Jacksonville High School - Crimson J Yearbook (Jacksonville, IL)

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The Nautilus Vol. IV. JACKSONVILLE, ILL., MAY, 1906 No. 8 Miss Samantha’s Summer Guest HATTIE CAROLINE ADAMS, ’06. HE likes of some people!” i n d i g-nantly exclaimed Miss Samantha Calpurnia Bil-lings, as she looked over the gold rim of her spectacles from the letter in her hand. “Here our second cousin Sophy’s a sendin’ her boy Tommy here to us for the summer vacation!” “For the land sakes!” gasped her sister, Jerusha. “She says he’ll be so lonesome to stay at home, with her and the other Tommy gone. I make out from this letter, too, that he’s usually pretty well, but just now he’s been sick, or somethin’, and needs a beautiful, quiet place in the country like this. It seems they’re all scatterin’ round, somehow—no two of ’em goin’ to the same place. The other Tommy”— Miss Samantha paused thoughtfully —“the idea of mixin’ up things this way! Sophy never had any brains to speak of, if she did marry money. The other Tommy—why that’s Sophy’s brother that lives at her house with her; he’s goin’ to his grandmother’s for a spell. Well, I’ve not seen any of the family for so long, I disremembered that his grandmother was still alive.” Jerusha Portia, Miss Samantha’s younger sister, dared offer no comment until she saw exactly how her sister felt toward the coming visitor. , “Seems to me as if fashionable people as has plenty of money are alius’ tryin’ to get rid of the responsibility of their own younguns,” snapped Miss Samantha, examining the letter again with a perplexed frown.” She says somewheres here somethin’ about a fine nurse that they’ve bad for a good bit of time. Now, how old do you suppose her boy is by this time? Let me see, he was born the year Pa died. I remember, because Sophy did get her wits together long enough to write to us a letter of sympathy, and told us at the same time about the

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The N a u t 1 1 u s new baby and all her worryments. Let me see, that was two years and a half ago come this June.” “Yes, that’s about right,” agreed the younger sister. “Well, if that nurse’s a commin’, and I reckon she’ll be more’n likely the one to bring him, she c’n march herself straight back the minnit she gets him here, for, if he’s commin’ to stay with me, I reckon I know how a child oughter be raised properly, and don’t want any of your fine nurses botherin’ around. Sophy’s says they’ll pay any amount of board we ask, but I guess we’re not so poor yet a while that we’ve got to take money from kinfolks who’ve come to visit us. They’ll not get any ‘Tommy’ out o’ me, neither. That child shall be called by his right name, Thomas, as soon as he gets inside of my door. ’ “Mercy! Samanthy, what’ll we do about heating the guest room for so small a child?” asked pretty, thoughtful Jerusba. “Land sakes, I’m not a goin’ to have my guest room spoiled by that young-un. No, indeed! This sittin’ room’s too good enough for that.” Again Jerusha Portia waited for her elder sister to take the lead. “I’ll just get about it, an’ fix this room into a nursery.” According to her plan, Miss Samantha ordered most of the horse hair furniture from the sitting room to be stored away in a back bed room. What little was absolutely necessary for their own use she allowed to re- main, wrapped, however, in strong burlap. Jerusha Portia was sent to the attic to bring down the old crib bed, which was thoroughly washed, aired and revarnished. Jerusha Portia had suggested that it be painted white, to look fresh and dainty, but her elder sister, greatly shocked, exclaimed: “What was good enough for you and me, ’s good enough for Sophy’s boy, too, I just guess. And then it’s all these fine cribs and things as first begins to spoil a child. Sophy shall not complain of my spoilin’ Thomas any.” The arrangements for the nursery went on. A sufficient quantity of burlap was purchased at the village store to go around the entire room, reaching from the floor three feet upward. All the pictures were taken from the walls and two or three nursery prints put in their place. Then, after much consideration, more burlap was purchased to cover the floor, that the new rag carpet might not be spoiled. Miss Samantha Calpurnia spent all her leisure time poring over the “Home Doctor” books. She had pamphlets upon the “Proper Foods for Children,” “Correct Ventilation in the Nursery,” with numerous other articles, while for the nursery table she collected such necessities as Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup, malted milk, cold cream, camphor, goose grease, cough drops, witch hazel and peppermint. When Jerusha Portia purchased the burlap, she noticed a beautiful book 2