So they all gathered at the cutler's store, to celebrate events with a round of drinks.

They wanted to shake hands with and congratulate the new father, after their fashion, upon the advent of the blond-haired baby.

Their great hearts went out to him, and they vied with each other in doing the handsome thing by him, in a manner according to their lights, and their ideas of wishing well to a man; a manner, sometimes, alas! disastrous in its results to the man! However, by this time, I was getting used to all sides of frontier life.
I had no time to be lonely now, for I had no nurse, and the only person who was able to render me service was a laundress of the Fifth Cavalry, who came for about two hours each day, to give the baby his bath and to arrange things about the bed.

I begged her to stay with me, but, of course, I knew it was impossible.
So here I was, inexperienced and helpless, alone in bed, with an infant a few days old.

Dr.Loring, our excellent Post Surgeon, was both kind and skillful, but he was in poor health and expecting each day to be ordered to another station.