I never was much struck on children as children , anyhow . You say that Mary Garland had a brother out in Mantioba ? Well , we shall just write to him and tell him he 's got to look out for his nephew . '' `` But how can you do that , Ma , when nobody knows his address ? '' objected Pa , with a wistful look at that delicious , laughing baby . `` I 'll find out his address if I have to advertise in the papers for him , '' retorted Ma . `` As for you , Pa Sloane , you 're not fit to be out of a lunatic asylum . The next auction you 'll be buying a wife , I s ` pose ? '' Pa , quite crushed by Ma 's sarcasm , pulled his chair in to supper . Ma picked up the baby and sat down at the head of the table . Little Teddy laughed and pinched her face -- Ma 's face ! Ma looked very grim , but she fed him his supper as skilfully as if it had not been thirty years since she had done such a thing . But then , the woman who once learns the mother knack never forgets it . After tea Ma despatched Pa over to William Alexander 's to borrow a high chair . When Pa returned in the twilight , the baby was fenced in on the sofa again , and Ma was stepping briskly about the garret . She was bringing down the little cot bed her own boy had once occupied , and setting it up in their room for Teddy . Then she undressed the baby and rocked him to sleep , crooning an old lullaby over him . Pa Sloane sat quietly and listened , with very sweet memories of the long ago , when he and Ma had been young and proud , and the bewhiskered William Alexander had been a curly-headed little fellow like this one . Ma was not driven to advertising for Mrs. Garland 's brother . That personage saw the notice of his sister 's death in a home paper and wrote to the Carmody postmaster for full information .
The letter was referred XXXXX Ma and Ma answered it .
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