174 



suddenly instead of fresh rosy skin, appear scabs 

 which convey contagion to the maternal teats ; the 

 mother sickens and can no longer feed her babe. 



Again follow great discussions in the family conclave 

 -as to the how, the why, and the wherefore. The infant 

 is given to some wet-nurse, and its career is a course 

 of medical treatment from the start, a speedy death 

 being beyond doubt the kindest fate. If it remains alive 

 it grows up into a scrofulous ruin like its father. 



From time to time these births are repeated with 

 the same melancholy results, driving the innocent mother 

 to distraction. She wonders for what she is so scour- 

 ge<[. Others she sees have healthy children; why not 

 :she? 



The desire to have children becomes especially pow- 

 erful after a woman has passed her twenty-fifth year. 

 I have indeed remarked cases of very loving wives sur- 

 rendering to intrigue about this age in hope of offspring. 

 And this unhappy mother whose sickly children we have 

 seen, naturally cherishes the dream to have at any cost 

 -a healthy child. 



She observes what others do in such a case and 

 follows their example. Another pregnancy encues and 

 another child is born; and this time her most painful 

 doubt hangs on the question - - Whose it is? 



But she has resolved already to dispel this dread 

 ful doubt at any cost and to effect this end resorts to 

 wild expedients. Whilst carrying the child she remem- 

 bers that her first miscarriage was attributed to falling, 

 striking the bedstead, walking upstairs; and inspired by 

 .a sudden idea that all these suppositions were mere 

 nonsense and the real cause quite other, she puts this 

 notion to the test, falls twice instead of once, strikes 

 three times against the bedstead, and instead of only 

 walking upstairs carries heavy parcels from a shop. Her 

 doubts little by little are allayed; she begins to feel the 

 harbingers of happiness and finally the birth occurs. 



