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 32
... Poor wife who had no husband ! poor mother who had no rights - and now no baby boy to justify her struggle for them .. Phyllis Vane's story was no common one of vulgar seduction , of vulgar de- sertion . John Vane had been an honest man ...
... Poor wife who had no husband ! poor mother who had no rights - and now no baby boy to justify her struggle for them .. Phyllis Vane's story was no common one of vulgar seduction , of vulgar de- sertion . John Vane had been an honest man ...
Page 34
... of loving ones , drooping head and feeble step instead of childish laughter , drove the dreadful truth home . Poor Phyllis , she could not credit it , could not think that it was meant . Three years 34 MOTHERS AND CHILDREN.
... of loving ones , drooping head and feeble step instead of childish laughter , drove the dreadful truth home . Poor Phyllis , she could not credit it , could not think that it was meant . Three years 34 MOTHERS AND CHILDREN.
Page 45
... Poor Maud , even a mother with her body as shield cannot save us from our inheritance . " Mother , darling " -she said , that evening when Gerald had asked her to marry him , and been satisfied with the answer , and gone away content ...
... Poor Maud , even a mother with her body as shield cannot save us from our inheritance . " Mother , darling " -she said , that evening when Gerald had asked her to marry him , and been satisfied with the answer , and gone away content ...
Page 56
... Poor " old Celia " ! She suffered as much as it is in the nature of such women to suffer . Then , without taking counsel with any one , without letting a soul know of her intention , or of the pro- vocation for it , she left him . She ...
... Poor " old Celia " ! She suffered as much as it is in the nature of such women to suffer . Then , without taking counsel with any one , without letting a soul know of her intention , or of the pro- vocation for it , she left him . She ...
Page 57
... poor little mite ; the feeling with which she regarded it seemed rather one of shuddering disgust - was it not its father's daughter ? Poor little mite ! Celia did her duty by it . Imagine how much warmth and sunshine lies 57 JANEY.
... poor little mite ; the feeling with which she regarded it seemed rather one of shuddering disgust - was it not its father's daughter ? Poor little mite ! Celia did her duty by it . Imagine how much warmth and sunshine lies 57 JANEY.
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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.