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 41
... and captious , that her mother would ruin her by in- dulgence and by letting her have her own way in everything . And it was true that she indulged Maud to the fullest possible extent . The girl's life became a perfect 4I.
... and captious , that her mother would ruin her by in- dulgence and by letting her have her own way in everything . And it was true that she indulged Maud to the fullest possible extent . The girl's life became a perfect 4I.
Page 42
Julia Frankau. fullest possible extent . The girl's life became a perfect litany of love , caresses and gentle words her only portion . She knew herself from the very first day of her babyhood the light of her mother's eyes , the heart ...
Julia Frankau. fullest possible extent . The girl's life became a perfect litany of love , caresses and gentle words her only portion . She knew herself from the very first day of her babyhood the light of her mother's eyes , the heart ...
Page 48
... girl's life ; if Gerald was not strong enough to take upon himself the burden of a wife who would not live apart from her mother ; can it be said that Maud missed the highest that life could give ? Maud is twenty - three now ; for five ...
... girl's life ; if Gerald was not strong enough to take upon himself the burden of a wife who would not live apart from her mother ; can it be said that Maud missed the highest that life could give ? Maud is twenty - three now ; for five ...
Page 53
... girl , so awkward , so unattractive , and at the time of her marriage so obviously an " old maid , " so literal and staid , that to this day no one can understand what induced Hubert Gould to select such a partner . Perhaps it was mere ...
... girl , so awkward , so unattractive , and at the time of her marriage so obviously an " old maid , " so literal and staid , that to this day no one can understand what induced Hubert Gould to select such a partner . Perhaps it was mere ...
Page 58
... girl in loose garments , hygienic and hideous ; she cut her hair short , and had her educated . At five the wan - eyed , brown - skinned child spent six mortal hours out of every day in the schoolroom . She had her mother's brains too ...
... girl in loose garments , hygienic and hideous ; she cut her hair short , and had her educated . At five the wan - eyed , brown - skinned child spent six mortal hours out of every day in the schoolroom . She had her mother's brains too ...
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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.