MihaElla ’s Reviews > The Curious Case of Benjamin Button > Status Update

“Look!” people would remark. “What a pity! A young fellow that age tied to a woman of forty-five. He must be twenty years younger than his wife.”
They had forgotten—as people inevitably forget—that back in 1880 their mammas and papas had also remarked about this same ill-matched pair.”

“as he kissed her he felt with a sinking of the heart that these three years had taken their toll. She was a woman of forty now, with a faint skirmish line of gray hairs in her head. The sight depressed him.”

“I like men of your age,” Hildegarde told him. “Young boys are so idiotic. They tell me how much champagne they drink at college, and how much money they lose playing cards. Men of your age know how to appreciate women.”

“Come along!” he said sternly.

His son took the hand trustingly. “What are you going to call me, dad?” he quavered as they walked from the nursery—”just ‘baby’ for a while? till you think of a better name?”

Mr. Button grunted. “I don’t know,” he answered harshly. “I think we’ll call you Methuselah.”

Home? repeated Mr. Button incredulously.

Yes, we can’t have him here. We really can’t, you know?

I’m right glad of it, whined the old man. This is a fine place to keep a youngster of quiet tastes. With all this yelling & howling, I haven’t been able to get a wink of sleep. I asked for something to eat—here his voice rose to a shrill note of protest—& they brought me a bottle of milk!

What was it? How is she? A boy? Who is it? What—”

Talk sense! said Doctor Keene sharply

Is the child born? begged Mr. Button.

Doctor Keene frowned. “Why, yes, I suppose so—after a fashion.” Again he threw a curious glance at Mr. Button.

Is it a boy or a girl?

“Here now!” cried Doctor Keene in a perfect passion of irritation, “I’ll ask you to go and see for yourself. Outrageous!”

As long ago as 1860 it was the proper thing to be born at home […]
The Buttons held an enviable position,both social and financial,in ante-bellum Baltimore.They were related to the This Family & the That Family,which,as every Southerner knew,entitled them to membership in that enormous peerage which largely populated the Confederacy.This was their first experience with the charming old custom of having babies—