HAVING NONE OF
HER OWN
88
By RUTH H. MYERS
© McClure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Service.
ANY n woman is a mother
though she has no child.
Marbeth could have man
aged n dozen and loved it;
it was an Inefficient waste of good
maternity that she was a seamstress
and unmarried with only the children
of her customers to contact.
The last time she sewed for the
young I'endells, the baby had come
and was three weeks old.
Marbeth and the maid, each prompt
ed by the urge of vicarious mother
hood, fought over him disgracefully.
Tills time lie was fourteen months old.
He had developed clear blue eyes, yel
low curls on Ids head and a pleased,
wondering acceptance of all that was
done for him.
They called him ueorgie.
Among his toys wiis a large old gray
elephant that Mr. Pendcll’s mother had
Just sent on. writing that when he was
a baby Georgie’s father had loved this
king of beasts and that all baby boys
generally seemed to enjoy him.
Claire Pendell saw no reason to
question cither statement.
“By the looks of It, Georgie’s great
great-grandfather might have owned
It,” she told Mnrbetli, regarding the
nged king of beasts with scant hospi
tality. “But when Pen unwrapped it,
it seemed to stir up something tribal
In him. He war-whooped ‘Georgie, It’s
Jum-Jum!’ And presented It to the
son as if it were an enemy scalp. And
now just try to get It away from him.”
Marbeth laughed but she could see
why Georgie or any little boy hugged
him that way.
He was a benevolent old fellow, If
threadbare.
His ears were large, flat and floppy;
his silly tail was either tasseled or
frayed; his trunk moved with the cor
rect unjointedness of that always en
dearing appendage; his faded blanket
was still pinkislily red and edged with
tarnished gold braid.
Marbeth’s quick eyes, trained to visu
alize new garments for old, lit at the
possibilities she saw In a renovated
Jum-Jum.
For the present, however, she would
say nothing.
It would be her surpftse and her own
gift to Georgie the adorable.
She lived so far across the city that
when she sewed for her patrons on
the North side, she brought her little
suitcase and stayed nights until she
had them all sewed up.
It was maddening now to remember
that 16 miles away—and a double fare
each way—the precise scrap of red
flannel and remnant of orange soutache
braid that would serve for a new
howdah lay awaiting some such useful
service in the piece bag hanging on
her bedroom closet door.
Claire Pendell knew only that Mar
beth had urgent business that called
her home that first ulght
However, she was back at work
promptly in the morning and she said
nothing about the long walk she had
taken to save another carfare over to
a certain store called the Bon Ton,
open evenings, where she could get the
exact weight and color of thick, ele
phant-gray flannel she desired.
Nor about how she had planned to
piece Jum-Jum under his front legs
and save 17 cents on another half yard
of goods.
Mrs. I’endell was delighted with the
iden of having the elephant recovered.
That was good.
It paid these days to keep on the
right side of even such old patrons
as the I'endell family In all its
branches, and even though primarily
this gift of love was all for Georgle.
“I’ll work on him after hours, eve
nings, so it won’t be time out that
you’re paying for.”
"Nonsense! When you insist on
paying for nil the material?" Georgie’s
mother patted Marbeth’s shoulder.
"We’ll start him r'gltt now. Bring
him to mother, Georgie.”
And before Marbeth could warn her,
Mrs. I’endell had picked up one of the
razor blades Marbeth used for ripping
und slashed off Jum-Jum's left ear
with It.
How a mother could be so stupid,
thought Marbeth.
Georgie screamed.
A hideous, rasping scream. Of pro
test. Of astonishment. Of sheer hor
ror.
"Georgie!” Ills mother could not
understand what was wrong.
He put one arm around Jum-Jutn
and held out the other piteously for
the amputated ear. "No-no-no-ma
nta!” His screams increased in vol
ume. Beads of perspiration appeared
under his tawny curls.
His mother pulled Jum-Jutn as firm
ly from the other side. “Georgle!
Georgle! No, no! Let mother have
him. Why, what’s the matter with
you, Georgie?"
“It's the ear," said Marbeth’s voice
above the tumult
“Jum-Jnm’B ear. He thinks you're
hurting Jum-Jum."
“How silly! I’m not hurting him,
Georglo. Mnrbeth’s going to make
him a new coat. Stop crying! At
once!’’
She shook Jum-Jum violently and
that shook Georgie so that lie toppled
over and sat down hard on the sewing
room door where he screamed louder
than ever.
Claire Pendell’s one Idea was to have
pence from those screams.
She Jerked Georgie up sharply by
one arm and spanked him ns lie stood
catching Ills breath for a fresh start.
“Why, you’re terrible, Georgie 1 I
never saw him act so.”
And over Mnrbeth’s protests she
snatched the baby up and carried him
across to the nursery, closing the door
witti finality.
The screams nnd choking gasps did
not diminish in the slightest, nor
Georgic’s sobbing “No-no-uo-no-ma
ma!”
It was 3 n. m. and Marbeth by the
dressing table lump was just finishing
Jum-Jum's fringed tail.
Distressed nt the futile clash of wills
across the ball she had nt last basted
Jum-.lum’s ear back in place and at
the risk of Mrs. Pendell’s disapproval
carried the elephant In to Georgie.
As she expected, the baby stopped
crying at once and received .Tum-Jum
with open arms.
But Mrs. I’endell demurred.
“I hate to let him get the upper
band—so young.”
Still, It was a relief to have him
quiet.
“lie’s Just a baby," Marbeth said.
“It’s really better to work around them
when they’re so little."
After Ills dinner Georgie had gone
to sleep with .Tmn-Jum still In his arms.
“But Murbeth’s going to make him
that new coat tomorrow," his mother
warned him, “and you mustn't cry.”
Marbeth had seen Georgie’s hold on
the elephant tighten; but that was
all right. She knew there would be
no more scenes tomorrow.
For at midnight when the house was
quiet and Georgie in a sound sleep,
Marbeth stole into the nursery and
cautiously drew the elephant out of
the baby's relaxed arms.
Back in her own room hurriedly and
competently she laid the old pieces for
a pattern on the new cloth, cut them
out and, since she dared not use the
sewing machine, set herself to the
long, tedious tnsk of back stitching
and felling the seams by hand.
The clock downstairs chimed three.
But Jum-Jum was done at last and
a smnrt, swank beast he was!
Still benign, still benevolent, but
with a well tailored elephant-gray hide,
firm legs (Marbeth had reinforced them
with skewers) and a gorgeous, ornate,
red and orange howdah blanket where
ladies might ride.
She crept down the hall back Into
the nursery and seated Jum-Jum on
his haunches atop a fold of blanket
with the tip of his new trunk touching
Georgie’s outspread palm.
His pleased cry of surprise wakened
Marlieth in tlie morning out of her
heavy first slumber.
She heard him with a satisfaction
that was followed by a sharp twinge
of something like jealousy.
For it was his mother he was call
ing—‘•Mama! Jum-Jum! Juw-Jum!”
Music Is Read by Blind
by Raised Dots on Paper
The blind read music by means of a
series of dots embossed on stilt paper
touched with the fingertips. The sys
tern was developed by Louis Braille, in
1S29. He was a Frenchman, blind at
three years of age, who became organ
1st of a church In Paris. His system
was not adopted until 1850. about the
time of his death.
Notes and rests In the Braille s.vs
teir are Indicated by different forma
tions of a series of six dots. It some
what resembles the earlier system of
figured bass in harmony. A key of ex
plnnntfon is necessary to understand
the reading of music by this system.
It was stnndard’zed in European coun
tries In 1888, at an international con
gress of the blind, In Cologne. The
first English textbook of the system
was published In ItMHl and revised in
11102.
The chief difficulty In making it
available for all Is the high cost of
embossing the music. The National
Institute for the Blind lias published
more than .'1,000 musical compositions
In Braille. This music litis been made
nvailalile by a loan library which sends
music all over Great Britain to rcspon
silile persons.—Indianapolis News.
Vitality of Plant Life
The vitality of plant life is shown
by a fig tree standing in a jungle grown
over n military park near the ancient
city of Mursiiidiilied, India. A giant
cannon—17 feet in length, 5 feet in
circumference and e'g'it tors in weight
—is horizontally imbedded in Its'trunk,
several feet fryin the ground. Appar
ently, writes Grace Hatfield, Santa
Barbara. Calif., In Collier's Weekly,
(lie tree met the gun when growing
up and decided to tnke it along.
—
Let Our Motto Be
GOOD HEALTH
BY DR. LLOYD ARNOLD
Professor of Bacteriology and Preventive
Medicine, University of Illinois.
College of Medicine. |
THE RISK OF BEING BORN
The age group of Infancy ts usually
considered as being from birth until
the first birthday.
According to tne
census of 1930, one
and one-half per
cent of the popu
lation of the state
of Illinois is In this
age group. But
eight and one-half
per cent of the
deaths in the state
are In the same age
group. This Indi
cates that, taken ns
-a wnoie, miaiicy is
r very hazardous period of life.
It is quite a change for the infant
to experience when it leaves the uterus
or womb and attempts to adjust Itself
to the outside world. It has lived for
nine months in nn incubator. Now,
suddenly, it must develop its own heat
regulating system. It must develop
the ability of breathing and of digest
ing foods. It must extract gases from
the lungs the same as adults.
Almost half of the babies that died
in Illinois during 1930 died within the
first few days of life. The deaths up
to one year of life totalled 7,153; the
deaths within the first few days num
bered 3,342. These infants were not
able to adjust themselves to the out
side world.
The next greatest causes of death
were pneumonia and diarrhea. One
thousand sixty-one babies died of
pneumonia; 705 died of diarrhea.
Most of the pneumonias In this group
are not of the infectious type of this
disease. The pneumonia represents
rather inflammation of the lungs due
to lowered resistance and general de
bilitation of the infant. If the child
does not adjust Itself properly, is not
nourished properly, or for any other
reason fails to adapt Itself to the out
sideworld,pneumonia In many Instances
Is only a terminal or end condition.
Whooping eougli causes more deaths
In Infancy than does any other in
fectious disease. One hundred and
four deaths were attributed to this
cause in infancy In 1930, For anyone
to minimize the seriousness of whoop
ing eougli in the face of these figures
Is a manifestation of ignorance.
There has, however, been a great de
crease in the death of infants duriDg
the last 40 to 50 years. Tills has been
due chiefly to a better knowledge of
the physiology of the Infant. We have
not used vaccines, anti-serums or med
icines to keep the infant healthy.
The greatest advancements have
been made In the science of digestion.
We know what to feed the Infant to
Seep It healthy, promote growth and
prevent disease. We know the proper
measures of foods to feed Infants of
various ages, and how concentrated
ind how dilute It should be. The gen
eral care of the Infant Insofar as ex
posure to sunlight, the feeding of or
mge juice and cod-liver oil, have not
peen for the purpose of giving medl
:Ine but for the purpose of feeding
:he Infant growth-promoting and other
vitamin like substances that will pre
vent the development of pneumonias
ind diarrheas. The crying Infant is
in object of pity, but the little fellow
s only getting his muscular exercise,
tie takes his dally dozen while crying.
We do not know how to reduce the
nfnnt hazards during the first
few days of life. The hazards
>f being born and the adjustments
:he infant must make in order to sur
vive lr. the outside world seein to be
pazards for the Infants of all peoples
ill over the world. It has always been
so. And if a weak child survives the
3rst few days, then It may succumb In
i few months to those two executing
iiseases—pneumonia and diarrhea.
Better knowledge of what eonstl
lutes cleanliness, the general use of
refrigeration for keeping infant foods
from souring and the screening of
windows to keep out files and other
winged Insects, have all been Impor
tant measures In the health of the
:hlld, and they lessen the possibility
pf Infectious diarrhea, but they do not
seem to prevent the diarrhea that Is
lue to tlie maladjustment of the or
pins of the body.
But when a child passes the first
jirthday, he enters into the healthiest
aeriod of life. If he can avoid the se
vere infectious diseases, he has not
nuch to fear except accidents; but ac
jidents are a cause of too many deaths
n youth.
The healthiest age group Is that
from five to twenty years of age. After
that the period of wear and tear be
gins.
According to nn editorial In the
lournal of the American Medical As
soclntlon recently, the infant who sur
vives the first year can hnve a life ex
pectancy of 105 yeurs. But not If he
gets In the way of an automobile be
fore that.
C) Western Newspaper Untou.
Okefinokee 5wamp
Drawn by Newman Bumste«d
Okefinokee Swamp, Mystery Land of Georgia.
Prepared by the National Cleosraplilc Society
Washington, D. C.—WNU Service.
DOWN In tlie southeastern cor
ner of Georgia lies the great
Oketinokee swamp, a primeval
wilderness rich in treasure for
tlie modern biologist. Mystery nml en
chantment live in its coffee-colored wa
ters, its moss-hung cypresses and sun
lit piney woods.
Tlie Oketinokee owes a great meas
ure of Its unique charm to its “prai
ries”—wide, unspoiled expanses tilled
in large part with a tropical abund
ance of aquatic plants and flanked
with dense “hays” of stately cypress
On these one may delight his soul amid
scenes of unearthly loveliness that
have changed virtually not at all sincq
the Seminole warriors poled their dug
outs over them. Tlie Okefinokoe prai
ries are not land, but water!
In these morasses are many areas
of open water, varying from lakes a
quarter of a mile in diameter to “alii
gator holes” a rod in width.
The snowy blossoms of tlie white
waterlily gladden many acres of the
deeper water, and the golden, globular
flowers of yellow pond-lilies, or “bon
nets," glow in a setting of huge green
leaves. In tlie shallows yellow-eyed
grass. Its tall stems swaying, forms
a sea of plensant color.
Resort of Hunters and Trappers.
For generations swamp hunters have
pushed over these prairie waters,
standing up In their slight boats and
bending rhythmically with graceful
thrusts of their long poles. The skilled
boatman is able to make better prog
ress over tlie prairies than the beat
lie chases. Old hunters knew well how
to drive a ceer oat of a prairie lien1
In the direction of a waiting com
panion. In winter the trapper camps
for weeks at n time In these heads,
tending his line of traps and taking
tlie pelts of raccoon, otter, wildcat and
opossum.
1 u l it mu me sii.uiuuig ounoiH!.':
of the prairies Into the gloom of the
adjoining cypress bays is a striking
experience. The huge trees, hut
tressed by "knees," stand In close
ranks in a foot or so of water. Their
green crcwns, SO feet or more over
head, shut out all but a few stray
beams of sunshine, causing even at
midday a sort of twilight. Here and
there a winding channel or "run” per
ndts the hunter to push ids tiny boat
between the tree trunks; but in the
greater part of the cypress bays there
is tall, dense undergrowth that makes
even foot travel a slow and arduous
undertaking. The bear, having the
double advantage of bulky strength
and n tough hide, Is the only large nnl
mnl that can readily and rapidly break
through such a tangle.
Good Fishing There.
More than thirty species or tislies In
habit tlie Okellnakee. Persons who
love simple pan-lisliing, with nn old
fashioned reed pule, lind here their
heart's content. At Suwannee lake this
sort of angling surpasses that in al
most any other part ot the country.
When one considers that the lake is
barely a quarter of a mile long, with
an average width of perhaps 30 yards,
a year's catch of more than 40.00<l Hsh
(recorded in 1025) Is astounding.
Farther within the swamp, at liillys,
Mines, and Ituxsard Hoost lakes or on
the P.ig Water or the Suwannee canal,
there is likewise rare fishing. The
bulk of a day’s catch with hook and
Hue Is made up of such basses as the
wurmoiith, the “stump knocker,” and
the ’•suiid-lllrter," with a goodly tiro
portion of mudfish and catfish. Those
wlio elect trolling are more apt to land
. lackfish and large-mouthed bass.
The great state of Texas can boast
ot 30 species of frogs and toads; the
Okeflnokee region, with one-two-Inin
(lmlths the area of Texas, has 20.
With varied habitats to suit the re
quirements of different species; with
unlimited breeding places in the cypress
ponds, cypress bays, and prairies; with
abundant rains in normal years, and
with n warm and humid climate, the
Okeflnokee is a veritable frog paradise.
I,ct copious showers fall during a
warm summer’s day and by nightfall
the bedlam of amphibian voices aris
ing from the swamp waters and their
tangled margins Is beyond description.
The Held herpetologist’s trained ear
picks out of tlie din tiie shrill peeping
of tlie oak toad, the droning roar of
the southern toad, the plainly uttered
“gilts” of the cricket frog, the insect
like chirp of the little chorus frog, the
machine-gun bark of tlie pine-woods
Iree frog, the hogshead-thumping notes
of tlie Florida tree frog, tlie deep,
hollow roll of the gopher frog, the
“clung" of tlie green frog, the pig-like
grunts of the southern bullfrog, the
clattering chorus of tlie southern
leopard frog, the hammer strokes of
the carpenter frog, and the lamb’s
bleating of the narrow-mouthed toad.
Alligators and Birds.
Men still living ean speak of tbe
times when It appeared as If “a feller
could walk across Bill.vs lake on ’gator
backs." To tills day the Okefinokee
remains perhaps the best stronghold
of our famous corrugated saurian.
Suwannee lake In particular, where
the alligators are protected, provides
unequnled opportunities for making
intimate studies of the habits of wild
Individuals.
Of the approximately ISO species of
birds recorded In the Okefinokee re
gion, scarcely one-lmlf remain during
the summer and breed. While some of
these summer residents move south
ward with the approach of coo!
weather in the autumn, their places
are more than tilled by hardier species
coming from the northern states and
Canada to find a congenial winter
home in the swamp.
By far the largest mammal of the
swamp, and perhaps the most Inter
esting, Is the Florida bear. From
enrly times it has attracted the swamp
hunters—not so much because of any
particular value of Its hide and flesn
as by reason of the thrill that comes
from matching wits and strength with
so formidable an animal. An addi
tional reason for the pursuit of the
hear Is Its numerous depredations on
tlie hogs that range through the plney
woods and the swamp borders. At a
hog's prolonged squealing the residents
become instantly alert, for It generally
means that a bear has seized the ani
mal nnd is making off with it toward
the depths of the swainp.
Guns are hurriedly lifted from pegs
on the cabin walls, the dogs are called
together with the limiting horn, and
t lie chase is on.
For generations the sturdy, sett
sufficient, and gifted people ot the /
Oketinokee have led a rather isolated
and primitive existence, some of them
on Islands within the swamp and
others nlong its borders. They repre
sent some of the purest Amdo-Sason
stock left in our country, though a
few of the families have a sligm
mixture of French Huguenot and even
Seminole Indian blood.
In ancestry speech, folksongs, and
general social ways there Is a marked
affinity between the residents of tin
OkcHnokee anil those of the Ap
pulaeliinn mountains. It) each east
there has keen comparative isolation,
tending to preserve the cultural lierit
age from lirituln of several centuries
ago. The picturesque regional ver
nuculnr contains various elements
representing survivals from the Kllza
betIiiiii age that have dropped out ol
general American usage.