Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-20

gave her the bottle. It was then ten o'clock,
the sun was high and the day was becoming
hot
When resumed my journey thought the
rest must have done me good but before l
reached the Holborn Viaduct fatigue was be-
ginning to gain on me.
l saw that must be approaching some great
hospital, for hospital nurses we're now passing
me constantly, and one Of them, who was GO
ing my way, stepped up and asked me to al
low her to carry baby She looked so sweet
and motherly that | let her do so, and as we
walked along we talked.
She asked me if 1 was going far. and said
no, only to the other end of London, the edge
of the country to Ilford
'Tlford!" she cried. why, that's miles and
miles away You'll have to ride as far as Aid
gate, then change for Bow, and then change
again to Stratford Market"
l told her / preferred to walk being such
good walker, and she gave me a searching
look, but said no more on that subject.
Then she asked me how old baby was and
whether l was nursing her myself, and l an
swered that baby six weeks, and l had
been forced to wean her. being supposed to be
delicate, and besides
"Ah. perhaps you are putting her out to
nurse she said and l answered yes, and that
was the reason l was going to Ilford
Il see" she said, with another searching
look, and then it flashed upon me that she
had formed her own conclusions about what
had befaen me.
When we came to a great building IN q side
street on the left with ambulance vans pass.
ing in and out of a wide gateway she said she
was sorry she could not carry baby any farther,
because she was due in the hospital where
the householder would be waiting for her
'But hope baby's nurse will be a good one
They're not always that, you know" she said
was not quite so happy when the hospital
nurse left me. The parcel on nv wrist was
feeling heavier than before and NV feet were
beginning I frio 20
heart as faced the crowded thoroughfares-
NeWgate with its cruel old prison. the edge Of
St. Pauls and the corner of St Martin's.le.
Grand, and so on into Cheapside
Cheapside itself was almost impassable
Merchants, brokers, clerks and city men gen.
orally in tall silk hats were hurrying and
sometimes running along the pavement, MAX
Ing me think of the river by my fathers bouse
whose myriad little waves seemed to nv fancy
as chlld to be always struggling to find out
which could get to Murphys Mouth the first
and so drown itself in the sea.
People were still very kind to me. Though
and IL anybody brushed me in passing he
raised his hat; and if any one pushed me ac-
cldentally he stopped to say he was sorry
or course baby was the talisman that pro-
tected me from HARM and what | should have
done without her when l got to the Mansion
House l do not know, for that seemed to be
the central heart of all the London traffic, with
its motor-buses and taxicabs going in different
life flowing every way
1t was then twelve o'clock and baby was
once more crying for her food so I looked for
place in which might rest while l gave her
the bottle again.
Suddenly l came upon what I wanted II
seemed to be a garden, but it was a grave
yard-one OF the graveyards of the old Lon
don churches, enclosed by high buildings now
and overlooked by office windows
Such restful place, so green, so calm. so
lHvirn
tumultuous London traffic, it reminded me of
one OF the little islands in the middle of our
ELAN Glens, on which the fuchsa and wild rose
grow while the river rolls and boils about it,
had Just sat down on seat that had been
built about a gnarled and blackened old oak
tree, and was giving baby her food. when |
saw that young girl was sitting beside me-
Presently she looked at baby with her little
eyes, which were like pair of shiny boot but
tons, and said, That your chid?"
answered her, and then she asked, do you
like chldren?"
l answered her again, and asked her if she
did not like them also.
Cant say I'm particularly gone on them"
she said, whereupon l replied that was prob
ably because she had not yet had much ex-
perience.
"Oh, haven't I? Perhaps haven't" she
said, and then with a hard little laugh
Mothers had nine, though
! asked if she was a shop assistant, and with
a toss OF her head she told me she was a
typist
Better job and your evenings off" she said
and then she returned to the subject of chill
dren.
One of her chums in the office who used to
go out with her every night to the music halls
got into trouble year or two ago AS con-
sequence she had to marry. And what was
the result? Never had her nose out of the
wash tub now!
The story was crude enough, yet it touched
closely.
The full instaIment Of this remarkable serial
Is printed in the July Issue Of HEARST's
MAGAZINE.