Morris tribune., 1881-11-24
BABY.
A Symposium of the Nursery.

A Symposium of the Nursery.
had not seen my friend Vanessa for a
long time. She used to be my ideal wo-
man-so strong of mind, so superior to the
vagueness, the ditfusences of her-oRr
ser. When she asserted a thing, I did not
wait to be convinced; l felt that it was so.
whether il was so or not. When I wavered
in my decisions, made of Vanessa a lucky
piece, so to speak, and whether her toss
came down heads" or tails" was always
satisfied. She was a trihe uRsympathetic
to lovers and indulgent parents, and had
rigid views on the subject of household
discipline, but her heart was warm, and
she was friend of friends.
One day Vanessa got married, and then
we went our ways, with much heartache of
parting and many VOWS of consistency. The
years slipped by and our letters grew
scrimpy and tame, but my idea of Vanessa
remained unchanged. When some misogy-
mist sent out his fling at womanish weak
ness, would always say: "Ah, but you
never knew vanessa." Now l was to see
my friend again, to sit at her feet, and
drink the wisdom that fell from her lips.
Happy thought Vanessa was coming to
visit me with her year-old baby. wasn't
sure about the baby, but thought it would
be laid away somewhere when itgot troub-
lesome. Vanessa was too wise to let it in
terfere with us. We lived mile or more
from delightful big village, and planned
the whole month full of pleasure to suit
Vanessa, whose tastes and habits l knew so
well. 1 went myself in the carriage to
meet her.
~Ah, how dye do?" she said, with a
strained sort of smile, when 1 caught sight
of her at last. couldn't shake hands with
l. L. L E.. i l>,l> L
arms-at least 1 suppose it was the baby,
for something squirmed under the mass of
embroidery and brown veil she held up to
me. The nurse has gone to see about the
luggage" she said, by way of explanation.
Il wish you could see Baby, but I'm afraid
to uncover his face, lest he might take cold.
1t seems very chilly here. Is there any ma
laria in the air."
l fastened to assure her of the health
fulness of the country, and at last we were
all bundled Il use the word advisably) into
the carriage. Some of the trunks and bags
had to be left for another load, and when
we had gone half dozen blocks Vanessa
became inconsolable because something was
left behind which would be needed for Ba-
by, and she rated the nurse soundly for her
neglect. was aghast, for Vanessa's seren-
lty under such petty trials had been at once
AN cuNN duo dIlLAlIdllOu. we u1ONC UdCh
to the station and recovered the missing
article, but the drive home was unsahsfac-
tory. Baby walled necessarily, and Vanes-
sa ignored me entirely in her efforts to en-
terrain him. I was amused and astonished
at her stock of baby talk" I knew what
an accomplished inguist she was, but this
last acquisition seemed more wonderful
than the rest.
There, there, petsie! See little hossie
booful little hossie. Was it mammals own?
Well, well, we'll soon be there. Louise,
give me that blanket. He's quite cold.
Would you mind putting up that window,
Karin?"
put up the window. banged on it to
amuse Baby. I clapped my hands. 1 tried
to take him, but he howled In derision, and
Vanessa said reproachfully:
You shouldn't have tried to take him till
he knew you better. Was he mamma S
beauty" etc., etc.
At last we were at home. I took Van
sssa into her room with some pride. There
were fresh flowers everywhere, Albright fire
and low chair in front of it. / fiattered
myself had forgotten nothing.
An, this is nice, isntit, Baby?" said Va
nessa, in tone which more than repaid
me. But she had scarcely seated herself
before she said: What lovely flowers; but
you won't mind, will you, if 1 let Louise
take them out? I don't think so strong a
perfume is good for Baby"
The flowers were taken away. Pretty
soon Vanessa began to fdget again. ably
had been fed, and lay in the nurses arms
blinking at the fire in the solemn, wise way
babies have, apparently in a state of com
plete beatitude.
What is it, Vanessa? Is there anything
-
We'll, I don't want to look inhospitable
dear, and turn you out, but I know baby
wants to 60 to sleep, and our talking dis.
turbs him, he's SO nervous. It's too bad
but we'er going to be together nice lone
time now. 1t is so good to see you again
And we must read together, and you will
tell me all your plans.
1 frightened up Immediately. She Uas
glad to see me, then. This was my Va.
nessa. 1t was to be our old life told ovel
again, and the baby was only parenthesis
But soon found that the biggest part Of
our visit, like Carlyie's "reminiscences,
was made of parentheses. In the morn
ing had to 90 into Vanessa's room to SEE
Baby dressed for his walk. Then we all
flung kisses after him in the rapturous
fashion of the twenty love- sick maidens in
Patience" Then we went to drive some
times; and if Baby was left at hone
we had a little chat about outside matters
and Vanessa was faint semblance of her
self; but always she carried with her new
strange air of responsibility. There was
serene, self satisfaction about her which i
would scarcely be proper to name egotism
and yet it called on everybody to make way
for her, because she was mother of Baby
Holding the wriggling little lump of hu.
manity in her lap, she would gravely de.
l. TT e.
higher education. Every year of his non.
cate lines, even to diet, dress, and deport.
ment. But thatwas in the future. For the
present we could not plan anything fol
more than an hour ahead, for there was
danger Of Baby having pain somew lere
to hold his mother beside him. Between
the fear Of his swallowing some indigesti.
BILE plaything or getting cold, or having the
stomach ache, or catch some Infectious
disease, we were constantly KEEP
in whirl of anxiety. l became as baby.
worn as the rest, finding that possibility
OF any OF these calamities made of Vanessd
sort of mild maniac. Our intercourse
was intensely aggravating-I can use nj
other word to describe it. She seemed tc
love me still-when she had time; but tn,
instant the baby claimed her attention,
was blotted out, and not only I, but tn,
whole world. Even her husband was
shadowy being compared with baby, al
though hers had been what is technical,
q known as Glove match"
Every day Vanessa would say, "Why
don't you read aloud to me, as you used t
do" One morning, she picked up Nal
locks New Republic" I haven't rea,
anything for two years, she said; ais thi
good?"
shrugged my shoulders impartally, a
who should say: lis mere matter o
TASTE"
II know it will do for our beninning. q
any rate, she laughed, 4and I don't believ
you've ever looked into it."
Well, I sagely waited till baby was take
ont for his airing, and then fetched m
book, and we sat down in a coy corner G
the nursery together. had read, maybe
three or four pages, which Vanessa SCENE
to enjoy, commenting on the matter an
manner in her cleyerly caustic way, whe