“Ibee, run for the doctor,” she called.
“We must work until the doctor comes,” she said to the distracted mother. She was wise enough to realize that it would be best to keep the mother busy.
“What kind of poison—do you know?” asked Shesa anxiously, as they ran up the steps of the porch.
“Lye,” answered the mother briefly. “The maid was scrubbing the kitchen steps, and left the can of lye on the floor. Baby came along, saying ‘dink, dink,’ and before Sally Ann could get into the door, baby had swallowed a mouthful. It couldn’t have been very strong, for Sally Ann had filled up the can with water.”
Shesa took the baby on her lap and looked into its poor little burnt mouth.
“Bring a glass of water and some vinegar,” she ordered. When they came, she diluted the vinegar with water giving the baby a teaspoonful at a time.
“Bring the juice of a lemon,” she said. This she diluted, giving it to the baby in the same way.
It must have stopped some of the suffering, for the little one began to seem more comfortable.
