Summary

Lila goes into labor during the next snowfall, and Reverend Ames tries to hide his happiness, relief and fear, collecting snow in a bowl for the christening. Days of pain and a night of misery yield a scrawny, red baby. Lila worries while her son is being examined by the doctor, and as soon as he is placed in her arms, Reverend Boughton baptizes him, causing the baby to cry out. While Lila nurses her son, Reverend Boughton's son holds and supports him. Watching and thinking what it would be like to have a son, Reverend Ames looks at his newborn son and laughs happily.

Analysis

As Lila goes into labor, the Reverend is happy and worried all at once. The fact that he collects snow in a bowl for a christening shows that he is still haunted by his past; his...