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

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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

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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 Nautilus of nursery rhymes, which she bought, but Samantha Calpurnia promptly hid it, and brought forth a large book on Shakespearean characters,illustrated. “This,” said she, “is the proper book from which to instruct Thomas if he’s to be worth anything.” JerushaPortia’s younger heart made her long to make some of her famous sugar pies or cranberry jelly for their young guest, but such food, according to the “Family Physician,” would prove highly injurious. White taffy or fudge was not to be thought of. Not even was the child to be allowed any food containing lard, although Samantha Calpurnia had rendered it out with her own hands. Unwillingly Miss Billings consented to the purchase of A. B. C. blocks, a large rubber ball and a tin horse as gifts for the youngster, although she was strongly convinced that checked gingham aprons and bibs would have been far more to the purpose. The evening of the arrival of the summer guest came at last. George Washington Jones, the old coachman, was sent in the family carriage to meet the train. It was all nonsense, Miss Billings had said, for any of the family to accompany him, for the nurse most assuredly was in charge of the little boy, and that was all that was needful. The nurse should go back home on the morning train. It was an hour or more before the carriage could possibly return, so Miss Samantha sat down to read over her schedule for Thomas to see if it were correct. She was somewhat in doubt as to whether he ought to walk a half hour or an hour before dinner, and whether it would be better to have him sleep a half hour in the afternoon, retiring for the night at five o’clock, or for him to nap an hour after dinner, going to bed at six. She observed the nursery from floor to ceiling for the twentieth time to assure herself that all was in readiness. The necessities of the nursery table were inspected again, one by one, with satisfaction, all these arrangements seeming as far above criticism as did the snowy linen and shining silver of her dining hall. Suddenly she heard the sound of wheels creaking over the gravel drive, as the carriage came slowly up to the house. In a flutter Miss Samantha Calpurnia walked to the door. Jerusha Portia had preceded her, and in the growing dusk was flying down the long steps of the old fashioned veranda to meet the carriage when it stopped. “Jerusha, bring that child right out of the night air as soon as possible. Bring him straight to the nursery at once!” called her sister. Miss Samantha hurried back to the nursery, and sitting down awaited there the carrying out of her command. A confused mingling of voices ensued, followed by a merry, ringing masculine laugh and Jerusha’s unrepressed giggle. Then the door flew open, admitting a tall, handsome 3