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 35
... coming , father's coming " ; opened his blue eyes ; smiled ; gasped ; and gasping , died . Then they preached to her of God's mercy , and thanked Him for her , when they took the boy out of her arms , and 35 BOBBY.
... coming , father's coming " ; opened his blue eyes ; smiled ; gasped ; and gasping , died . Then they preached to her of God's mercy , and thanked Him for her , when they took the boy out of her arms , and 35 BOBBY.
Page 37
... coming " ; Bobby , whom , after all , no one could take away from her , who Lies in her little one's cradle , And sits in her little one's chair ; And the light of the Heaven he's gone to , Transfigures his golden hair . III MAUD III ...
... coming " ; Bobby , whom , after all , no one could take away from her , who Lies in her little one's cradle , And sits in her little one's chair ; And the light of the Heaven he's gone to , Transfigures his golden hair . III MAUD III ...
Page 43
... coming " ; ; Bobby , whom , after all , no one could take away from her , who Lies in her little one's cradle , And sits in her little one's chair ; And the light of the Heaven he's gone to , Transfigures his golden hair . Mrs. Devereux ...
... coming " ; ; Bobby , whom , after all , no one could take away from her , who Lies in her little one's cradle , And sits in her little one's chair ; And the light of the Heaven he's gone to , Transfigures his golden hair . Mrs. Devereux ...
Page 126
... coming up to the ideal it was when he spoke of his mother . He would say , " It was quite enough for her to know that he wanted to do anything or to go anywhere , for her to forbid him . " In her presence he was at his worst - sullen ...
... coming up to the ideal it was when he spoke of his mother . He would say , " It was quite enough for her to know that he wanted to do anything or to go anywhere , for her to forbid him . " In her presence he was at his worst - sullen ...
Page 131
... coming years , heap luxuries , shower benefits upon him , give him everything material that her wealth can enable her to bestow ; but never , never , never , in all the coming years will he be to her what he is to that other poor woman ...
... coming years , heap luxuries , shower benefits upon him , give him everything material that her wealth can enable her to bestow ; but never , never , never , in all the coming years will he be to her what he is to that other poor woman ...
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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.