I had no time to be lonely now, for I had no nurse, and the only person who was able to render me service was a laundress of the Fifth Cavalry4, who came for about two hours each day, to give the baby his bath and to arrange things about the bed. I begged her to stay with me, but, of course, I knew it was impossible.
So here I was, inexperienced and helpless, alone in bed, with an infant a few days old. Dr. Loring, our excellent Post Surgeon, was both kind and skillful, but he was in poor health and expecting each day to be ordered to another station. My husband was obliged to be at the Commissary Office all day, issuing rations5 to troops and scouts6, and attending to the duties of his position.
But, realizing in a measure the utter helplessness of my situation, he sent a soldier up to lead a wire cord through the thick wall at the head of my bed and out through the small yard into the kitchen. To this they attached a big cow-bell, so, by making some considerable effort to reach up and pull this wire, I could summon Bowen, that is, if Bowen happened to be there. But Bowen seemed always to be out at drill or over at the company quarters, and frequently my bell brought no response. When he did come, however, he was just as kind and just as awkward as it was possible for a great big six-foot farmer-soldier to be.
But I grew weaker and weaker with trying to be strong, and one day when Jack7 came in and found both the baby and myself crying, he said, man-like, "What's the matter?" I said, "I must have some one to take care of me, or we shall both die."
He seemed to realize that the situation was desperate, and mounted men were sent out immediately in all directions to find a woman.
At last, a Mexican girl was found in a wood-chopper's camp, and was brought to me. She was quite young and very ignorant and stupid, and spoke8 nothing but a sort of Mexican "lingo," and did not understand a word of English. But I felt that my life was saved; and Bowen fixed9 up a place on the couch for her to sleep, and Jack went over to the unoccupied room on the other side of the cabin and took possession of the absent doctor's bed.
I begged Jack to hunt up a Spanish dictionary, and fortunately one was found at the sutler's store, which, doubtless the sutler or his predecessor10 had brought into the country years before.
The girl did not know anything. I do not think she had ever been inside a casa before. She had washed herself in mountain streams, and did not know what basins and sponges were for. So it was of no use to point to the objects I wanted.
I propped11 myself up in bed and studied the dictionary, and, having some idea of the pronunciation of Latin languages, I essayed to call for warm water and various other necessary articles needed around a sick bed. Sometimes I succeeded in getting an idea through her impervious12 brain, but more often she would stand dazed and immovable and I would let the dictionary drop from my tired hands and fall back upon the pillow in a sweat of exhaustion13. Then Bowen would be called in, and with the help of some perfunctory language and gestures on his part, this silent creature of the mountains would seem to wake up and try to understand.
And so I worried through those dreadful days—and the nights! Ah! we had better not describe them. The poor wild thing slept the sleep of death and could not hear my loudest calls nor desperate shouts.
So Jack attached a cord to her pillow, and I would tug14 and tug at that and pull the pillow from under her head. It was of no avail. She slept peacefully on, and it seemed to me, as I lay there staring at her, that not even Gabriel's trump16 would ever arouse her.
In desperation I would creep out of bed and wait upon myself and then confess to Jack and the Doctor next day.
Well, we had to let the creature go, for she was of no use, and the Spanish dictionary was laid aside.
I struggled along, fighting against odds17; how I ever got well at all is a wonder, when I think of all the sanitary18 precautions taken now-a-days with young mothers and babies. The Doctor was ordered away and another one came. I had no advice or help from any one. Calomel or quinine are the only medicines I remember taking myself or giving to my child.
But to go back a little. The seventh day after the birth of the baby, a delegation19 of several squaws, wives of chiefs, came to pay me a formal visit. They brought me some finely woven baskets, and a beautiful pappoose-basket or cradle, such as they carry their own babies in. This was made of the lightest wood, and covered with the finest skin of fawn20, tanned with birch bark by their own hands, and embroidered21 in blue beads22; it was their best work. I admired it, and tried to express to them my thanks. These squaws took my baby (he was lying beside me on the bed), then, cooing and chuckling23, they looked about the room, until they found a small pillow, which they laid into the basket-cradle, then put my baby in, drew the flaps together, and laced him into it; then stood it up, and laid it down, and laughed again in their gentle manner, and finally soothed24 him to sleep. I was quite touched by the friendliness25 of it all. They laid the cradle on the table and departed. Jack went out to bring Major Worth in, to see the pretty sight, and as the two entered the room, Jack pointed26 to the pappoose-basket.
Major Worth tip-toed forward, and gazed into the cradle; he did not speak for some time; then, in his inimitable way, and half under his breath, he said, slowly, "Well, I'll be d—d!" This was all, but when he turned towards the bedside, and came and shook my hand, his eyes shone with a gentle and tender look.
And so was the new recruit introduced to the Captain of Company K.
And now there must be a bath-tub for the baby. The sutler rummaged27 his entire place, to find something that might do. At last, he sent me a freshly scoured28 tub, that looked as if it might, at no very remote date, have contained salt mackerel marked "A One." So then, every morning at nine o'clock, our little half-window was black with the heads of the curious squaws and bucks29, trying to get a glimpse of the fair baby's bath. A wonderful performance, it appeared to them.
Once a week this room, which was now a nursery combined with bedroom and living-room, was overhauled30 by the stalwart Bowen. The baby was put to sleep and laced securely into the pappoose-basket. He was then carried into the kitchen, laid on the dresser, and I sat by with a book or needle-work watching him, until Bowen had finished the room. On one of these occasions, I noticed a ledger31 lying upon one of the shelves. I looked into it, and imagine my astonishment32, when I read: "Aunt Hepsey's Muffins," "Sarah's Indian Pudding," and on another page, "Hasty's Lemon Tarts," "Aunt Susan's Method of Cooking a Leg of Mutton," and "Josie Well's Pressed Calf33 Liver." Here were my own, my very own family recipes, copied into Bowen's ledger, in large illiterate34 characters; and on the fly-leaf, "Charles Bowen's Receipt Book." I burst into a good hearty35 laugh, almost the first one I had enjoyed since I arrived at Camp Apache.
The long-expected promotion36 to a first lieutenancy37 came at about this time. Jack was assigned to a company which was stationed at Camp MacDowell, but his departure for the new post was delayed until the spring should be more advanced and I should be able to undertake the long, rough trip with our young child.
The second week in April, my baby just nine weeks old, we began to pack up. I had gained a little in experience, to be sure, but I had lost my health and strength. I knew nothing of the care of a young infant, and depended entirely38 upon the advice of the Post Surgeon, who happened at that time to be a young man, much better versed39 in the sawing off of soldiers' legs than in the treatment of young mothers and babies.
The packing up was done under difficulties, and with much help from our faithful Bowen. It was arranged for Mrs. Bailey, who was to spend the summer with her parents at Fort Whipple, to make the trip at the same time, as our road to Camp MacDowell took us through Fort Whipple. There were provided two ambulances with six mules40 each, two baggage-wagons, an escort of six calvarymen fully15 armed, and a guide. Lieutenant41 Bailey was to accompany his wife on the trip.
I was genuinely sorry to part with Major Worth, but in the excitement and fatigue42 of breaking up our home, I had little time to think of my feelings. My young child absorbed all my time. Alas! for the ignorance of young women, thrust by circumstances into such a situation! I had miscalculated my strength, for I had never known illness in my life, and there was no one to tell me any better. I reckoned upon my superbly healthy nature to bring me through. In fact, I did not think much about it; I simply got ready and went, as soldiers do.
I heard them say that we were not to cross the Mogollon range, but were to go to the north of it, ford43 the Colorado Chiquito at Sunset Crossing, and so on to Camp Verde and Whipple Barracks by the Stoneman's Lake road. It sounded poetic44 and pretty. Colorado Chiquito, Sunset Crossing, and Stoneman's Lake road! I thought to myself, they were prettier than any of the names I had heard in Arizona.
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1
advent
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| n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临 | |
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2
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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3
disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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4
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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rations
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| 定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量 | |
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scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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7
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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8
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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9
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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predecessor
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| n.前辈，前任 | |
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propped
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| 支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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impervious
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| adj.不能渗透的，不能穿过的，不易伤害的 | |
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13
exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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14
tug
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| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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trump
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| n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭 | |
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odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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sanitary
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| adj.卫生方面的，卫生的，清洁的，卫生的 | |
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delegation
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| n.代表团；派遣 | |
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fawn
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| n.未满周岁的小鹿；v.巴结，奉承 | |
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embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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chuckling
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 ) | |
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24
soothed
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| v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦 | |
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25
friendliness
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| n.友谊，亲切，亲密 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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rummaged
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| 翻找，搜寻( rummage的过去式和过去分词 )； 已经海关检查 | |
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28
scoured
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| 走遍（某地）搜寻（人或物）( scour的过去式和过去分词 )； （用力）刷； 擦净； 擦亮 | |
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29
bucks
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| n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃 | |
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30
overhauled
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| v.彻底检查( overhaul的过去式和过去分词 )；大修；赶上；超越 | |
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ledger
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| n.总帐，分类帐；帐簿 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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calf
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| n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮 | |
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34
illiterate
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| adj.文盲的；无知的；n.文盲 | |
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35
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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36
promotion
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| n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传 | |
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37
lieutenancy
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| n.中尉之职，代理官员 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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versed
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| adj. 精通，熟练 | |
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40
mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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41
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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42
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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43
Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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44
poetic
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| adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的 | |
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