And loses her voice so she can't even scold?"

"No, darling," said Mother, "your brother can't talk,

Eat sugar candy, nor even yet walk,

As he is a baby the size of your doll,

And babies can't talk when they are so small."

"Then, Mother," said Lida, "the kids nowadays

Are not half so smart in all of their ways

As babies who lived in the long, long ago,

For dear teacher told me (so, course it is so),

That Job in the Bible cursed the day he was born,