Children -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Children's stories; Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction
Accordingly, until a certain sign was given, he kept one pink-rimmed eye
on his mistress's face, and revolved slowly round and round, with
drooping paws and an elegant curtsying movement, the centre of an
admiring ring. Sometimes, when the performance was over, and he carried
round a small tin plate for coppers, the spectators would drop off one
by one, and give him nothing; sometimes he got a good deal, and took it
to his mistress with joyful wags of his ragged tasselled tail. Now,
Mossoo had noticed the addition of baby to the accustomed party, and
also her passionate sobs and cries. She was in trouble, as he had often
been, and one day this trouble was even deeper than usual. They had
stopped to rest in a little wayside copse, and after the donkey was
unharnessed the man and the two boys had started off on a foraging
expedition, or, in other words, to see what they could beg or steal from
the farmyards and houses near. Mossoo was left behind. Crouched on the
ground, with his nose between his paws, he kept a watchful eye on
Seraminta, who was busying herself with the child. She was going to
make her "so as her own mother wouldn't know her." And first with a
piece of rag she smeared over her pretty white skin with some dark juice
out of a bottle; next she took off the little frock and underclothes
which Maggie had always kept so neatly, and put on her a frock and
petticoat of stiff striped stuff. Then she proceeded to remove the one
little clog, but this baby resented. She had been quiet till now, and
allowed her things to be changed without resistance, but this last
indignity was too much. She fought, and kicked, and cried, and pushed
at the woman with her tiny hands. Poor baby! They were far too small
and weak to be of any use. In no time the friendly little clog, with
its glistening clasp and bright toe, was gone, and in its place there
was an ugly broken-out boot which had once belonged to Bennie. Her work
done, Seraminta put the child on the ground and gave her a hard crust to
play with. Baby immediately threw it from her with all her strength,
cast herself flat on her face, and shrieked with anger and distress.
She was heartbroken to have the clog taken from her, and cried as
violently for it as she had done for mammy.
"You've got a fine temper of yer own, my young queen," said Seraminta,
looking down at the small sobbing form. She did not attempt to quiet
her, but turning away proceeded to arrange some bundles in the cart
which stood at a short distance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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