Mothers and ChildrenW. Collins, 1918 - 166 pages These 14 brief, contrasting vignettes, which each stand alone and deal with one mother and her child, provide glimpses of a huge range of mother-child relationships. Most extol the passion, depth and fulfilment of maternal love, which is likened in some tales to divine love, even protecting a child from beyond the grave (EILEEN). Some mothers invest all ambition in their offspring (ARTHUR). Some stories describe tragedies – MARGUERITE turns out ‘a dumbie’, longed-for PHI-PHI is an ‘idiot’, clever GERALD has a serious accident at Eton, BOBBY dies aged 4, devastating his mother, idolised CHARLIE becomes delinquent and ruins the family (though retaining his mother’s adoration). DOUGLAS’s adoptive mother cannot love him as his own mother still does. Some children return this devotion - GERALD comforts his anguished mother after his accident, MAUD gives up married love to care for her blind mother. NORMAN’s mother, fleeing a drunken, murderous husband, is redeemed and comforted by her son. Other mothers, like DERRICK’s, hate their children, with reciprocal dislike. GLADYS, spoiled by her mother, grows up selfish and arrogant. JANEY’s mother despises husband and child, and Janey dreams of her absent father. |
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Page 87
... Aunt Bessie had been very kind to Eileen ; had chosen her governesses and superintended her education . Now that the education was supposed to be over ( for Eileen was seventeen ) Aunt Bessie had invited her here , so that she might see ...
... Aunt Bessie had been very kind to Eileen ; had chosen her governesses and superintended her education . Now that the education was supposed to be over ( for Eileen was seventeen ) Aunt Bessie had invited her here , so that she might see ...
Page 88
... Aunt Bessie had never been able to attain for herself , she thought quite within Eileen's grasp . Eileen was very pretty , soft and pale and fair , with tremulous , sensitive lips and cornflower eyes . Aunt Bessie talked to her about ...
... Aunt Bessie had never been able to attain for herself , she thought quite within Eileen's grasp . Eileen was very pretty , soft and pale and fair , with tremulous , sensitive lips and cornflower eyes . Aunt Bessie talked to her about ...
Page 89
... Aunt Bessie for ; would say if after all her niece remained an old maid . For Aunt Bessie had her moods , and could not quite be relied upon for reason or justice if things did not go as she desired they should . " " And so matters went ...
... Aunt Bessie for ; would say if after all her niece remained an old maid . For Aunt Bessie had her moods , and could not quite be relied upon for reason or justice if things did not go as she desired they should . " " And so matters went ...
Page 94
... aunt's room , knelt down beside her , and told her everything . The end of the history everybody knows : how Frank Molyneux was a man whose name had become too notorious for even Aunt Bessie not to have heard it , and how through her ...
... aunt's room , knelt down beside her , and told her everything . The end of the history everybody knows : how Frank Molyneux was a man whose name had become too notorious for even Aunt Bessie not to have heard it , and how through her ...
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ambitions arms Arthur asked Aunt Bessie baby beautiful Bobby brain caresses Carson Charlie child Chisel Danby's Derrick Devereux Douglas dream Eileen Eric Eton everything face father Frank Danby Frazer friends genius Gerald girl glad Gladys grew growing hair hands happy head heard heart ache Heaven husband Janey Jessie Joanna John Evans kiss knee knew light lips little angel little one's lived look Marguérite Margy marriage married maternity Maud Maud's measles months mother-love mother's eyes MOTHERS AND CHILDREN Mummy Mumsey ness nestled never night nurse nursery old Celia old maid pain pale passion perhaps Phi-phi Phyllis Vane's pity Poor little Poor mother Reuben Carson's seemed shadow world Slowcumb smiled Stanford University story sympathy talk tears tell Temple thought tin soldier told touched tremulous trouble turn Ursula voice watch wife woman words Wyvern young young doctor
Popular passages
Page 21 - I HAD a little daughter, And she was given to me To lead me gently backward To ,the Heavenly Father's knee, That I, by the force of nature, Might in some dim wise divine The depth of his infinite patience To this wayward soul of mine.