Drusilla with a Million — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Drusilla with a Million
John Stuart Mill · en
The girl and her baby came with the doctor through the gates which
separated those who were entwined in the meshes of the law from the
onlookers; then, stopping to get Drusilla, Dr. Eaton and his charge
left the court-room.
The wondering girl was placed in the motor and whirled swiftly toward
Brookvale.
Drusilla was quiet for a time. Then:
"Dr. Eaton," she said, "I believe we've found our nurses. Here's our
first one. Why can't we find the other mothers?"
"I am afraid that would be rather difficult."
"Difficulties are made to get around. If this young girl is willin' to
work to be with her baby, some of the other mothers must be the same.
Perhaps some of 'em was in just the same fix as this one. Now, look at
that letter of John's mother. It sounded as if she wouldn't 'a' left
him if she could 'a' got work to keep him. Why can't we git as many
mothers as we can and have them nurse the children? We got to have
nurses of some kind, and the mothers'd be better than jest hired girls."
"It's a good idea, Miss Doane; but how can we get them? They naturally
didn't leave their addresses."
"We'll advertise in the papers."
"But that would scare them; they would be afraid it would be a trap to
get them arrested."
"Say in the papers that we won't arrest 'em, but that we'll give 'em a
chance to support their babies and live with them while they're doin'
it. Tell 'em I give my word that nothin'll happen to 'em. Git that
young man that talked to me once. He said he'd do anything for me I
asked him. Git him to write it all up."
Dr Eaton pondered thoughtfully for a few moments.
"It might work, and again it might not."
"Well, there ain't no harm tryin'. Fix up a good advertisement and put
it in all the papers--Dutch, Italian, French and Irish. The babies are
all kinds."
By the time they arrived at the big house in Brookvale Drusilla was
very much interested in her new scheme.
"No," she said firmly to Dr. Eaton when he intimated that he must
leave; "you ain't goin' now. Jest you come with me. Jane, you take this
girl and this baby up to one of the spare rooms and see she has a bath
and the baby some milk. Have you had your dinner? No; of course not.
Jane, git her somethin' to eat--somethin' solid; not them finicky
things the cook makes. Git her all fixed up; then come to me. Dr.
Eaton, you come with me to that big room I was a lookin' at the other
day."
She led the way to the third floor, where there was a big billiard room.
"Isn't this just the right kind of a room for babies?" she exclaimed.
"Look at them windows to let the sun in! Now, how many beds can I put
here? We'll take them big tables out and we can put a lot of beds side
by side; and the nurse can sleep in this room here that opens out of
it, with the littlest babies near her."
The doctor looked at the room.