se but jus'
yourself, you go pretty slow, 'n' for that very reason I'm thinkin'
this subjeck well over afore I decide. There's a good many questions
to consider,--my mind 's got to be made up whether boy or girl 'n' age
'n' so forth afore I shall open my lips to a livin' soul."

Mrs. Lathrop appeared to be slowly recovering from the effects of her
surprise.

"Would you take a small--" she asked, perhaps with some mental
reference to the remark that dowered her with the occasional charge of
the future adopted Clegg.

"Well, I d'n' know. That's a very hard thing that comes up first of
all every time 't I begin thinkin'. When most folks set out to adopt a
baby, the main idea seems to be to try 'n' get 'em so young 't they
can't never say for sure's you ain't their mother."

Mrs. Lathrop nodded approval, mute but emphatic, of the wisdom of her
friend's views.

"But I ain't got none o' that foolish sort o' notions in me. I
wouldn't be its mother, 'n' 'f there was n't no one else to tell it so
Mr. Kimball 'd rejoice to the first time I sent it down town alone.
It's nigh to impossible to keep nothin' in the town with Mr. Kimball.
A man f'rever talkin' like that 's bound to tell everythin' sooner or
later, 'n' I never was one to set any great store o' faith on a
talker. When I don't want the whole town to know 't I'm layin' in
rat-poison I buy of Shores, 'n' when I get a new dress I buy o'
Kimball. I don't want my rats talked about 'n' I don't mind my dress.
For which same reason I sh'll make no try 't foolin' my baby. I'll be
content if it cooes. I remember Mrs. Macy's sayin' once 't a baby was
sweetest when it cooes, 'n' I don't want to miss nothin', 'n' we ain't
never kep' doves for me to be dead-sick o' the noise, so I want the
cooin' age. I think it'll be pleasant comin' home days to hear the
baby cooin', 'n' 'f it cooes too loud when I'm away you c'n always
come over 'n' see if it's rolled anywhere. I c'n see that, generally
speaking, it's a wise thing that folks jus' have to take 'em as they
come, because when it's all for you to choose you want so much 't like
's not I can't be suited after all. It's goin' to be pretty hard
decidin', 'n' when I've done decidin' it's goin' to be pretty hard
findin' a baby that's all 't I've decided; 'n' then, _if_ I find
it,--then comes the raisin' of it, 'n' I espect that 'll be suthin'
jus' awful."

"How was you goin' to find--" Mrs. Lathrop asked.

"Well, I've got to go to t