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. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 10
Page vii
... brain faced these two primal issues ; made the self - sacrificing , the irrevocable decision ; robbed herself , robbed the world — that we might be the richer . With my mother's intellectual vision , her courage , her power over the ...
... brain faced these two primal issues ; made the self - sacrificing , the irrevocable decision ; robbed herself , robbed the world — that we might be the richer . With my mother's intellectual vision , her courage , her power over the ...
Page viii
... brain . Of the many sacrifices she made for us , surely this was the grandest . God knows , I am grateful ; yet there come moments when I shudder at the thought of it , when I most bitterly regret this chain our helplessness bound on ...
... brain . Of the many sacrifices she made for us , surely this was the grandest . God knows , I am grateful ; yet there come moments when I shudder at the thought of it , when I most bitterly regret this chain our helplessness bound on ...
Page xi
... brain , as no bodily suffering could torture that in- domitable heart to egotism . The nurse , making ready for the night , heard her call ; went to her . They must all go , " she whispered . The nurse , uncomprehending , asked : Who ...
... brain , as no bodily suffering could torture that in- domitable heart to egotism . The nurse , making ready for the night , heard her call ; went to her . They must all go , " she whispered . The nurse , uncomprehending , asked : Who ...
Page xiii
... be - and of whom some few perchance may draw knowledge and inspiration from these brain - children of that great mother , " Frank Danby . " GILBERT FRANKAU . 11.11.17 . CONTENTS I. ARTHUR . II . BOBBY III . MAUD xiii PREFACE.
... be - and of whom some few perchance may draw knowledge and inspiration from these brain - children of that great mother , " Frank Danby . " GILBERT FRANKAU . 11.11.17 . CONTENTS I. ARTHUR . II . BOBBY III . MAUD xiii PREFACE.
Page 58
... brains too , and her tasks were hard for her . She grew lean and thin and miserable over her struggles with the alphabet ; and her slate was greasy with tears shed over the mysteries of the multiplication table . bad man , Your father ...
... brains too , and her tasks were hard for her . She grew lean and thin and miserable over her struggles with the alphabet ; and her slate was greasy with tears shed over the mysteries of the multiplication table . bad man , Your father ...
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
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.