable bassinet, and learns of the exhausted parents’ plight: a demanding nurse, a well‑meaning but overwhelmed friend, and a relentless itinerary. Through these encounters, the story balances the ordinary frustrations of early parenthood with the gentle exhilaration of shared humanity on a riverine voyage.