Mr. and Mrs. Smith had tried for years to have a child, with no luck. They decided to hire a “proxy??? father. On the day the proxy was to arrive, Mr. Smith kissed his wife and said, “I’m off. He should be here soon.??? A few minutes later, a door-to-door baby photographer chanced to ring the doorbell, hoping for a sale. “Good morning, madam,??? he began his pitch. “You don’t know me, but I’m here to…??? “Oh, there’s need to explain,??? Mrs. Smith cut in. “Come right in.??? “Really???? said the photographer. “Well, good! I’ve made a specialty of babies.??? “That’s what my husband and I had hoped. Please sit down. Now, where do we start???? asked Mrs. Smith, blushing. “Leave everything to me. I usually try two in the bathtub, one on the couch, and perhaps a couple on the bed. Sometimes the living room floor is fun too; you can really spread out.??? “Bathtub, living room floor? No wonder it hasn’t worked for Harry and me.??? “Well, madam, none of us can guarantee a good one every time. But if we try several different positions and I shoot from six or seven angles, I’m sure you’ll be pleased with the results.??? “I hope we can get this over with quickly,??? gasped Mrs. Smith. “Madam, in my line of work, a man must take his time. I’d love to be in and out in five minutes, but you’d be disappointed with that, I’m sure.??? “Ain’t it the truth!??? Mrs. Smith exclaimed. The photographer opened his briefcase and spread out his portfolio of baby pictures. “This was done on the courthouse steps downtown.??? “Oh, my God!??? Mrs. Smith exclaimed. “And these twins turned out exceptionally well when you consider their mother was so difficult to work with.??? The photographer handed Mrs. Smith the picture. “She was difficult???? asked Mrs. Smith. “Yes, I’m afraid so. I finally had to take her to the park to get the job done right. People were crowding around four and five deep, pushing to get a good look.??? “Four and five deep???? asked Mrs. Smith, eyes widened in amazement. “Yes,??? the photographer said. “And for more than three hours too. The mother was constantly squealing and yelling. I could barely concentrate. As darkness approached, I began to rush my shots. Finally, when the squirrels started nibbling on my equipment, I just packed it all in.??? Mrs. Smith leaned forward. “You mean they actually chewed on your, eh, equipment???? “That’s right. Well, madam, if you’re ready, I’ll set up my tripod so that we can get to work.??? “Tripod???? now Mrs. Smith looked extremely worried. “Oh, yes. I have to use a tripod to hold up my Canon. It’s much too big for me to hold while I’m getting ready for action. Madam? Madam? Good Lord, she’s fainted!???