“I wonder some one hasn’t thought of that before. Who’s to take care of the babies?”
“Mary Quinn and I, with the assistance of others, of course.”
“Are you sure that you know which is the business end of a nursing-bottle? Could you put a safety-pin where it would do the most good? Could you wash a baby without drownin’ it?”
“Of course I have not had much experience,” Virginia replied in a dignified and lofty way, “but Mary Quinn has, and she could teach me.”
“You’re thinkin’, I suppose, that a day-nursery would fill a long-felt want, or somethin’ like that. Who’s goin’ to pay the bills?”
“Oh, there ought to be enough progressive, philanthropic people in Durford to subscribe the necessary funds, you know. It is to be an auxiliary to the parish work.”
“Hm! What does Mr. Maxwell say?”
“Well, he said that he supposed that babies were 100 good things in their way; but he hadn’t seen many in the village, and he didn’t quite realize what help a day-nursery would be to the working women.”
“That doesn’t sound mighty enthusiastic. Maybe we might get the money; but who’s to subscribe the babies?”
“Why, the working women, of course.”