Mother-Meg; or, The Story of Dickie's AtticShaw, Catharine
General
Mother-Meg; or, The Story of Dickie's Attic
Shaw, Catharine
London (England) -- Social conditions -- 19th century -- Fiction; Poor children -- Fiction
Her eyes were wandering round the cosy bedroom, which reminded her so
forcibly of her mother's; and when she saw the cot, she thought how
lovely it would be to have a baby to hold. But when Jem saw her glance
resting there he whispered softly, so as not to disturb Meg,
"The little 'un's gone to be with God, Cherry; you and Dickie is come to
us instead."
Cherry's eyes filled with tears, and she laid her head on Jem's kind
shoulder, repressing her sobs by a great effort.
"Cherry," said Mrs. Seymour, "there's my bed up-stairs, you shall have a
good sleep on that; come along, child, or it will be morning."
Cherry looked towards Dickie, as if even now loth to let him out of her
sight.
"Stay," added Mrs. Seymour; "let's have a cup of tea first, and some
bread and milk for Dickie. I dare say you haven't had much? I had just
made some before you came."
Cherry shook her head.
Mrs. Seymour soon put a steaming cup into Jem's hand, and another into
Cherry's. Then she cut some bread for them, and placed some in Meg's
little saucepan for the child. After which she went to the bed and took
him out, telling Meg she should soon have him again if she wished, but
that he was hungry.
Meg was too tired and peaceful to say a word. "He does all things well,"
she thought, and lay quietly sleeping, not noticing the hushed noises
which were going on around her.
She had no idea that Jem left her to lie down on the sofa in the next
room; nor that her mother-in-law took little Dickie on her knee and fed
him tenderly; nor that she bathed his eyes with warm water; nor that she
refilled the baby's bath, and with Cherry's help undressed and bathed
him.
"It is nice," said the poor little fellow, as the kind old woman sat
with him on her lap before the fire, and slipped over his head a clean
warm little nightgown brought down from her airing-horse up-stairs.
"It's Mrs. Blunt's," she explained to Cherry; "but I'm not a bit afraid
but what she'll lend it to him for a night or two. Wasn't it fortunate
that she happened to send it in amongst the sheets I do for her? She
don't ever send me these sort of things, but this one came for the
purpose, I do believe! Don't he look different?"
"He do indeed," answered poor little yawning Cherry. "I never see him
look so nice since mother used to undress him. I did the best I could,
ma'am, but it was so dreadful hard to keep 'im clean."
Mrs. Seymour shook her head kindly.
"I know it was, child," she said.
She was going to add that she did not know how her Jem was going to
support two children; but a glance at Cherry's happy face stopped her,
and she only added softly--
"You can wash your face and hands too, child, and then you shall go to
bed."
"Are you goin' to bed?" whispered Cherry.
"Not to-night, my dear," glancing towards Meg, "but I'll doze a bit in
this chair. Now, Dickie, shall I put you back in the nice warm bed with
Meg, as I promised?"
Dickie nodded.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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