_Of the Little Song-Notes that Dance about Babies; and of the Solemn
Christening of Solomon Grundy._
To-day was wash-day come again. After I did do my parts of the
washing, I did go to feed the folks in the nursery. When I was come
back again, I did start to make things out of clay. I was making vases
out of clay when the mamma called me to come empty the wash-water.
There were two tubs full of water. That’s an awful lot of water to
empty. But I carry it out in the wash-pan. And wash-pansfull of water
are not so much water at a time, but they soon empty the tub.
Then the mamma did have me to weed onions. There were an awful lot
of weeds trying to grow up around those onions. It took a very long
time to pull all the weeds. And my back did get some tired feels,
but I did get those weeds pulled out. I have thinks the onions were
saying, when the wind did rustle them, “We thank you for the more
room we now have got to grow in.” Folks growing in a garden do say
interest things.
From the onion garden I did go to the Jardin des Tuileries. I so did
go to have a little service there, for this is the borning day of
Charles de Valois in 1270, and the going-away day of Saint Grégoire
in 604. Felix Mendelssohn did ride in my pocket to service. He did
sleep most of the time, though. I did begin to sing by the two little
trees I have planted, for Saint Grégoire I and Charles de Valois. I
first did sing, “Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, Dominus Deus, Hosanna in
excelsis.” While I was singing, Brave Horatius and Lars Porsena of
Clusium came. They did wait while I did sing two more songs. Then
I said a long prayer and a little prayer.
Afterwards we did start to go along the path. We went a little way.
Then I did go aside. I went aside to the house of Elsie, to see the
new baby. It was sleeping in its cradle that the husband of Elsie made
out of a box. He put rockers on the box and Elsie put soft feels in
it. After the box did have rockers on it and soft feels in it, they
did take the baby girl from the cradle and lay her in the bed. And
now everyday, except the day she does go with her mother Elsie to
visit her grandma, the baby does lay in the cradle. And Elsie does
rock the cradle with her foot while she sews. She sings and sings.
She sings “Rock-a-by baby in the tree-top; when the wind blows, the
cradle will rock.” And while she does sing, I have knowings that
the little song-notes do dance about the cradle of the baby.
To-day I did stay quite a time long to look upon the face of the
baby. I so do love babies. Every night I pray for the twins I want
when I grow up. Some nights I pray that they may have blue eyes
and golden hair. Other nights I pray for them to have brown eyes
and brown hair. Sadie McKibben tells me I better stop changing my
prayers about so much, or the angels may bring to me when I grow up
twins with streaked hair and variegated eyes.
After I did look upon the little baby at the house of Elsie, I did
have thinks to go to the house of Sadie McKibben. I so did go. As
I did go along, I did have wonders if mothers can see the little
song-notes that dance about their babies’ cradles when they sing
lullaby songs to them. I went on across the field. When I was come
to a stump by the fence corner, I stopped. I heard a _criard_ noise.
It came from near the stump. I think it was a mulot. I looked looks
about. I had not seeing of it. I went on. I saw a blue jay near
by the old log where I did hide nineteen acorn children on a gray
day in September. He was looking looks about. I watched him make a
flyaway with one of my acorns. I did count what was left. There was
only a few.
I went on. When I was come to the house of Sadie McKibben, she was
washing clothes. On washing days Sadie McKibben does look a bit
different from her appears on other days. On wash-days along in the
afternoon her hair does hang in strings about her face. Her dress
does have crinkles all adown it. And her nice blue gingham apron
with cross stitches on it does have rumples and soapy smells. I do
know so for I do smell those soapy smells when I cuddle close to
her apron on wash-days.
To-day I did stay by the side of Sadie McKibben for a little time.
Then I did go to weed her onions for her. They did have looks like
they did have needs for more room to grow in. And while I did weed
her onions, I did see many beautiful things about. There is so much
to see near about and a little way off, and there is so much to hear.
And most all the time I am seeing, I am hearing, and I do have such
glad feels.
* * * * *
To-day we did christen Solomon Grundy. He was borned a week ago
yesterday on Monday. That’s why we did name him Solomon Grundy.
And this being Tuesday we did christen him, for in the rhyme,
the grandpa does sing to the children about Solomon Grundy being
christened on Tuesday. Yesterday I made him a christening robe out
of a new dish-towel that was flapping in the wind. But the aunt had
no appreciation of the great need of a christening robe for Solomon
Grundy. And my ears were slapped until I thought my head would pop
open, but it did n’t. It just ached. Last night when I went to bed I
prayed for the ache to go away. This morning when I woke up it had
gone out the window. I did feel good feels from my nightcap to my
toes. I thought about the christening, and early on this morning,
before I yet did eat my breakfast, I went out the window that the
ache went out in the night. I went from the window to the pig-pen.
I climbed into the pig-pen. I crawled on my hands and knees back
under the shed where he and his sisters five and his little brother
were all having breakfast from their mother. I gently did pull away
by his hind-legs, from among all those dear baby pigs, he who had
the most curl in his tail. I took him to the pump and pumped water
on him to get every speck of dirt off. He squealed because the water
was cold. So I took some of the warm water the mamma was going to
wash the milk-pans in and I did give him a warm bath in the wash-pan.
Then he was the pinkiest white pig you ever saw. I took the baby’s
talcum-powder can and I shook it lots of times all over him. When
the powder sprinkled in his eyes, he did object with a regular
baby-pig squeal. And I climbed right out the bedroom window with
him, because the mamma heard his squeal and she was coming fast. I
did go to the barn in a hurry, for in the barn yesterday I did hide
the christening robe. When I reached the top of the hay I stopped
to put it on Solomon Grundy. Then we proceeded to the cathedral.
A little ways we did go, and I remembered how on the borning day of
him I did ask that grand fir tree, Good King Edward I, to be his
god-father. And that smaller fir tree growing by his side--the lovely
Queen Eleanor of Castile--I did ask to be his godmother. We went aside
from the path that leads unto the cathedral. We went another way. We
went adown the lane to where dwell Good King Edward I and the lovely
Queen Eleanor. And there beside them Solomon Grundy was christened.
They who were present at the christening were these--Saint Louis and
Charlemagne and Hugh Capet and King Alfred and Theodore Roosevelt
and William Wordsworth and Homer and Cicero and Brave Horatius and
Isaiah. These last two did arrive in a hurry in the midst of the
service. Being dogs with understanding souls, they did realize the
sacredness of the occasion and they stood silent near Charlemagne.
When we got most to the end of the service just at that very solemn
moment while I was waiting for Good King Edward I and his lovely
Queen Eleanor of Castile to bestow their blessing upon the white
head of the babe, he gave a squeal--just the kind of a squeal all
baby pigs give when they are wanting their dinner. After the naming
of him, I placed around his neck a little wreath that I made in the
evening yesterday for him. Then I did sing softly a hymn to the
morning and came again home to the pig-pen with Solomon Grundy.
When I got to the corner of the barn, I pulled off his christening
robe. I did hide it again in the hay. Then I climbed into the pig-pen.
I did say the Lord’s prayer softly over the head of Solomon Grundy.
After I said Amen I did poke him in among all his sisters and near
unto his mother. Aphrodite gave a grunt of satisfaction, also did
Solomon Grundy.
I went to the house. I climbed in the window again. I took off my
nightcap and my nightgown. I did get dressed in a quick way. The
little girl was romping in the bed. I helped her to get her clothes
on. Then we went to the kitchen for our breakfast. The mamma was
in the cellar. She did hear me come into the kitchen. She came in.
With her came a kindling and a hazel switch.
After she did spank me, she told me to get the mush for the little
girl’s breakfast. It was in a kettle. I spooned it out into a blue
dish that came as premium in the box of mush when they brought it
new from the mill town. After we did eat our mush and drink our
milk, the mamma told me to clear the table and go tend chickens. I
carried feed to them. I scattered it in shakes. The chickens came
in a quick way. Fifteen of those chickens I did give names to, but
it’s hard to tell some of them apart. Most of them have about the
same number of speckles on them. I counted all the chickens that
were there. There were n’t as many there as ought to be there. Some
came not. These were the hens setting in the chicken-house. I went
in. I lifted them off. They were fidgety and fluffy and clucky. I
did carry them out to the feed.
While they were eating breakfast I counted their eggs. I made a
discovery. Minerva had n’t as many eggs as the others. That meant
she would n’t have as many children as the others would have. I did
begin to feel sorry about that, because already I had picked out
names for her fifteen children and there in her nest there were only
twelve eggs. I did n’t know what to do, and then I had a think what
to do. I did it. I took an egg from each nest of the three other
setting hens. That fixed things.
Then I thought I would go on an exploration trip and to the nursery,
and there I would give the folks a talk on geology. But then the
mamma called me to scour the pots and pans. That is something I do
not like to do at all. So all the time I’m scouring them I keep
saying lovely verses,--that helps so much,--and by and by the pots
and pans are all clean. After that all day the mamma did have more
works for me to do. There was more wood to bring in. There was
steps to scrub. There was cream to be shaked into butter. There was
raking to do in the yard. There was carpet-strings to sew together.
In-between times there was the baby to tend. And all the time all
day long I did have longings to go on exploration trips. The fields
were calling. The woods were calling. I heard the wind. He was making
music in the forest. It was soft music. It was low. It was an echo
of the songs the flowers were singing. Even if there was much works
to do, hearing the voices helped me to get the works done in the
way they ought to be done.
The most hurry time of all was the time near eventime, for there was
going to be company to eat at the table. The mamma was in a hurry to
get supper. So I helped her. She only had time to give one shake
of salt to the potatoes, so I gave them three more. She did not
have time to put sauce on the peas, so I flavored them with lemon
extract, for the mamma is so fond of lemon flavoring in lemon pies.
When she made the biscuits, she was in such a hurry she forgot to
set them on a box back of the stove for an airing, as usual, before
putting them in the oven. Being as she forgot to do it, while she
was in the cellar to get the butter I did take the pan of biscuits
out of the oven and put them under the stove so they would not miss
their usual airing. Then I did go to the wood-shed for more wood.
When I did put it in the wood-box the mamma reached over for me.
She jerked me. She spanked me with her hand and the hair-brush and
the pancake-turner. Then she shoved me out the door. She said for
me to get out and stay out of her way.
I came here to the barn. I sit here printing. In-between times I
stretch out on the hay. I feel tired and sore all over. I wonder
for what it was the mamma gave me that spanking. I have tried so
hard to help her to-day. Solomon Grundy is grunting here beside me.
I went by and got him as I came along. Here on the hay I showed to
him the writings in the two books my Angel Father and Angel Mother
made for me. These books are such a comfort, and when I have them
right along with me, Angel Father and Angel Mother do seem nearer.
I did bow my head and ask my guardian angel to tell them there in
heaven about Solomon Grundy being christened to-day. Then I drew him
up closer to my gingham apron and I patted him often. And some of
the pats I gave to him were for the lovely Peter Paul Rubens that
used to be. And the more pats I gave Solomon Grundy, the closer he
snuggled up beside me. To-night I shall sing to him a lullaby song
as I cuddle him up all snowy white in his christening robe, before
I take him out to his mother Aphrodite in the pig-pen.
* * * * *
I now have a bottle with a nipple on it for Solomon Grundy. But he
won’t pay much attention to it. He has prefers to get his dinner
from his mother Aphrodite out in the pig-pen.
After he so did have his dinner to-day, and after my morning works
were done and I did have that hen started on a set--that hen had
wants to set so much; I did have an awful time getting her off the
nest at feeding-time. I had thinks I would set her myself, being as
the mamma does n’t want to bother about it. I had thinks I would put
three eggs under her to-day, and three more when comes to-morrow,
and three on the next day, and three on the next. That will give
her a good setting of eggs to start on.
To-day, after I so did have her started on a set with three eggs,
then I went to visit Dear Love. I did cuddle up Solomon Grundy in one
arm and Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus in the other arm. And so we
went to visit Dear Love. Solomon Grundy wore his christening robe
and he looked very sweet in it. I gave him a nice warm bath before
we did start, so as to get all the pig-pen smells off. Sometimes
smells do get in that pig-pen, though I do give it brush-outs every
day, and I do carry old leaves and bracken ferns and straws in for
beds for Aphrodite. After I did give Solomon Grundy his bath I did
dust talcumatum powder over him. I was real careful not to get any
in his eyes.
As we did go along I did sing to them a lullaby about Nonette and
Saint Firmin, and more I did sing about Iraouaddy. We went on. Then
I did tell them about the beautiful love the man of the long step
that whistles most all of the time does have for the _pensée_ girl
with the far-away look in her eyes. But he is afraid to tell her
about it--Sadie McKibben says he is. Sadie McKibben says he is a
very shy man. Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus did go to sleeps while
I was telling them about it--and Solomon Grundy did grunt a little
grunt. It was a grunt for more sings. So I did sing to him,--
“Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the lamb make thee?”
He had likes for that song and he grunted a grunt with a question
in it. So I did sing him some more, “Indeed he did, Solomon Grundy,
indeed he did. And the hairs of thy baby head--they are numbered.”
Soon I shall be counting them to see how many they are.
We went on to the house of Dear Love. When we were come to there,
the husband of Dear Love was digging in the ground under the front
window of their little house. As he did dig, he did pick up the
little rocks that were under the window and he did lay them aside.
I did have asks what for was he digging up the ground under their
window. And he did give explanations. He is making a flower-bed, and
when it is made, Dear Love is going to plant morning-glory seeds in
it. And then morning-glory vines will grow up around the window.
I think that will be so nice. I did ask him how far up they would
grow. And he reached up his hand to where they have thinks the
morning-glory vines will grow to. I looked up. It was high up. It
was lots more up than I have growed to. Now I think it would be nice
to be a morning-glory vine and grow up and up. In the fields I have
had seeing that the little white ones there do grow out and out. I
did ask them how many leaves does the morning-glory have, that is
going to grow up by their window. They both did say they were sorry
but they did not know. Then I did tell them that they did not need
to have cry feels about it, because when it is growing up we can
learn together how many leaves it has. And he did stop digging digs,
to take Solomon Grundy in his arms, and Thomas Chatterton Jupiter
Zeus had allows for Dear Love to pet his paws.