The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-08-16
CHAPTER I.
4 Am HON

sssss e>-@se~
The sun was slowly setting In the
west, casting golden boams Of light
into the souber old room.
That's the way II ought % begin.
I know. ana ia like TO do Il. but !
can't I'm beginning with my being
born. Of course. and Nurse Sarah
says the sun wasn't shinin. at all.
II was night and tho stars were out
she remembers particularly about
the stArs. for father was In the OBJ
servatory. and couldn't be disturbed.
f.vs never disturb father when he's
there. you kno~J And 70 he didn't
even know he had \ daughter until
the neat mosning when he came out
to breakfast And be was late 10
that for he stopped 70 write down
something he had found out about
ono Of The eonstsrnAuons In the
night
He's always finding out someshine
about thoss old stars just when we
want him b pay attention To some
thing else. And. oh. forgot 20 say
that 7 know u = constellation" and
not ~consternation." But I used 70
call them that when was . little
girl. and mother nnid IL was n good
name for them. anyway. for they
were . CONSERVATION 10 her all right.
oh. she SAID right off afterward that
she didn't mean that. and that !
must forget she said H. Mothers al
ways saying that about things abe
says.
Wen. A. I was ssying. father didn't
know until after breakfast that he
had . little daughter. we never tell
him disturbing. exciting things Just
before meals) And then nurse told
him
I asked what he said. and nurse
laughed and gave her funny little
shrug to hc- shoulders.
Yes. what did he say. indeed7"
she retorted. He frowned. looked
kird Of d,xed. then muttered: Well.
vel. upon my soul! Yes. TO be sure +"
Then he came In TO see me.
4 don't know. Of course. what he
thought Of me. but guess he didn't
think much Of me. from what nurse
said. OF course. I was very. very
small. and I never yet saw q little
bit Of q baby that was pretty. OF
looked as II IL was much account.
so maybe you couldn't really blame
him.
Nurse said ne looked NJ me. NUT.
tered. well. well. upon my SOUR"
again. and seemed really quite inter
estcd tili they started 10 put me In
his arms. Then he threw up both
hands. backed off. and cried. ''oh.
no. nor lie turned to mother and
hoped she was feeling pretty we'll.
then he got out Of the room just ms
quick as he could. And nurse said
that was the eGd Of II. 30 far rs pay.
ing any more attention 10 me was
concerned for quite while.
lie was much moro interested In his
new star than he was In his new
daughter. We wcre both born the
same night. you see. and that star
was lots more consequence than !
was. But. then. that's father all over.
And that's ono Of the things. ]
think. that bothers mother. heard
her say once TO father that she didn't
see why. when there were 30 many.
many stars. n paltry one or two
more need TO be made such n fuss
about And don't. either.
But father just groancd. and shook
his head. and threw up his hands.
and looked so tired. And that's all
no said. That's all he says lots OF
times. But It's enough. It's enough
to make you feel so small and mean
and insignificant as II you were Just
a little green worm crawling on the
ground. Did you ever feel like n
green worm crawling on the groundg
It's not a pleasant feeling at all.
Wen. now, about the name. OF
course, they had to begin to talk
about naming me pretty soon; and
nurse said they did talk a lot. But
they couldn't settle II. Nurse said
that that was about the first thing
that showed how teetotally utterly
they were going to disagree about
things.
Mother wanted 20 call mo Viola.
after her mother. and father wanted
to call me Abigail Jane after his
mother: and they wouldn't either one
give In TO the other. Mother was
sick and nervous. and cried lot
those days. and she used TO sob out
that II they thought they were going
TO name her darling little baby that
awful Abigail Jane. they were very
much mistaken; that she would never
give her consent TO it--never. Then
father would say In his cold. stern
way. Every well. then. you needn't.
But neither shall give my consent
to my daughters being named that