The Hope pioneer., 1922-03-23

I'm beginning with my being born, Of
course, and Nurse Sarah says the sun
wasn't shining at all. 1t was night and
the stars were out. She remembers
particularly about the stars, for Father
was in the observatory, and couldn't
be disturbed. 1--WE never disturb
Father when he's there, you know.) |
And so he didn't even know he had a |
daughter until the next morning when
he came out to breakfast. And lie was |
late to that, for he stopped to write
down something he had found out
about one of the consternations in the
night.
He's always finding out something
about those old stars just when we
want him to pay attention to some
thing else. And, oh, 1 forgot to say
that l know it is Constellation" and
not CONSERVATION" But l used to
call them that when was little girl,
and Mother said it was good name
for them, anyway, for they were con-
sternation to her all right. Oh, she
said right off afterward that she didn't
mean that and that must forget she
said it. Mothers always saying that
about things she says.
Well, as l was saying, Father didn't
know until after breakfast that he had
little daughter. eve never tell him
disturbing. exciting things just before
meals.) And then Nurse told him.
asked what he said, and Nurse
laughed and gave her funny little
shrlg to her shoulders.
"Yes. what did he say indeed?" she
T retorted. "IIe frowned, looked kind of
dazed. then muttered: Well, well, up
on my soul! Yes, to be sure!' ="
Then he came in to see me.
, / don't know, of course, what he
thought of me, but I guess he didn't
think much OF me, from what Nurse
said. OF course was very. very small
and never yet saw little bit of q
baby that was pretty, or looked as if
it was much account. So maybe you
couldn't really blame him.
Nurse said he looked at ne, NUT
tered. "Well, we'll, upon my soul J"
again. and seemed really quite interest
ed till they started to put me in his
arms. Then he threw up both hands,
backed off. and cried. "Oh, no, no, no !"
He turned to Mother and hoped she
was feeling pretty well, then he got
out Of the room just as quick as he
could. And Nurse said that was the
end of it, so far as paying any more
attention to ME was concerned for
quite while.
He was much more Interested in his
new star than he was in his new
daughter. We were both born the
same night, you see, and that star was
lots more consequence than l was.
But, then, that's Father all over. And
that's one of the things, think, that
bothers Mother. heard her say once
to Father that she didn't see why.
when there were SO many, many stars,
paltry one or two more need to be
made such a fuss about. And don't,
either.
But Father just groaned, and shook
his head, and threw up his hands, and
looked so tired. And that's all he 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 insignif-
, cant as IL you were just little green
h worm crawling on the ground. Did
II you ever feel like a green worm crawl
> ing on the ground? It's not pleasant
=, feeling at all.
Well, now, about the name. OF
!, course they had to begin to talk about
- naming me pretty soon; and Nurse
~ said they did talk lot. But they
couldn't settle it. Nurse said that that
was about the first thing that showed
~ how teetotally utterly they were going
~ >. to disagree about things.
- Mother wanted to call me 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 a lot those
, days, and she used to sob out that If
they thought they were going to name
y, her darling little baby that awful Abb
q gail Jane, they were very much mis-
taken; that she would never give her
y consent to it-never. Then Father
II would say in his cold, stern way {:
10 "very we'll, then. you needn't But
neither shall give my consent to my
daughters being named that absurd
- Viola. The child is human being
:, not fiddle in an orchestra
- And that's the way it went. Nurse
said, until everybody was just about
- crazy. Then somebody suggested
+, "Mary." And Father said. very we'll,
20 they might call me Mary; and Mother
- said certainly, she would consent to
y Mary. only she should pronounce it
g Marie. And so 1t was settled. Father
- called me Mary, and Mother called
,. me Marie. And right away every
body else began to call me Mary
Marie. And that's the way it's been
:. ever since.
HEire$ 4 found n,,$ ho&, $hAu ii