The Press., 1896-02-27


 long the last of February Jonathan came ill (he'd been to town for some- thin or Other), all says he:
 Nancy, Rhody's got boy!'
 Claws! was jist as s'prised as if I'd never thought of sich thing, an says I, Who tole you?'
 "'Ole man Curtis, says he, 'an he's that sot up he wants you to come right over.
 An so will, says I. The blessed darlin An it's a boy. an our Sarah's is boy too. We'll, that heats me. An low twas odd, Mis- Johnson" And the story went on: s
 "In day or two managed to go over to the Curtis place, an though Mary Ann Curtis didn t seem over pleased to see me, I'll say that for her, she treated me we'll enough, an asked me right mp stairs to see Rhody an the baby. My, but my girl was glad to sse me!
 "'Aunt Nancy, she says, is Sarah's baby bigger'n miner An she turned down the kiver an showed me the lit- tlest mite of boy, with such wrin- kled old face! Iwonder what does make a pore weakly baby look so much like old folks anyhow. Did you ever notice it, Mis- Johnson?'' .s..
 "Oh, yes, often,' said Mrs. Johnson. "There was my Silas, looked jist like his Grandfather Johnson when he was born. But was her baby weakly?"
 "I saw it was in a minute," said Aunt Nancy, ''but I never let on. ! looked at the baby an praised it all I could-said it wasn't t as big as Sarah's, but size was nothin.
 "Mis' Curtis she sniffed sort of scorn- ful, an says she, The child might have been bigger if it's mother'd knowed how to take keer of herself an then she says: Well, ain't no time to be a-fool- in. must go to work.
 I suppose you we gotta girl?' says I.
 No, l ain't, says she, 'an, what's more, l don't want one, never seen one yet that they didn't eat an waste more than their work came 10, let alone their wages. An off she went down stairs.
 "Rhody said nothin for minute, an didn't either. We jist looked at the baby, an it begun to pucker it's face an cry little, bout as loud as a young kitten. I thought of Sarah's squaller of boy, but l didn't say anything, an when it was quiet Rhody says:
 Aunt Nancy, is my baby like Sarah baby?' Anshe looked so pitiful I felt as if could cry.
 C EVo11 GSorohSu ic hiooow Why do you ask that?'
 "Her lips quivered, an she says:
 " Everybody 'at sees it says: What an old fashioned baby Pore little thing Rely it's so odd lookin.' Is it odd, Aunt Nancy? An is there fashions in babies? thought babies were all alike. : An she tried to smile while tears rolled down her white face.
 II tried to cheer her up. She was a baby herself-only little over IS, you know-an I went down an made her some toast an tea, an then fed the baby an got it to sleep, an left her feel in pretty cheerful. After that I went over as often as ever could, an sometimes carried 8 little somethin cooked to Rhody, but I saw Mis- Curtis didn't thank me- Once she's good as said so-said her victuals was good 'nough for anybody. Says I, Sick folks like strange cookin some times, Mis- Curtis, an Rhody allus liked my ways Which was an unfortunate thing for me to say, for Mis- Curtis she flew all to pieces, an said put mis- chief in Rhody's head.
 "Here, she says, is her baby three weeks old, all her barely settin up. Your | Sarah was at work afore her baby was | that old, an know it, an if Mis- Rhody can't wait on herself now she can go 'thout waitin on for all of me, she says.
 Mis- Curtis, says I, my Sarah's a different woman from Rhody.
 guess she is,' says Mis- Curtis, mad as fire.
 An, says I, Jim ought to git somebody to help wait on Rhody an take care of the baby, says I. 'or else it's my 'pinion he won't have lem long, for, says I, 'Rhody's gittin weaker in- stead of stronger, an she ain't got milk for that pore baby.
 Then Mis- Curtis she jist let loose, an ketched it. She said it was all my doin's that Jim married that pore no count, stuek up schoolmistress, an brought her there to be waited on, m she knowed it all along, an now needn't come a-tryin to make out as Rhody wasn't treated well, for she had wore herself out trottin up an down stairs, an she didn't mean to do it any longer.
 "Jist then the kitchen door wa