The Incubator Baby Page 6

  III.

  For an incubator baby, Marjorie handled the measles remarkably well.After a first reluctant period when she seemed to prefer death todisfigurement, she blossomed into exceeding spotfulness and riotedin soda baths, and then she gently faded into her usualpink-and-white-ness. The effect on her system was excellent, but toChiswick, her faithful nurse, it brought distress.

  The world bows down before a sick baby, but a convalescent baby puts itsfoot on the neck of the prostrate world and then pushes. Marjorie ruled.She demanded many things. She insisted on being rocked to sleep, andsung to, and being held while awake, and all manner of things that hergoverning committee considered debilitating and antiquated, and Mrs.Field-ing, glowing with newly found mother love, decided that Marjoriemust have them. She felt that a little petting would not harm the child,but she was afraid of Chiswick.

  Chiswick, like an incorruptible guard, was always present, and back ofChiswick was the governing committee, and back of the committee was theFederation of Women's Clubs, and back of that was all the great theoryof scientific motherhood and the greater theory of the Higher and BetterLife for Women. Mrs. Fielding felt that the eye of the world was uponher, and that Chiswick was that eye. The only way to secure freedom wasto put the eye out, so she put it out. She gave Chiswick an afternoonoff.

  Chiswick went reluctantly. She was a lover of duty, and she had but onedesire in life, to see Marjorie keep to her schedule.

  Mrs. Fielding and Marjorie had a good time that afternoon. Marjorielearned to put her arms around her mother's neck and to lay her faceclose against her mother's face, but Chiswick wandered up and downbefore the house disconsolately.

  When she was let in she threw off her hat and dashed at Marjoriegreedily. She took her pulse eight times in succession and refusedsupper because she wanted to get so many respirations and temperaturesthat she had no time to eat.

  She was just settling down to a nicely scientific evening when Mr.Fielding entered the nursery. Mr. Fielding feared Chiswick as much as hefeared Mrs. Fielding. He cast one glance at Marjorie, sweet and clean inher nightgown, and another at the door, and then smiled at Chiswick. Itwas a guileful smile.

  "Chiswick," he said, "it is a beautiful evening."

  "Is it, sir?" she asked, coldly.

  "Beautiful," he returned with great enthusiasm. "Beautiful! I never sawa finer night--outside."

  "You don't say!" she remarked, but her voice expressed the deepestunconcern for the weather. Mr. Fielding moved toward Marjorie. Chiswickquietly slipped between them.

  "My!" Mr. Fielding exclaimed. "You are not looking at all well yourself,Chiswick. You are overworking. I don't know what Mrs. Fielding can bethinking about to let you wear yourself out so. You are so faithful,so--"

  Chiswick shook her head.

  "I don't want no outing," she said, sullenly. "I've had one. I don'tneed no more. I'm well."

  "Really," said Mr. Fielding, "a little run in this fresh evening airwould do wonders for you; wonders! It would quite set you up again. Youmust think of your health, Chiswick." He eyed Marjorie longingly.

  "No, thank you," said Chiswick. "I'll try to get along."

  "Chiswick!" said Mr. Fielding. "I insist. You may neglect your healthif you wish, but I cannot. What would Marjorie do if you shouldget sick--and die? I insist that you must go out for a littleconstitutional. Say for two hours, or three, if you wish."

  Chiswick balked and Mr. Fielding gently put his hand against hershoulder and pushed her to the door. She gave a last longing glancebackward into the nursery and went. For two hours she sat desolatelyon the horse block and then sadly entered the house with a cold in herhead.

  Marjorie was asleep, but when she heard Chiswick's tread she sighed andheld up one soft hand. Chiswick clasped it--and took her pulse.

  The next morning Miss Vickers looked up from her task of filling inthe record cards for the previous day and smiled at Chiswick. It wasunusual, for they were not the best of friends, and Chiswick hardenedinstantly.

  "I'm looking sick, ain't I?" she said, defiantly. "I need air, don't I?I'll lose my complexion if I don't go out and sit a few hours on thatstone horse block, won't I? Huh! Not for you! No, mam, I'll out inthe afternoon for Mrs. Fielding, and I'll out in the evening for Mr.Fielding, if I have to, but I won't out in no morning for no privatesecretary. Not much?"

  "I only thought," said Miss Vickers, sweetly, "that perhaps you'dlike to take a little fresh air. I don't mind tending Marjorie, if youwould."

  "I wouldn't," said Chiswick, shortly.

  "Oh!" said Miss Vickers. She wrote rapidly for a few moments. "By theway," she said, between cards. "I forgot to tell you--" she wrote in atemperature--"that the committee"--another card--"said that a newsterilizer is needed"--another record written--"and said to tell you toget one"--another card--"this morning."

  Chiswick threw the baby clothes she held in her hand upon the crib withmore than necessary violence. She jammed her hat on her head and stucka hat pin through it vindictively. She ran all the way to the druggist'sand back, and as she entered the house she glanced at the horse blockspitefully. Mrs. Fielding met her at the door.

  "Chiswick," she said, "I'm going to let you have another afternoon outto-day."

  Marjorie enjoyed Chiswick's outings. She found herself in a world wherepeople did nice things to her, and her appetite for petting became avice. When entertainment stopped she doubled up her fists, closed hereyes and yelled. Sometimes, if her demands went long unanswered, sheheld her breath until she was purple in the face. Against such aplea only Chiswick could remain obdurate. She seemed absolutelyincorruptible, but she was not. Every woman has her price.

  It was an afternoon of the meeting of the federation and Mrs. Fieldingwas out. Miss Vickers was out, too, and Chiswick was happy. She did nothave to take an outing.

  Marjorie sat on the sterilized floor and planned the downfall ofChiswick. She wanted to be rocked asleep, and that, like Mary's littlelamb, was against the rule. Scientific babies are laid in the crib andgo to sleep without rocking. Marjorie wept.

  She began by rubbing her eyes with the back of her chubby fists andyawning until her mouth was a little pink circle. That was to tellChiswick she was sleepy. Chiswick put her in the crib.

  Marjorie sat up and whimpered, pausing from time to time to look atChiswick. Chiswick remained calm and indifferent. Marjorie lay back,stiffened her limbs and yelled. Chiswick was not affected. Marjorierolled over on one side, raised her voice an octave, and shrieked,beating the side of her crib with her fists. She became purple in theface. Chiswick paid no attention.

  Marjorie, disgusted, became suddenly quiet. She feigned meekness. Shesat up in her crib and smiled. She pretended that sleep and rocking werefarthest from her thoughts. She coaxed to be put on the floor. Chiswickyielded so far, as a reward of merit.

  Without an instant's hesitation Marjorie crept to the rocking chair thatstood in one corner of the room and tried her latest and most famoustrick. It was a trick of which she was justly proud. When she had doneit for her mother she had been deliciously hugged, and it never failedto win a kiss from her father. True, she had always performed it withthe assistance of a crib leg, but the rocking chair looked serene.Marjorie could stand on her own legs, with something to hold to, and shewas going to do it for Chiswick.

  She raised herself on her knees by the chair, and grasped it firmly bythe seat. Cautiously she drew a foot up under her and tested her kneestrength. It was good. She raised herself carefully and slid the otherfoot beside its companion, stiffened her knees and was standing upright!It was glorious! She turned her head to see how Chiswick was taking it.The chair failed her basely. It swung forward in an unaccountable mannerand developed a strange instability. Marjorie grasped it firmly andit reared up in front and then dived down again. She cast an agonizedglance at Chiswick, staggered, grasped widely in the air for a firmersupport, gasped, and sat down so suddenly that the bottles in thesterilizer on the table rattled.

  The chair
, released, nodded at her sagely once or twice and settled intoa motionless and fraudulent appearance of stability.

  Marjorie was not to be fooled twice by the same chair. She tried itcautiously. She put her hand on it and it swayed. She took her hand offand it became still. It was a remarkable mechanism. She crawled aroundto one side and tried it there. It was much better so. She upendedherself again, and the chair, altho it wabbled distractingly, did notcast her off.

  Chiswick was not duly impressed. She seemed to consider standing uprightquite an everyday matter. Marjorie hesitated, looked at her appealingly,and then, to overwhelm her, released one hand and stood alone, supportedby one hand only.

  Suddenly the deceitful chair began to rock