ryin'! I'm all broke up, somehow; but don't you fret. I 'm right here
by yo' side on my knees, in pure thankfulness.

Bless His name, I say! You know he's a boy, don't yer? I been a holdin'
'im all day--'t least ever sence they dressed 'im, purty nigh a' hour
ago. An' he's slep'--an' waked up--an' yawned--an' snez--an' wunk--an'
sniffed--'thout me sayin' a word. Opened an' shet his little fist,
once-t, like ez ef he craved to shake hands, howdy! He cert'n'y does
perform 'is functions wonderful.

Yas, doctor; I'm a-comin', right now.

Go to sleep now, honey, you an' him, an' I'll be right on the spot when
needed. Lemme whisper to her thess a minute, doctor?

I thess want to tell you, honey, thet you never, even in yo' young days,
looked ez purty to my eyes ez what you do right now. An' that boy is
_yo' boy_, an' I ain't a-goin' to lay no mo' claim to 'im 'n to see thet
you have yo' way with 'im--you hear? An' now good night, honey, an' go
to sleep.

* * * * *

They wasn't nothin' lef for me to do but to come out here in this ol'
woodshed where nobody wouldn't see me ac' like a plumb baby.

An' now, seem like I _can't_ git over it! The idee o' me, fifty year
ol', actin' like this!

An' she knows it! An' she's got 'im--_a boy_--layin' in the bed
'longside 'er.

"Mother an' child doin' well!" Lord, Lord! How often I've heerd that
said! But it never give me the all-overs like it does now, some way.

Guess I'll gether up a' armful o' wood, an' try to act unconcerned--an'
laws-a-mercy me! Ef--to-day--ain't--been--Christmas! My! my! my! An' it
come an' gone befo' I remembered!

I'll haf to lay this wood down ag'in _an' think_.

I've had many a welcome Christmas gif' in my life, but the idee o' the
good Lord a-timin' _this_ like that!

Christmas! An' a boy! An' she doin' well!

No wonder that ol' turkey-gobbler sets up on them rafters blinkin' at me
so peaceful! He knows he's done passed a critical time o' life.

You've done crossed another bridge safe-t, ol' gobbly, an' you can
_afford_ to blink--an' to set out in the clair moonlight, 'stid o'
roostin' back in the shadders, same ez you been doin'.

You was to 've died by ax-ident las' night, but the new visitor thet's
dropped in on us ain't cut 'is turkey teeth yet, an' his mother--

Lord, how that name sounds! Mother! I hardly know 'er by it, long ez
I been tryin' to fit it to 'er--an' fearin' to, too, less'n somethin'
might go