The Emperor of Portugalia | Page 6

place one evening late in August. When Katrina left
home, with the child, it was so dark that she was glad to have some one
along who could help her over stiles and ditches, and other difficulties
of the wretched road.
The vaccination bee was held that year at Falla. The housewife had
made a big fire on the hearth in the living-room and thought it
unnecessary to furnish any other illumination, except a thin tallow
candle that burned on a small table, at which the sexton was to perform
his surgical work.
The Ruffluck folk, as well as every one else, found the room
uncommonly light, although it was as dim at the back as if a dark-gray
wall had been raised there--making the room appear smaller than it was.
And in this semi-darkness could be dimly seen a group of women with
babes in arms that had to be trundled, and fed, and tended in every way.
The mothers were busy unwinding shawls and mufflers late from their
little ones, drawing off their slips, and unloosing the bands of their
undershirts, so that the upper portion of their little bodies could be
easily exposed when the sexton called them up to the operating table.
It was remarkably quiet in the room, considering there were so many
little cry-babies all gathered in one place. The youngsters seemed to be
having such a good time gazing at one another they forgot to make a
noise. The mothers were quiet because they wanted to hear what the

sexton had to say; for he kept up a steady flow of small talk.
"There's no fun like going about vaccinating and looking at all the
pretty babies," said he. "Now we shall see whether it's a fine lot you've
brought me this year."
The man was not only the sexton of the parish, where he had lived all
his life, but he was also the schoolmaster. He had vaccinated the
mothers, had taught them, and seen them confirmed and married. Now
he was going to vaccinate their babies. This was the children's first
contact with the man who was to play such an important part in their
lives.
It seemed to be a good beginning. One mother after the other came
forward and sat down on a chair at the table, each holding her child so
that the light would fall upon its bared left arm; and the sexton,
chattering all the while, then made the three tiny scratches in the
smooth baby skin, without so much as a peep coming from the
youngster. Afterward the mother took her baby over to the fireplace to
let the vaccine dry in. Meantime she thought of what the sexton had
said of her child--that it was large and beautiful and would some day be
a credit to the family; that it would grow up to be as good as its father
and grandfather--or even better.
Everything passed off thus peacefully and quietly until it came to
Katrina's turn at the table with her Glory Goldie.
The little girl simply would not be vaccinated. She screamed and
fought and kicked. Katrina tried to hush her and the sexton spoke softly
and gently to her; but it did no good. The poor little thing was
uncontrollably frightened.
Katrina had to take her away and try to get her quieted. Then a big,
sturdy boy baby let himself be vaccinated with never a whimper. But
the instant Katrina was back at the table with her girl the trouble started
afresh. She could not hold the child still long enough for the sexton to
make even a single incision.

Now there was no one left to vaccinate but Glory Goldie of Ruffluck.
Katrina was in despair because of her child's bad behaviour. She did
not know what to do about it, when Jan suddenly emerged from the
shadow of the door and took the child in his arms. Then Katrina got up
to let him take her place at the table.
"You just try it once!" she said scornfully, "and let's see whether you'll
do any better." For Katrina did not regard the little toil-worn servant
from Falla whom she had married as in any sense her superior.
Before sitting down, Jan slipped off his jacket. He must have rolled up
his shirt sleeve while standing in the dark, at the back of the room, for
his left arm was bared.
He wanted so much to be vaccinated, he said. He had never been
vaccinated but once, and there was nothing in the world he feared so
much as the smallpox.
The instant the little girl saw his bare arm she became quiet, and looked
at her father with wide, comprehending eyes. She followed closely
every movement of the sexton, as