Aunt Jane's Nieces On The Ranch

Since Louise ‘s marriage, her husband has bought an old ranch out in California. He is doing well at running it, hiring the people of the area to care for the trees. At the start of the book, the others are reading letters from Louise full of news about her baby, she has called Jane after their aunt who was the start of them meeting one another. She mentions the baby’s having croup and how a “spicy” remedy administered by the native baby nurse had done a lot of good. Uncle John is appalled by the idea and decides to get a proper nurse from New York for the baby. That project and the cold winter in New York helps to convince them all to head to California for the winter to see the baby and Louise. This time they travel by train. The nurse they have engaged travels with them, but she seems too cold and unfeeling for them to draw her into their inner circle. When they arrive in California, everyone falls head over heels for the baby. Even the rancher neighbours (all originating from the East) to whom they are introduced have fallen under baby’s spell. But there is no love lost between the two nurses! Louise finally bringing about a truce that the trained nurse will have the oversight and the current nurse will work under her. To be honest, there is way too much of the way everyone behaves like imbeciles when in range of Baby. Neighbours choosing to stop overnight so they can be near her longer! Anyway, There are rumours of a haunted bedroom and the new nurse from New York seems to know far too much about the area and the house than would be expected by a stranger. Soon, more strange things happen bringing on a desperate search by all who know Baby. The reading was ok.