Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. V, No. XXV, June, 1852Various
General
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. V, No. XXV, June, 1852
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
We were much relieved, under these circumstances, when Mrs. Pardiggle
left off. The man on the floor then turning his head round again, said
morosely,
"Well! You've done, have you?"
"For to-day, I have, my friend. But I am never fatigued. I shall come
to you again, in your regular order," returned Mrs. Pardiggle with
demonstrative cheerfulness.
"So long as you goes now," said he, folding his arms and shutting his
eyes with an oath, "you may do wot you like!"
Mrs. Pardiggle accordingly rose, and made a little vortex in the
confined room from which the pipe itself very narrowly escaped. Taking
one of her young family in each hand, and telling the others to follow
closely, and expressing her hope that the brickmaker and all his
house would be improved when she saw them next, she then proceeded
to another cottage. I hope it is not unkind in me to say that she
certainly did make, in this, as in every thing else, a show that was
not conciliatory, of doing charity by wholesale, and of dealing in it
to a large extent.
She supposed that we were following her; but as soon as the space was
left clear, we approached the woman sitting by the fire, to ask if the
baby were ill.
She only looked at it as it lay on her lap. We had observed before,
that when she looked at it she covered her discolored eyes with her
hand, as though she wished to separate any association with noise and
violence and ill-treatment, from the poor little child.
Ada, whose gentle heart was moved by its appearance, bent down to touch
its little face. As she did so, I saw what happened and drew her back.
The child died.
"O Esther!" cried Ada, sinking on her knees beside it. "Look here! O
Esther, my love, the little thing! The suffering, quiet, pretty little
thing! I am so sorry for it. I am so sorry for the mother. I never saw
a sight so pitiful as this before! O baby, baby!"
Such compassion, such gentleness, as that with which she bent down
weeping, and put her hand upon the mother's, might have softened any
mother's heart that ever beat. The woman at first gazed at her in
astonishment, and then burst into tears.
Presently I took the light burden from her lap; did what I could to
make the baby's rest the prettier and gentler; laid it on a shelf, and
covered it with my own handkerchief. We tried to comfort the mother,
and we whispered to her what Our Saviour said of children. She
answered nothing, but sat weeping--weeping very much.
When I turned I found that the young man had taken out the dog, and was
standing at the door looking in upon us; with dry eyes, but quiet. The
girl was quiet too, and sat in a corner looking on the ground. The man
had risen. He still smoked his pipe with an air of defiance, but he was
silent.
An ugly woman, very poorly clothed, hurried in while I was glancing at
them, and coming straight up to the mother, said, "Jenny! Jenny!" The
mother rose on being so addressed, and fell upon the woman's neck.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account