THE POISONED BABY
SHESA hastened away with the neighbor, for she knew that any delay
might cost the baby’s life. She could hear the little girl’s agonizing
screams.
“Ibee, run for the doctor,” she called.
“We must work until the doctor comes,” she said to the distracted
mother. She was wise enough to realize that it would be best to keep
the mother busy.
“What kind of poison—do you know?” asked Shesa anxiously, as they ran
up the steps of the porch.
“Lye,” answered the mother briefly. “The maid was scrubbing the kitchen
steps, and left the can of lye on the floor. Baby came along, saying
‘dink, dink,’ and before Sally Ann could get into the door, baby had
swallowed a mouthful. It couldn’t have been very strong, for Sally Ann
had filled up the can with water.”
Shesa took the baby on her lap and looked into its poor little burnt
mouth.
“Bring a glass of water and some vinegar,” she ordered. When they came,
she diluted the vinegar with water giving the baby a teaspoonful at a
time.
“Bring the juice of a lemon,” she said. This she diluted, giving it to
the baby in the same way.
It must have stopped some of the suffering, for the little one began to
seem more comfortable.
“Now, the beaten white of an egg in water,” she said at length. Of this
she gave the baby a tablespoonful; then a tablespoonful of olive oil,
holding its little mouth shut to make it swallow.
By the time the doctor arrived, the baby had fallen asleep on Shesa’s
lap.
“You have saved this baby’s life, Miss Brave,” said the doctor. “If it
hadn’t been for prompt action, the child might have died.”
[Illustration: “BRING A GLASS OF WATER AND SOME VINEGAR”]
“People are so careless with poisons,” he went on. “Poisons should
never be placed within the reach of little children. All bottles
should be labeled plainly, and the stoppers should be tied about with
a piece of gauze—not very attractive, I admit, but one of the best
safeguards against making a mistake as to the ‘right bottle.’ Poisons
should not be kept in the general medicine closet, but in a place by
themselves—unless we except iodine, which has such a decided odor that
it may be kept in a more accessible place, ready for its many uses.”
After complimenting Shesa again on her treatment of the baby, and
leaving some medicines for both the baby and the baby’s mother, the
doctor went away.
Shesa was met by her mother as she started home.
“We are all so anxious, dear,” she said, “to learn how the baby is.”
“The baby’s all right,” smiled Shesa.
“How thankful Ima will be!” exclaimed her mother. “It brings tears to
my eyes to see how interested that dear boy is in everybody, thinking
so little about his own misfortunes. Think of a young man just at his
age losing an arm!”
“Father told me that last night when he tried to express a little
sympathy, Ima said, ‘Well, Father, it is a loss; but you know, I have
one arm left!’” Shesa replied.
“Wasn’t that wonderful!” exclaimed Mrs. Brave.
[Illustration: “YOU HAVE SAVED THIS BABY’S LIFE, MISS BRAVE”]
“It certainly is wonderful how bravely he takes his troubles,” replied
Shesa. “Father said he thought that it really required more bravery to
feel that way than to go to the battlefield.”
By this time they had reached home, and Shesa had to tell everybody
about the saving of the life of the poisoned baby.