Christian fiction; Didactic fiction; Domestic fiction; England -- Juvenile fiction; Mothers and sons -- Juvenile fiction
"See, here he is, safe and sound."
"He always sleeps here. Ah! I cannot move. Fred, I did save you. I have
taken care of you. I'm tired; but you're safe."
Fred sat up, half awake, and kissed him.
"Fred, tell muddie I took care of you." Then to the doctor, "Tell
muddie I took care of Fred."
Fred, frightened and sleepy, began to cry. When had he ever cried
before and Frank failed to comfort him? Betty took him up in her arms,
and the poor little thing was so worn out that he fell asleep again
with the tears on his cheeks.
"I can't take care of him any more," Frank said, after a vain effort to
swallow what Dr. Wentworth offered him. "But God will; muddie says so."
He stretched himself suddenly, gave a weak cry, and was gone.
"Oh, doctor, don't tell me he's dead, the pretty little darling! Wait
till I put this one back in bed."
This she did, and came softly back.
"Is he dead?"
"Ay, dead. Starved, I think. Look, the little one has on two jackets;
he has none. The comforter's tied round the young one, and it is plain
that whatever food they have had, the young one has had the lion's
share, too young to know that his brother was giving him his life.
Well, Betty, you did all you could. I'll go now and get help to carry
the poor little fellow to the Cygnet; there will have to be an inquest,
and I suppose we shall find out who they are, and how they were lost,
for lost they were, I suspect. These are no tramps to the manner born.
This little fellow must go to the poorhouse until his people turn up. I
declare, Betty, I'd give many a fat fee to have saved this boy."
"Indeed, then, doctor, if I was their mother, I'd wish them together
again in heaven sooner than have this baby in the poorhouse."
The doctor carried out his arrangements, and little Frank's frail and
worn body was laid on a bed in the clean little inn, while Fred lay
warm and soft in Betty's arms. So the little wanderers both slept
sound, one of them to wake no more to this world's "fitful fever."
Next day there was an inquest, and Fred was to have been questioned as
to the name borne by himself and his brother, and how they came to be
wandering about in this forlorn way. But Fred was in no condition to be
examined.
When he awoke, he began calling for "Fwank," and searching for him,
with tears and lamentations, looking everywhere for him, and calling
incessantly. Betty, at last, in despair, told him that Frank was dead.
She hardly expected the child to understand. But Frank's innocent talk
about his unforgotten little sister had made Fred familiar with the
idea of death to some extent, and, after a long stare of horror, the
poor little fellow began to scream, and nothing that Betty could say or
do seemed to make any difference. The doctor, busy about the inquest,
was near at hand, and after some vain attempts to quiet the child, he
had to give him a sleeping draught, which soon had the desired effect.
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account