knew she
was making fun of me and I began to boil inside--but outside no sign of
a simmer. I was determined I would not scrap with Irene.

"Then she began to bounce Jims. Now, Morgan says bouncing is almost the
worst thing that can be done to a baby. I never allow Jims to be
bounced. But Irene bounced him and that exasperating child liked it. He
smiled--for the very first time. He is four months old and he has never
smiled once before. Not even mother or Susan have been able to coax
that thing to smile, try as they would. And here he was smiling because
Irene Howard bounced him! Talk of gratitude!

"I admit that smile made a big difference in him. Two of the dearest
dimples came out in his cheeks and his big brown eyes seemed full of
laughter. The way Irene raved over those dimples was silly, I consider.
You would have supposed she thought she had really brought them into
existence. But I sewed steadily and did not enthuse, and soon Irene got
tired of bouncing Jims and put him back in his cradle. He did not like
that after being played with, and he began to cry and was fussy the
rest of the afternoon, whereas if Irene had only left him alone he
would not have been a bit of trouble.

"Irene looked at him and said, 'Does he often cry like that?' as if she
had never heard a baby crying before.

"I explained patiently that children have to cry so many minutes per
day in order to expand their lungs. Morgan says so.

"'If Jims didn't cry at all I'd have to make him cry for at least
twenty minutes,' I said.

"'Oh, indeed!' said Irene, laughing as if she didn't believe me.
'Morgan on the Care of Infants' was upstairs or I would soon have
convinced her. Then she said Jims didn't have much hair--she had never
seen a four months' old baby so bald.

"Of course, I knew Jims hadn't much hair--yet; but Irene said it in a
tone that seemed to imply it was my fault that he hadn't any hair. I
said I had seen dozens of babies every bit as bald as Jims, and Irene
said, Oh very well, she hadn't meant to offend me--when I wasn't
offended.

"It went on like that the rest of the hour--Irene kept giving me little
digs all the time. The girls have always said she was revengeful like
that if she were peeved about anything; but I never believed it before;
I used to think Irene just perfect, and it hurt me dreadfully to find
she could stoop to this. But I corked up my feelings and sewed away for
dear life on a Belgian child's nightgown.