Mama's Suprise

It was summertime...Daddy, Eudora, LaVerne and Wiley were gone.  I think they went someplace to help with harvesting.  Mama and I were left alone.  It is such a nice day....mama gets the house picked up.  We have a little lunch.  It is such a nice treat to have mama all to myself.  After eating mama says she has a surprise for me.  We go into the house  and in her bedroom.  Mama shows me a big trunk.  Then she opens it....smiling she picks  a little baby gown.  And a baby blanket, I don't understand.  The trunk is filled with little baby clothes....Mama smiles, hugs me, then says, "We're going to get a new baby."  I grabbed the little gown and ran around the house laughing and singing.  A new baby!
    That was in July....then came August, September...October.  One night in October...daddy came and said, "You kids get up, you have to go in town to grandma's."  We all  dressed and drug ourselves out to the little old car. Wiley and I crawl in the back seat....just as we see a car drive in the long driveway.
       We knew we were getting our new baby.  But why were we going to grandma's?  Dr. Anspaugh walked around the front of the car's headlights.
He had his black bag in his hand.   I was so excited...is that what he has our baby I in?  (Yes, I was that uninformed).  By the time they get the car started, daddy comes out...."Never mind he calls to us. Come on back to the house.  See what your mama has."
      When we get to the back porch, our neighbor lady, Mrs. Popp had come with the Doctor.  She tells us to be quiet and come in the bedroom.  One by one we nervously open the door.....Mama is laying in bed, and right beside her is a brand new baby.  Mrs. Popp says.  "Come see your new baby sister."  I am so happy...for a little while.  Wiley won't even look....he wanted a little brother.   Then I decided maybe a new baby sister wasn't such a good idea....I was being displaced. Then, Mrs. Popp being the understanding lady that she was...She went in the kitchen found a cod liver oil bottle..Washed it, filled it with milk, put a nipple on it...handed it to me, "There now", she said.  I was pacified and happy.  ( Later I remember the bottle and nipple must have been the one we fed the baby goat with.]  
   We were all very happy with our new little baby sister this is the true reason of her name.  Eudora was having a party at our house with her friends from school.  One of their games, or whatever was to name the new baby.  Before of after, I don't really remember.  Anyway, they put up names and they voted on "Billie Ruth".  Daddy threw a fit. "That's a boys name." I don't know how or why.  Maybe mama was the final vote.  Anyway our new baby was named "Billie Ruth Ferrell".