n THE BABE'S EXAMPLE 8i 



her mother's breast, and because everything was 

 not to her liking, she drew back, looked across at 

 me, and rapped out, as one might do when a boot- 

 lace breaks: 'Damn!' Quite charmingly she said 

 it (never mind from whom she caught the word), 

 and a proper little kid she is; game to the back- 

 bone, uncommonly strong In the squall. You 

 may think what you like about her language: if 

 you had to live with her — eat with her, play with 

 her, rest with her, sleep In the next room, and take 

 her out in boats — you would at any moment rather 

 she cussed a wee than started a hullaballoo. I 

 would, anyhow. And if babes and sucklings set 

 us elders the example. . . . 



And give us the provocation ! At the begin- 

 ning of August, when the boats are lying along 

 the beach, new-varnished for the holiday-season 

 and washed out for a busy day, with the oars 

 lying neatly together In them, and all the ropes and 

 sails in order, down come the kids. Down they 

 come to the Front in a chattering swarm, more 

 regular than any shoals of fish, most like a flock 

 of birds collecting for migration : tousled, joyous, 

 and turbulent; boys on the look-out for a chance 

 of getting to sea; small girls In charge of little 

 ones, little ones dragging babies. We try to get 



G 



