Part 19 (1/2)
”What'll I say, Miss Doane?”
”You jest help me out of this fix I'm in. I got eleven babies on my hands, and what am I goin' to do with 'em?”
”Well, it is a question, isn't it?”
”No, it ain't a question; it's a whole book of questions, and the answers ain't found. I wash my hands of it all. You got me in; now you get me out.”
And Drusilla sat back in her chair.
”Why--why--you put rather a responsibility on me. What does Mr.
Thornton say?”
”Huh!” Drusilla nearly snorted, if the sound she emitted could have been called a snort. ”He says jest what you'd suppose he'd say. Send for the police and put them where they belong.”
”I presume he is right,” said Dr. Eaton a little sadly. ”I don't see what else you can do with them; unless--”
”Unless what? If that's all you can say, I needn't have sent for you. I've heard that with every baby that's come. Now I want somethin' different. What's your 'unless' mean?”
”Unless you keep them, Miss Doane.”
”How'm I goin' to keep eleven babies and they comin' faster every day?”
”I think you had better head off the rest.”
”How can I do that? They jest come and there ain't no one to give 'em to.”
”We will put a policeman on guard to watch the gates, and arrest the next one who leaves a bundle or a basket.”
”I hate to arrest any one, but--perhaps it's the only thing to do.
But that don't help none with the ones I got now. And, Dr. Eaton, they're the cunningest lot of babies! I go round every night to see 'em undressed. I've took more exercise trotting to the different houses where I've put 'em just to look at 'em go to bed--well, I jest can't send 'em to a home.”
”Why should you? Now let's talk sensibly, Miss Doane. What are your plans for your own life?”
”What do you mean?”
”What are you going to do with yourself? How occupy yourself?”
”I don't occupy myself. I'm jest settin' around waitin' to die; and, between you and me and the gate-post, Dr. Eaton, I'm not used to jest waitin'. I'm used to doin' somethin' if I _am_ an old woman.”
”That's just it--you are used to doing something. Now here's something that you can do that's worth while. There's a whole lot of babies in the world that need a home, and why can't you take your share of them and give them a chance in life?”
”How can I give them a chance?”
”Why, Miss Doane, who could give them a better chance? You have money--”
”Yes--heaps of it; and I set wonderin' what to do with it. I want to spend it and I don't know how.”
”How can you spend it better than by taking care of all these babies, by seeing that they'll have love and care instead of being brought up by chance or charity, which is bound to kill every decent instinct a child may be born with.”
Here Dr. Eaton got up and began walking around the room. His eyes grew bright, his voice earnest and thrilling to the old woman who watched him as he walked up and down.