Mary Marie

The sun was slowly setting in the west, casting golden beams of light into the somber oldroom. That's the way it ought to begin, I know, and I'd like to do it, but I can't. I'm beginning withmy being born, of course, and Nurse Sarah says the sun wasn't shining at all. It was nightand the stars were out. She remembers particularly about the stars, for Father was in theobservatory, and couldn't be disturbed. (We never disturb Father when he's there, youknow.) And so he didn't even know he had a daughter until the next morning when he cameout to breakfast. And he was late to that, for he stopped to write down something he hadfound out about one of the consternations in the night. He's always finding out something about those old stars just when we want him to payattention to something else. And, oh, I forgot to say that I know it is "constellation," and not"consternation." But I used to call them that when I was a little girl, and Mother said it wasa good name for them, anyway, for they were a consternation to her all right. Oh, she saidright off afterward that she didn't mean that, and that I must forget she said it. Mother'salways saying that about things she says. Well, as I was saying, Father didn't know until after breakfast that he had a little daughter.(We never tell him disturbing, exciting things just before meals.) And then Nurse told him. I asked what he said, and Nurse laughed and gave her funny little shrug to her shoulders."Yes, what did he say, indeed?" she retorted. "He frowned, looked kind of dazed, thenmuttered: 'Well, well, upon my soul! Yes, to be sure!'"Then he came in to see me. I don't know, of course, what he thought of me, but I guess he didn't think much of me, fromwhat Nurse said. Of course I was very, very small, and I never yet saw a little bit of a babythat was pretty, or looked as if it was much account. So maybe you couldn't really blamehim.4Nurse said he looked at me, muttered, "Well, well, upon my soul!" again, and seemed reallyquite interested till they started to put me in his arms. Then he threw up both hands, backed off, and cried, "Oh, no, no!" He turned to Mother and hoped she was feeling prettywell, then he got out of the room just as quick as he could. And Nurse said that was the endof it, so far as paying any more attention to me was concerned for quite a while. He was much more interested in his new star than he was in his new daughter. We wereboth born the same night, you see, and that star was lots more consequence than I was. But, then, that's Father all over. And that's one of the things, I think, that bothers Mother. I heardher say once to Father that she didn't see why, when there were so many, many stars, apaltry one or two more need to be made such a fuss about. And I don't, eithe