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 xii
... such a woman . Yet I hope , I believe , that she will be glad to see these words , hers and mine , in print . The age in which we live justifies , of itself , their publication . For surely as we are xii MOTHERS AND CHILDREN.
... such a woman . Yet I hope , I believe , that she will be glad to see these words , hers and mine , in print . The age in which we live justifies , of itself , their publication . For surely as we are xii MOTHERS AND CHILDREN.
Page 44
... glad , for now the shadow of a great trouble travelled always at her side , and she wanted Maud , her Maud , her darling , to be away from her , safe in another home , before the shadow clouded all . So Gerald was invited to the house ...
... glad , for now the shadow of a great trouble travelled always at her side , and she wanted Maud , her Maud , her darling , to be away from her , safe in another home , before the shadow clouded all . So Gerald was invited to the house ...
Page 45
... glad , I am glad . ” Maud never saw the tears that gathered in her mother's eyes , never noticed how uncertainly the hand crept about until it rested on her 45 MAUD.
... glad , I am glad . ” Maud never saw the tears that gathered in her mother's eyes , never noticed how uncertainly the hand crept about until it rested on her 45 MAUD.
Page 97
... glad with happy love . Eric Baillie loved his wife absolutely . Home for him meant her grey eyes , the rustle of her light gowns , the creak of her foot on the stairs , the tones of her clear voice . She was the one woman in the world ...
... glad with happy love . Eric Baillie loved his wife absolutely . Home for him meant her grey eyes , the rustle of her light gowns , the creak of her foot on the stairs , the tones of her clear voice . She was the one woman in the world ...
Page 133
... glad . " She was glad , with her hand pressed to her side , with her eyes tear - dimmed , her step faltering , the sobs choking in her throat . Glad ! She was glad all the day when she went back to her one room and toiled over the ...
... glad . " She was glad , with her hand pressed to her side , with her eyes tear - dimmed , her step faltering , the sobs choking in her throat . Glad ! She was glad all the day when she went back to her one room and toiled over the ...
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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.