The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-06-21


 B c0prse-it-1xas not her own. Shrinking lu n discretion demands that statement at the , Oliver Herford has plaintively said,
 kA sSome are born babies, some achieve
 Ay babies, and some have babies thrust upon them.p It is to be regretted that MT.
 xy Herford never illustrated this teening thought Fancy and imagination wander joyously among the wistful, googoo-eyed babies and embarrassed, apprehensive
 l4m adults which his audacious pencil might
 have evolved But that has nothing to do with Miss Lola's history.
 Miss Lola was not quite certain whether she stood that day, on the plane of achievement or in the valley where responsibilities are thrust At all times she entertained kindly and respectful sentiment for babies In the concrete they merely glmmered on her orbit as 1uminous, tiny satellites of larger and more definite bodies; but In the abstract Miss Lola had ofen found bahies extremely useful copy for nnocuous little poems, which formed the realities of her existence and which kindly editors sometimes ac- cepted referrins them in the sacred seclusion of the editorial office thus: "Steve I've gotta have other 6ller Gimme some O that stuff O Miss Lolas"
 Mis- Lola had friend The acquaintance had not been of her seeking. Indeed, nothing was, of Miss Loas seeking She represented in the scheme of ere aton merely the receptive attitude of thought which does not seek but is sometimes found. Another girl had found Miss Lola, and had found her extremely useful, as one who moves in a thought world where the material male does not enter, hence who op- poses no fascinating sonslity matrimonial bitions tending to thwart plans of the mind more acutely feminine This friend, soca1ed Betty Baylis by name had pursued, from infaney an undertaking course which had resulted in early marriage to the man she selected nea Ford and chrstened John, and in prompt maternity.
 r.. IT ,fos Miss Lola had, in her turnI unconsciousy avaled ot many of Bettys experiences to meet the demands of the Muses. An mpersonal viewpoint being literary necessity, as afording perspective which personal emotions only blur, Miss Lola had reaped rich har- vest from Betts courtshp and marriage while Betty had regarded with mild anazement and entire lack of comprehension girl whose sole interest in these vcriocs experiences was their adaptabity to poetic expression.
 Since the advent of little Baylis Rudofo Ford Miss Lola's raw material had lavishly increased Raw ma s-terial however is not nfrequenty subject to duty In Miss Lola's case the paid in the form of visits to the sanctuary where Bayls Rudolfo en- shrined There each of these young feminine minds had secretly entertained toward the other feeling of wonder; Miss Lola that Betty should seem to find acute delight and an utter abandonment of the intel lectal n the process of filling elongated glass bottles - ysh preparatiQns of milk and water, and Betty that Lola seemed regard infant gurgles coo iiies and contofons merely as matter for note book and available for reduction to feet and lines.
 On the day when Bayls Rudolfo entered more di- recy into Mss Lolas experience it had been arranged that she should remain in the flat with him while Betty should go out to do bit of shopping. Just how this arrangement had come about Miss Lola could aferward remember seemed to her, later, that Betty must have devised the plan. It unlike Miss Lola to initiate. Besides she had motive and in investigations. of crinality is customary to con- sider well the motives which govern the human mind Bettys motive, though not occult, was indubitabe, while Miss Lola felt that not even mother could accuse her of having sought the care of Bayis Ru- dolfo, fascinating though he was.
 I'll give him his botte" Betty had said lightly, land put him in his basket He is almost sleep til I come home but if he should waken hell not be
 bft of trouble, for him is de goodes an bestes' an sweetes-isn't him"-here followed maternal rhapso- dies which Miss Lola hastily transcribed into her note book as lending themselves to future dialect poem perhaps to be entitled Under Cuban Skies" or "The Hottentot Babe"
 departure soothing. There had been agitation pre- ceding, as Betty had tried to "straighten up" the place bit tossing small pillows into their proper tiny blankets picking up ratles from the floor, and wearing apparel into the soi1ed-cothes basket folding arranging the rubber menagerie the shelf where accustomed to stand when not being pursued with Roosevean energy bv its owner during his waking hours. There had been also, blur of instructions. beginning If he should" and including "then put" of Q varied nature that Miss Lola had no time nor