It was absurd to think she could take care of it.

But--that poor little, frail, dead mother who had worried about it--that dreadful old Meg Conover.
"Susan, what must be done for a baby ?" she asked dolefully.
"You must keep it warm and dry and wash it every day, and be sure the water is neither too hot nor too cold, and feed it every two hours.

If it has colic, you put hot things on its stomach," said Susan, rather feebly and flatly for her.
The baby began to cry again.
"It must be hungry--it has to be fed anyhow," said Rilla desperately.
"Tell me what to get for it, Susan, and I'll get it." Under Susan's directions a ration of milk and water was prepared, and a bottle obtained from the doctor's office.

Then Rilla lifted the baby out of the soup tureen and fed it.

She brought down the old basket of her own infancy from the attic and laid the now sleeping baby in it.
She put the soup tureen away in the pantry.