Sentimental Tommy: The Story of His BoyhoodBarrie, J. M. (James Matthew)
History
Sentimental Tommy: The Story of His Boyhood
Barrie, J. M. (James Matthew)
London (England) -- History -- 19th century -- Fiction
He found it. The performance took place, and none of the fun was
omitted, yet neither Miss Ailie--tuts, tuts Mrs. McLean--nor Mr. Dishart
could disapprove. Punch did chuck his baby out at the window (roars of
laughter) in his jovial time-honored way, _but_ immediately thereafter
up popped the showman to say, "Ah, my dear boys and girls, let this be a
lesson to you never to destroy your offsprings. Oh, shame on Punch, for
to do the wicked deed; he will be catched in the end and serve him
right." Then when Mr. Punch had wolloped his wife with the stick, amid
thunders of applause, up again bobbed the showman, "Ah, my dear boys and
girls, what a lesson is this we sees, what goings on is this? He have
bashed the head of her as should ha' been the apple of his eye, and he
does not care a--he does not care; but mark my words, his home it will
now be desolate, no more shall she meet him at his door with kindly
smile, he have done for her quite, and now he is a hunted man. Oh, be
warned by his sad igsample, and do not bash the head of your loving
wife." And there was a great deal more of the same, and simple Mrs.
McLean almost wept tears of joy because her favorite's good heart had
suggested these improvements.
Grizel was not at the wedding; she was invited, but could not go
because she was in mourning. But only her parramatty frock was in
mourning, for already she had been the doctor's housekeeper for two full
months, and her father had not appeared to plague her (he never did
appear, it may be told at once), and so how could her face be woeful
when her heart leapt with gladness? Never had prisoner pined for the
fields more than this reticent girl to be frank, and she poured out her
inmost self to the doctor, so that daily he discovered something
beautiful (and exasperating) about womanhood. And it was his love for
her that had changed her. "You do love me, don't you?" she would say,
and his answer might be "I have told you that fifty times already;" to
which she would reply, gleefully, "That is not often, I say it all day
to myself."
Exasperating? Yes, that was the word. Long before summer came, the
doctor knew that he had given himself into the hands of a tyrant. It was
idle his saying that this irregularity and that carelessness were habits
that had become part of him; she only rocked her arms impatiently, and
if he would not stand still to be put to rights, then she would follow
him along the street, brushing him as he walked, a sight that was
witnessed several times while he was in the mutinous stage.
"Talk about masterfulness," he would say, when she whipped off his coat
or made a dart at the mud on his trousers; "you are the most masterful
little besom I ever clapped eyes on."
But as he said it he perhaps crossed his legs, and she immediately
cried, "You have missed two holes in lacing your boots!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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