Love at First Post

Or something like that. 

I added a blog to the list on my sidebar: Fire In Mine Ears.

The post that hooked me?

Liberal Arts: Who Needs 'Em?

Excerpts from Master and Commander: Childbirth, part III

The final installment:

The Citoyen Durand ran smoothly through the darkness down towards Minorca, a steady breeze behind her; now that the screaming had stopped Dillon posted a reliable man at the helm, visited the little watch below in the galley and came down into the cabin.  Stephen was washing, and the husband, shattered and destroyed, held the towel in his drooping hands.

'I hope...' said James.

'Oh, yes, yes,' and Stephen deliberately, looking round at him. 'A perfectly straightforward delivery: just a little long, perhaps, but nothing out of the way.  Now my friend,'—to the captain—'these buckets would be best over the side; and then I recommend you to lie down for a while. Monsieur has a son.' he added.

'My best congratulations, sir,' said James. 'And my best wishes for Madame's prompt recovery.'

'Thank you, sir, thank you,' said the captain, his eyes brimming over again.

The officers sit down and take some refreshments, while the captain joins his wife:

... and next door the poor young woman slept at last, her husband holding her hand and her crinkled pink baby snorting at her bosom.

And there you have it.   I'm sure my "crinkled pink baby" spends many an hour with his mother, "snorting at her bosom."  That's usually how he wakes me up—snorting.  :)

Exerpts from Master and Commander: Childbirth, part II

We resume our story of the woman in labor aboard an English Navy vessel.  Stephen (Maturin) is the doctor aboard the Sophie. 

 'I am afraid the poor woman is dying,' said James.

'Well, I don't know, I'm sure,' said Jack hesitantly; and now that he could put a meaning to the remote, dreadful noise he heard it far more clearly. 'Ask the Doctor to come,' he said to a marine.

 Now that the excitement was over, Stephen was at his usual post... ; and when they told him there was a woman in the prize, having a baby, he said, 'Aye? I dare say.  I thought I recognized the sound,' and showed every sign of returning to his place.

'Surely you can do something about it?' said Jack.

'I am certain the poor woman is dying,' said James.

 Stephen looked at them with his odd expressionless gaze and said, 'I will go across.'

 I think I have gathered so far that James is "afraid the poor woman is dying."

Exerpts from Master and Commander: Childbirth

I like to read some nice, long novel (or two, or seven...) during my 40 days.  I've begun the Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian, of which several provided material for the movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.  These men, who fight battles at sea and are no strangers to pain and blood, have no idea what to make of a woman in labor.  An amusing read for someone who has experienced childbirth firsthand a few weeks ago.

At this point in Master and Commander (the first novel of the series), the Sophie, commanded by Captain Jack Aubrey, is pursuing a French ship through one night and intends to take her as a "prize."  Upon morning, the pursued ship behaves erratically giving the appearance, among other things, that no one was on lookout.  It finally signals its surrender to the crew of the Sophie.  James Dillon is Captain Aubrey's lieutenant.

The following ensues:

The reasons for her behaviour were clear enough to James Dillon once he was aboard her, taking possession: the Citoyen Durand was laden with gunpowder—was so crammed with gunpowder that it overflowed her hold and stood in tarpaulined barrels on her deck; and her young master had taken his wife to sea.  She was with child—her first—and the rough night, the chase and the dread of an explosion had brought on her labour.  James was as stout-hearted as the next man, but the continuous groaning just behind the cabin-bulkhead and the awful hoarse, harsh, animal quality of the cries that broke out through the groaning, and their huge  volume, terrified him; he gazed at the white-faced, distracted, tear-stained husband with a face as appalled as his.

Leaving Babbington in sole command he hurried back to the Sophie and explained the situation.  At the word powder Jack's face lit up; but at the word baby he looked very blank.

To be continued....