lid name. Men with nice names are usually
frivolous and rarely successful.

ELDERLY MAN

It seems to me, brother, you should name your son after some older
relative. Keeping the same names in the family tends to preserve and
strengthen the line.

FATHER

Yes, my wife and I have already discussed the subject, but have not
been able to reach a decision. You see, there are so many new things
to think of when a child comes, so many new problems to solve which
never arose before.

ELDERLY LADY

It fills up your life.

ELDERLY MAN

It gives life a beautiful purpose. By properly educating a child,
preventing it from making the mistakes which we had to pay for so
dearly, and strengthening its mind with our own rich experiences, we
produce a better man and advance slowly but surely toward the final
goal of existence, which is perfection.

FATHER

You are quite right, brother. When I was little I loved to torture
animals. That developed cruelty in me. I won't allow my son to
torture animals. Even after I had grown up I often made mistakes in my
friendships and love. I chose friends who were unworthy and women who
were faithless. I'll explain to my son--

DOCTOR _(enters and says aloud)_

Your wife is feeling very bad. She wants to see you.

FATHER

Oh, my God! _(He and the Doctor leave)_

_[The Relatives seat themselves in a semicircle. Solemn silence for a
time. Someone in Gray stands motionless in the corner, His stony face
turned toward them._

RELATIVES' CONVERSATION

--Do you think, dear, she may die?

--No, I don't think so. She is a very impatient woman and makes too
much of her pains. All women bear children and none of them die. I
have borne six children.

--But the way she screamed, mamma?

--Yes, her face was purple from screaming. I noticed it.

--Not from screaming, but from laboring. You don't understand about
these things. My face got purple too, but I didn't scream.

--Not long ago an acquaintance of mine, the civil engineer's wife,
gave birth to a child, and she scarcely made a sound.

--I know. There's no need for my brother to be so upset. One must be
firm and take things calmly. And I'm afraid, too, he'll introduce a
lot of his fantastic notions in the bringing up of his children and
indulge their every whim.

--He's a very weak character. He has little enough money, and yet he
lends it to people who don't deserve to be trusted.

--Do you know how much the child's layette c