As we have seen, when Maxwell began his work in Durford, he was full of the enthusiasm of youth and inexperience. He was, however, heartily1 supported and encouraged in his efforts by all but Sylvester Bascom. Without being actively2 and openly hostile, the Senior Warden3, under the guise4 of superior wisdom and a judicial5 regard for expediency6, managed to thwart7 many of his projects. After each interview with Bascom, Maxwell felt that every bit of life and heart had been pumped out of him, and that he was very young, and very foolish to attempt to make any change in "the good old ways" of the parish, which for so many years had stunted8 its growth and had acquired the immobility of the laws of the Medes and Persians.
But there was one parishioner who was ever ready to suggest new ventures to "elevate" the people, and to play the part of intimate friend and adviser9 to her good-looking rector, and that was Virginia Bascom. For some unknown reason "the people" did not seem to be acutely anxious thus to be elevated; and most of them seemed to regard Virginia as a harmless idiot with good intentions, but with positive genius for meddling10 in other people's affairs. Being the only daughter of the Senior Warden, and the leading lady from a social standpoint, she considered that she had a roving commission to set people right at a moment's notice; and there were comparatively few people in Durford on whom she had not experimented in one way or another. She organized a Browning club to keep the factory girls out of the streets evenings, a mothers' meeting, an ethical11 culture society, and a craftman's club, and, as she was made president of each, her time was quite well filled.
And now in her fertile brain dawned a brilliant idea, which she proceeded to propound12 to the rector. Maxwell was non-committal, for he felt the matter was one for feminine judgment13. Then she decided14 to consult Mrs. Burke--because, while Hepsey was "not in society," she was recognized as the dominant15 personality among the women of the village, and no parish enterprise amounted to much unless she approved of it, and was gracious enough to assist. As Virginia told Maxwell, "Mrs. Burke has a talent of persuasiveness," and so was "useful in any emergency." If Mrs. Burke's sympathies could be enlisted16 on behalf of the new scheme it would be bound to succeed.
As a matter of fact, Mrs. Burke had heard rumors17 of this new project of Virginia's. It always went against the grain with Hepsey to say: "Don't do it." She was a firm believer in the teaching of experience: "Experience does it," was her translation of the classic adage18.
And so one morning found Virginia sitting opposite Mrs. Burke in the kitchen at Thunder Cliff, knitting her brows and poking19 the toe of her boot with the end of her parasol in an absent-minded way. This was symptomatic.
"Anything on your mind, Virginia? What's up now?" Mrs. Burke began.
For a moment Virginia hesitated, and then replied:
"I am thinking of establishing a day-nursery to care for the babies of working women, Mrs. Burke."
Mrs. Burke, with hands on her hips20, gazed intently at her visitor, pushed up her under lip, scowled21, and then observed thoughtfully:
"I wonder some one hasn't thought of that before. Who's to take care of the babies?"
"Mary Quinn and I, with the assistance of others, of course."
"Are you sure that you know which is the business end of a nursing-bottle? Could you put a safety-pin where it would do the most good? Could you wash a baby without drownin' it?"
"Of course I have not had much experience," Virginia replied in a dignified22 and lofty way, "but Mary Quinn has, and she could teach me."
"You're thinkin', I suppose, that a day-nursery would fill a long-felt want, or somethin' like that. Who's goin' to pay the bills?"
"Oh, there ought to be enough progressive, philanthropic people in Durford to subscribe23 the necessary funds, you know. It is to be an auxiliary24 to the parish work."
"Hm! What does Mr. Maxwell say?"
"Well, he said that he supposed that babies were good things in their way; but he hadn't seen many in the village, and he didn't quite realize what help a day-nursery would be to the working women."
"That doesn't sound mighty25 enthusiastic. Maybe we might get the money; but who's to subscribe the babies?"
"Why, the working women, of course."
"They can't subscribe 'em if they haven't got 'em. There are mighty few kids in this town; and if you really want my candid26 opinion, I don't think Durford needs a day-nursery any more than it needs an icebox for cherubim. But then of course that doesn't matter much. When you goin' to begin?"
"Next Monday. We have rented the store where Elkin's grocery used to be, and we are going to fit it up with cribs, and all the most up-to-date conveniences for a sanitary27 day-nursery."
"Hm! Well, I'll do all I can to help you, of course. I suppose you'll find babies pushin' all over the sidewalk Monday mornin', comin' early to avoid the rush. Better get down as early as possible, Virginia."
Virginia departed.
After the furnishing of the incipient28 nursery had been completed, and each little crib had a new unbreakable doll whose cheeks were decorated with unsuckable paint, Virginia and Mary Quinn--invaluable in undertaking29 the spadework of all Virginia's parish exploits--gave an afternoon tea to which all the subscribers and their friends were invited. But when everything was in readiness for patronage30, what few working women there were in Durford, possessed31 of the right kind of babies, seemed strangely reluctant to trust their youthful offspring to the tender mercies of Virginia Bascom and Mary Quinn.
Consequently, the philanthropic movement, started under such favorable patronage, soon reached a critical stage in its career, and Mrs. Burke was called in to contribute some practical suggestions. She responded to the summons with all due promptness, and when she arrived at the nursery, she smilingly remarked:
"Hm! But where are the babies? I thought they would be swarming32 all over the place like tadpoles33 in a pool."
"Well, you see," Virginia began, her voice quivering with disappointment, "Mary Quinn and I have been sitting here four mortal days, and not a single infant has appeared on the scene. I must say that the working women of Durford seem strangely unappreciative of our efforts to help them."
"Well," Mrs. Burke responded, "I suppose day-nurseries without babies are as incomplete as an incubator without eggs. But after all, it hardly seems worth while to go out and snatch nursing infants from their mother's breasts just to fill a long-felt want, does it? Besides, you might get yourself into trouble."
"I didn't ask you to come and make fun of me," Virginia replied touchily34. "I wanted you to make some suggestions to help us out. If we don't get any babies, we might just as well close our doors at once. I should be awfully35 mortified36 to have the whole thing a failure, after all we have done, and all the advertising37 we have had."
Mrs. Burke sat down and assumed a very judicial expression.
"Well, Ginty dear, I'm awful sorry for you; I don't doubt you done the best you could. It'd be unreasonable38 to expect you to collect babies like mushrooms in a single night. All true reformers are bound to strike snags, and to suffer because they aint appreciated in their own day and generation. It's only after we are gone and others take our places that the things we do are appreciated. You'll have to resign yourself to fate, Virginia, and wait for what the newspapers call 'the vindicatin' verdict of prosperity.' Think of all the people that tried to do things and didn't do 'em. Now there's the Christian39 martyrs40----"
For some reason Virginia seemed to have a vague suspicion that Hepsey was still making fun of her; and being considerably41 nettled42, she interjected tartly43:
"I'm not working for the verdict of posterity44, and I don't care a flip45 for the Christian martyrs. I'm trying to conduct a day-nursery, here and now; we have the beds, and the equipment, and some money, and----"
"But you haven't got the babies, Virginia!"
"Precisely46, Mrs. Burke. It's simply a question of babies, now or never. Babies we must have or close our doors. I must confess that I am greatly pained at the lack of interest of the community in our humble48 efforts to serve them."
For some time Hepsey sat in silence; then she smiled as if a bright idea occurred to her.
"Why not borrow a few babies from the mothers in town, Virginia? You see, you might offer to pay a small rental49 by the hour, or take out a lease which could be renewed when it expired. What is lacking is public confidence in your enterprise. If you and Miss Quinn could be seen in the nursery windows dandlin' a baby on each arm, and singin' lullabies to 'em for a few days, it'd attract attention, inspire faith in the timid, and public confidence would be restored. The tide of babies'd turn your way after a while, and the nursery would prove a howlin' success."
Virginia considered the suggestion and, after deep thought, remarked:
"What do you think we ought to pay for the loan of a baby per hour, Mrs. Burke?"
"Well, of course I haven't had much experience rentin' babies, as I have been busy payin' taxes and insurance on my own for some years; then you see rents have gone up like everything lately. But I should think that ten cents an afternoon ought to be sufficient. I think I might be able to hunt up a baby or two. Mrs. Warren might lend her baby, and perhaps Mrs. Fletcher might add her twins. I'll call on them at once, if you say so."
Virginia looked relieved, and in a voice of gratitude50 responded:
"You are really very, very kind."
"Well, cheer up, Virginia; cheer up. Every cloud has its silver linin'; and I guess we can find some babies somewhere even if we have to advertise in the papers. Now I must be goin', and I'll stop on the way and make a bid for the Fletcher twins. Good-by."
When Nicholas Burke learned from his mother of the quest of the necessary babies, he started out of his own motion and was the first to arrive on the scene with the spoils of victory, in the shape of the eighteen-months infant of Mrs. Thomas McCarthy, for which he had been obliged to pay twenty-five cents in advance, the infant protesting vigorously with all the power of a well developed pair of lungs. As Nickey delivered the goods, he remarked casually51:
"Say, Miss Virginia, you just take the darn thing quick. He's been howlin' to beat the band."
"Why, Nickey," exclaimed Virginia, entranced, and gingerly possessing herself of James McCarthy, "however did you get him?"
"His ma wouldn't let me have him at first; and it took an awful lot of jollyin' to bring her round. Of course I didn't mean to tell no lies, but I said you was awful fond of kids. I said that if you only had Jimmy, it would give the nursery a dandy send-off, 'cause she was so well known, and Mr. McCarthy was such a prominent citizen. When she saw me cough up a quarter and play with it right under her nose, I could see she was givin' in; and she says to me, 'Nickey, you can take him just this once. I'd like to help the good cause along, and Miss Bascom, she means well.' Ma's gettin' after the Fletcher twins for you."
James McCarthy was welcomed with open arms, was washed and dressed in the most approved antiseptic manner; his gums were swabed with boracic acid, and he was fed from a sterilized52 bottle on Pasteurized milk, and tucked up in a crib with carbolized sheets, and placed close to the window where he could bask53 in actinic rays, and inhale54 ozone55 to his heart's content. Thus the passer-by could see at a glance that the good work had begun to bear fruit.
Mrs. Burke managed to get hold of the Fletcher twins, and as they both howled lustily in unison56, all the time, they added much to the natural domesticity of the scene and seemed to invite further patronage, like barkers at a side-show. Mrs. Warren was also persuaded.
Although the village was thoroughly57 canvassed58, Miss Bascom was obliged to content herself with the McCarthy baby and the Fletcher twins, and the Warren baby, until, one morning, a colored woman appeared with a bundle in her arms. As she was the first voluntary contributor of live stock, she was warmly welcomed, and a great fuss made over the tiny black infant which gradually emerged from the folds of an old shawl "like a cuckoo out of its cocoon," as Mary Quinn remarked. This, of course, was very nice and encouraging, but most unfortunately, when night came, the mother did not appear to claim her progeny59, nor did she ever turn up again. Of course it was a mere60 oversight61 on her part, but Virginia was much disturbed, for, to her very great embarrassment62, she found herself the undisputed possessor of a coal black baby. She was horrified63 beyond measure, and sent at once for Mrs. Burke.
"What shall I do, what shall I do, Mrs. Burke?" she cried. Mrs. Burke gazed musingly64 at the writhing65 black blot66 on the white and rose blanket, and suggested:
"Pity you couldn't adopt it, Virginia. You always loved children."
"Adopt it!" Virginia screamed hysterically67. "What in the world can you be thinking of?"
"Well, I can't think of anything else, unless I can persuade Andy Johnston, the colored man on the farm, to adopt it. He wouldn't mind its complexion68 as much as you seem to."
Virginia brightened considerably at this suggestion, exclaiming excitedly:
"Oh Mrs. Burke, do you really think you could?"
"Well, I don't know. Perhaps so. At any rate, if we offer to help pay the extra expense, Mrs. Johnston might bring the baby up as her own. Then they can name it Virginia Bascom Johnston, you see."
Virginia bit her lip, but she managed to control her temper as she exclaimed quite cheerfully:
"Mrs. Burke, you are so very kind. You are always helping69 somebody out of a scrape."
"Don't overpraise me, Virginia. My head's easily turned. The teachin's of experience are hard--but I guess they're best in the end. Well, send the poor little imp47 of darkness round to me to-night, and I'll see that it has good care."
As a matter of fact, Hepsey had qualms70 of conscience as to whether she should not, at the outset, have discouraged the whole baby project; experience threatened to give its lesson by pretty hard knocks, on this occasion.
For though the immediate71 problem was thus easily solved, others presented themselves to vex72 the philanthropic Virginia.
When on the tenth day the rental for the Warren baby and the Fletcher twins fell due, and the lease of James McCarthy expired without privilege of renewal73, the finances of the nursery were at a very low ebb74. It certainly did not help matters much when, towards night, Mary Quinn called Virginia's attention to the fact that there were unmistakable signs of a bad rash on the faces of the twins, and very suspicious spots on the cheeks of the Warren baby. Even the antiseptic James McCarthy blushed like a boiled lobster75, and went hopelessly back on his sterilized character. Of course the only thing to be done was to send at once for the doctor, and for the mothers of the respective infants. When the doctor arrived he pronounced the trouble to be measles76; and when the mothers made their appearance, Virginia learned something of the unsuspected resources of the English language served hot from the tongues of three frightened and irate77 women. Finally the floor was cleared, and the place closed up for disinfection.
Just before she left, Virginia dropped into a chair and wept, quite oblivious78 of the well-meant consolations80 of Mary Quinn, sometime co-partner in "The Durford Day-Nursery for the Children of Working Women."
"We've done the very best we could, Miss Bascom; and it certainly isn't our fault that the venture turned out badly. Poor babies!"
At this the sobbing81 Virginia was roused to one last protest:
"Mary Quinn, if ever you say another word to me about babies, I'll have you arrested. I just hate babies, and--and everything! Why, there comes Mr. Maxwell! Say, Mary, you just run and get me a wet towel to wipe my face with, while I hunt for my combs and do up my back hair. And then if you wouldn't mind vanishing for a while--I'm sure you understand--for if ever I needed spiritual consolation79 and the help of the church, it is now, this minute."
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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actively
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| adv.积极地，勤奋地 | |
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warden
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| n.监察员，监狱长，看守人，监护人 | |
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guise
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| n.外表，伪装的姿态 | |
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judicial
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| adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的 | |
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expediency
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| n.适宜；方便；合算；利己 | |
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thwart
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| v.阻挠，妨碍，反对；adj.横(断的) | |
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stunted
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| adj.矮小的；发育迟缓的 | |
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adviser
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| n.劝告者，顾问 | |
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meddling
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| v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 ) | |
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ethical
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| adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的 | |
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propound
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| v.提出 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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dominant
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| adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因 | |
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enlisted
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| adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
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rumors
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| n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷 | |
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adage
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| n.格言，古训 | |
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poking
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| n. 刺，戳，袋 vt. 拨开，刺，戳 vi. 戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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hips
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| abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯，耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 )；[建筑学]屋脊；臀围（尺寸）；臀部…的 | |
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scowled
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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subscribe
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| vi.(to)订阅，订购；同意；vt.捐助，赞助 | |
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auxiliary
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| adj.辅助的，备用的 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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candid
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| adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的 | |
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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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incipient
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| adj.起初的，发端的，初期的 | |
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undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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patronage
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| n.赞助，支援，援助；光顾，捧场 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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swarming
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| 密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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tadpoles
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| n.蝌蚪( tadpole的名词复数 ) | |
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touchily
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| adv.易动气地；过分敏感地；小心眼地；难以取悦地 | |
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awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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mortified
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| v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等） | |
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advertising
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| n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的 | |
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unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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martyrs
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| n.martyr的复数形式；烈士( martyr的名词复数 )；殉道者；殉教者；乞怜者（向人诉苦以博取同情） | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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nettled
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| v.拿荨麻打，拿荨麻刺（nettle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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tartly
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| adv.辛辣地，刻薄地 | |
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posterity
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| n.后裔，子孙，后代 | |
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flip
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| vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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imp
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| n.顽童 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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rental
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| n.租赁，出租，出租业 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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sterilized
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| v.消毒( sterilize的过去式和过去分词 )；使无菌；使失去生育能力；使绝育 | |
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bask
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| vt.取暖，晒太阳，沐浴于 | |
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inhale
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| v.吸入(气体等)，吸(烟) | |
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ozone
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| n.臭氧，新鲜空气 | |
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unison
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| n.步调一致，行动一致 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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canvassed
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| v.（在政治方面）游说( canvass的过去式和过去分词 )；调查（如选举前选民的）意见；为讨论而提出（意见等）；详细检查 | |
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progeny
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| n.后代，子孙；结果 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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oversight
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| n.勘漏，失察，疏忽 | |
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embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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musingly
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| adv.沉思地，冥想地 | |
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writhing
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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66
blot
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| vt.弄脏（用吸墨纸）吸干；n.污点，污渍 | |
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67
hysterically
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| ad. 歇斯底里地 | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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69
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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qualms
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| n.不安；内疚 | |
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71
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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vex
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| vt.使烦恼，使苦恼 | |
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renewal
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| adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来 | |
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ebb
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| vi.衰退，减退；n.处于低潮，处于衰退状态 | |
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lobster
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| n.龙虾，龙虾肉 | |
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76
measles
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| n.麻疹，风疹，包虫病，痧子 | |
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irate
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| adj.发怒的，生气 | |
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78
oblivious
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| adj.易忘的，遗忘的，忘却的，健忘的 | |
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consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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consolations
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| n.安慰，慰问( consolation的名词复数 )；起安慰作用的人（或事物） | |
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sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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