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 44
... hear of Gerald Tracy's hand - pressures and the number of times he had asked Maud to dance , and what he had said to her at supper . And Mrs. Devereux grew glad , for now the shadow of a great trouble travelled always at her side , and ...
... hear of Gerald Tracy's hand - pressures and the number of times he had asked Maud to dance , and what he had said to her at supper . And Mrs. Devereux grew glad , for now the shadow of a great trouble travelled always at her side , and ...
Page 68
... hear it had been said . " There was a deal of difference between children ; certainly Miss Margy might not be very ready with her tongue , but see how quick she was with her hands ; why , she put on her own shoes and socks ; she would ...
... hear it had been said . " There was a deal of difference between children ; certainly Miss Margy might not be very ready with her tongue , but see how quick she was with her hands ; why , she put on her own shoes and socks ; she would ...
Page 82
... hear them , and soothe her with the old phrases that she knew and rebelled against . Poor Jessie ! Of course the time will come when she is pronounced cured , when she is bidden to arise and walk ; already she is allowed to sit up a ...
... hear them , and soothe her with the old phrases that she knew and rebelled against . Poor Jessie ! Of course the time will come when she is pronounced cured , when she is bidden to arise and walk ; already she is allowed to sit up a ...
Page 123
... hear of it . He is just like a girl . " I could see the boy's cheek flush as if she had struck him . At seven a boy has feelings , is sensitive , and understands enough to suffer . " I am not like a girl , " he answered rudely ...
... hear of it . He is just like a girl . " I could see the boy's cheek flush as if she had struck him . At seven a boy has feelings , is sensitive , and understands enough to suffer . " I am not like a girl , " he answered rudely ...
Page 139
... hear his mother speak of him , to see her look at him , you would imagine him the only boy in the world . So he was - to her . The girls were all very well , nice little dumpy things with brown eyes and curly hair . Gerald promised to ...
... hear his mother speak of him , to see her look at him , you would imagine him the only boy in the world . So he was - to her . The girls were all very well , nice little dumpy things with brown eyes and curly hair . Gerald promised to ...
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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.