, tell me, don't you think maybe he's covered up a
leetle too close-t?

That's better. An' now I've saw him befo' she did! An' I didn't want to,
neither.

Poor leetle, teenchy, weenchy bit of a thing! Ef he ain't the _very_
littlest! Lordy, Lordy, Lor_dy!_ But I s'pose all thet's needed in a
baby is a startin'-p'int big enough to hol' the fam'ly ch'racteristics.
I s'pose maybe he is, but the po' little thing mus' feel sort o'
scrouged with 'em, ef he's got 'em all--the Joneses' an' the Simses'.
Seem to me he favors her a little thess aroun' the mouth.

An' she don't know it yet!

[Illustration: "Seem to me _he_ favors her a little thess aroun' the
mouth."]

Lord! But my legs ache like ez if they was bein' wrenched off. I've got
'em on sech a strain, somehow. An' he on'y a half hour ol', an' two
hours mo' 'fo' I can budge! Lord, Lord! how _will_ I stand it!

_God bless 'im!_ Doc! He's a-sneezin'! Come quick! Shore ez I'm here,
he snez twice-t!

Don't you reckon you better pile some mo' wood on the fire an'--

What's that you say? "Fetch 'im along"? An' has she ast for 'im? Bless
the Lord! I say. But a couple of you 'll have to come help me loosen up
'fo' I can stir, doctor.

Here, you stan' on that side the quilt, whiles I stir my foot to the
flo' where it won't slip--an' Dicey--where's that nigger Dicey? You
Dicey, come on here, an' tromp on the other side o' this bedquilt till
I h'ist yo' young marster up on to my shoulder.

No, you don't take 'im, neither. I'll tote 'im myself.

Now, go fetch a piller till I lay 'im on it. That's it. And now git
me somethin' stiff to lay the piller on. There! That lapboa'd 'll do.
Why didn't I think about that befo'? It's a heap safeter 'n my ole
knee-j'ints. Now, I've got 'im secure. _Wait_, doctor--hold on! I'm
afeered you 'll haf to ca'y 'im in to her, after all. I'll cry ef I do
it. I'm trimblin' like ez ef I had a'ager, thess a-startin' in with
'im--an seein' me give way might make her nervious. You take 'im to her,
and lemme come in sort o' unconcerned terreckly, after she an' him've
kind o' got acquainted. Dast you hold 'im that-a-way, doctor, 'thout no
support to 'is spinal colume? I s'pose he _is_ too sof' to snap, but
I wouldn't resk it. Reckon I can slip in the other do' where she won't
see me, an' view the meetin'.

Yas; I 'm right here, honey! (The idea o' her a-callin' for me--an'
_him_ in 'er arms!) I 'm right here, honey--_mother!_ Don't min' me
a-c