Бетти Смит - Maggie-Now

True. Besides the patien would i70t c oasent. Her religion, you |,Z?07W.

For the sake of argzcmef7t, Doctor: Szcppose she did consent and you aborted her and something we7 t wrong, went then? Mawslazcghter, Doctor. Manslaughter.

Hard to prove, Mr. LevJne. Loopholes in t/.'e law. I acted in the best interests. . post mortem indicated death was inevitable if pregnancy was allowed to come to childbirth….

You might get ok. Surf. But you'd nevei- he able to practice again.

Gentlemen, you have heard Alr. Levine. ~llr. T.evine is correct 071 all points. Another question', Mr. T.rvi7?e?

Yes. What are you going to do?

Doctor Scalani had to think for a n~ornent. Back in Coo B.C'., gentlemen, a doctor named Hippocrates said: "Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease."

Roughly translated, that means let nature tale its course. I

shall count 0?7 natural f orces.

What else did Hippocrates say, Doctor?

Doctor Scalani sighed. I ou know it as.:ell as I do.

F/, I "I will not give to a woman any instrument to produce abortion."

He stood up. That was right ii, boo B.C., and it's just as right in 9/0 A.D. We are agreed, I believe, that abortion is against ethics and religion. It is a sin against life against having the chance for a life to be born. That is all, gentlemen.

He put his hands in his pockets and stood looking out of his store window. He wished it were Sunday so that he could go to Dodie's house.

I wonder whatever l~eem~te of I evine, he thought idly.

Lottie gave Maggie-Now instructions: "When your mother gets ready to go to the hospital, I want you to ring me up right away. Hear? llight away. I got a surprise for her I'm saving till the minute her labor starts. Did you ever telephone before?"

"No."

"Here's what you do You go to a store where there's a phone. You ask Central to give you this number I wrote down. Then you put a nickel in the hole. Keep a nickel handy. When the candy-store man down by the corner says, hello, you say, Will you call Mrs. Timothy Shaven to the phone? Any hour of the day or night he'll come and get me because I'm going to give him a dollar when you call up."

A few weeks later, diary was awakened by the rupturing of the bag of waters. She was alone in the bed; Pat had taken to sleeping on the lounge in the front room during the past week because Mary was so big and twisted and turned all night trying to get into a comfortable position and she worried about keeping Pat awake.

Mary lay still awhile, knowing her time had come. It will be hard, I know, she thought. It was hard when Maggie-Now. . but when it was over and they put her in my arms, I f argot. I was so happy. It will be the same again.

I'll forget the pain. I hope I have a son. Patrick would be pleased. He said he doesn't care but all men want a son.

And won't Maggie-Now be happy. It's foolish of me to be afraid….

But she found she was trembling. She got up and changed the linen on the bed, then she went to wake her daughter. She looked t'341

down on her. In sleep, the girl's face still had the lineaments of childhood. She grasped the girl's bare forearm gently, because, even though Maggie-NoNv didn't have red hair, she had the skin that went with red hair and she bruised easily.

"Wake up, dear. I have to go to the hospital."

Maggie-Now was awake instantly. She threw- her clothes on. 'I'll go wake up Papa."

"No, let him sleep a while longer. It's going to be hard Otl him anyhow and I want to put it off as long as possible. No use both of us suffering." She thought of the girl. "I know vou don't n~itld helping me. Rut your father's different."

Maggie-Now put her arms around her mother. "Don't go to the hospital, Mama. H as e the bahN home w here I

can take care of you. "

"It's hefter that I go to the hospital. Doctor Scala;li had told her it was necessary in case of surgery. "Now you get the buns and a morning paper for your father to take his mind off things and stop at Doctor Scalani's first and tell him."

Maggie-Now tapped at ~ he doctor's door. The shade was down. It shot up a second after her knock. He was in his pajamas and the couch where he had been sleeping was rumpled with sheets and blanket. He assured Maggie-Now that he'd be at the hospital waiting for her mother. 1 le shut the door and pulled the shade down again.

He took a brand-rev shirt front a drawer. Dodie had made it for him as a Christmas present. He buttoned it up. The sleeves were a little long. He put sleeve garters on to pull up the sleeves. Dodie had made the garters for him as a birthday gift. He fastened on a stiff collar with a gold collar button that Dodie had given him when they first started going together. He knotted on a black knit tie also made by Dodie for some anniversary or other. He put on the best of his two suits. It was the first time he had ever treated one of his patients at the hospital and he wanted to look nice and make a good impression on the nurses and doctors.

It was very early in tl,e morning and the bakery was still closed but Mrs. Luthlen has carrying buns from the back and putting them in the showcase. But she opened the door for Nlaggie-NoNv. The girl told her about her mother and asked foi 1 I'; 1

ten cents' worth of sugar butts. The woman filled a bag to overflowing with buns hot from the oven. She pushed MaggieNow's dime back.

"On a day like this, I can treat a good customer. Tell your mama I'll be thinking of her. And let me know, Maggie-Now."

She put a penny on the newsstand and picked up a Journal and went into the candy store and asked to use the telephone. She got the number and shouted through the mouthpiece that she had to speak to lairs. Timothy Shavv n. It took hours, it seemed, before Lottie;mswered.

"Aunt I,ottie! Aunt Lottie! Can you hear me?"

"Don't holler, girlie, l ain't deer yet." Maggie-Now told her the news. She wanted details but Maggie-Now didn't have any to tell. "Well, listen good, Maggie-Now.

Gracie y on know, Widdy's wife? Well she gave birth to twins three weeks and two days ago. I've been saving it as a surprise for your mother. I know she's nervous so I

thought if she finds out just before how little and skinny Gracie is and how she was in labor only two hours, it might make her feel better. You tell her vv hat I said, hear? About how skinny Grat ie is and only two hours.

. and she was up the third day."

"What's their names, Aunt Lottie? "

"Well, I'll tell you," said Lottie.

Maggie-Now groaned. She knew Lottie. She knew Lottie would string out the story. Maggie-Now was nervous. She was afraid her mother would have the baby while she was phoning. "They're here with me right now," said Lottie.

"Widdy and Gracie went over to Manhattan last night and didn't. ."

"Please, Aunt Lottie, what's their names? Mama will ask me."

"Well, I wanted to name them Timmy and Jimmy. I

think that's cunning, don't you?"

"Is that their names?"

"Wait. Widdy wanted to call them Ike and Mike. You know. Because they look alike?"

"I haven't got much time, Aunt Lottie."

"Well, Father Shaley got insulted about Mike and Ike.

He said he wouldn't christen them that. Oh, my! He gave Widdy Hail Columbia."

"I'll call you up later, Aunt Lottie." ~ 1,6] "Wait! Do you know what they finally named them?"

"Put another coin in the slot, please," droned the operator.