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 vii
... . One attribute , and one only , of genius , she lacked - selfishness . And so ( this is her judgment , not my own ) none of her work was ever " finished . " It came to her , seething from the inner conscious- ness , demanding vii PREFACE.
... . One attribute , and one only , of genius , she lacked - selfishness . And so ( this is her judgment , not my own ) none of her work was ever " finished . " It came to her , seething from the inner conscious- ness , demanding vii PREFACE.
Page viii
Julia Frankau. her , seething from the inner conscious- ness , demanding expression ; dashed it- self to paper ; and then . . . then the mother - heart intervened , crying : " Let be ! go back to your children . " And she , bound by that ...
Julia Frankau. her , seething from the inner conscious- ness , demanding expression ; dashed it- self to paper ; and then . . . then the mother - heart intervened , crying : " Let be ! go back to your children . " And she , bound by that ...
Page 21
... ness , for her harsh judgment ; perhaps her bitterness is only the cloak for an early love that was slighted , an early belief that was shattered . There are people who can remember Joan Danvers as reckless as she was improvident , as ...
... ness , for her harsh judgment ; perhaps her bitterness is only the cloak for an early love that was slighted , an early belief that was shattered . There are people who can remember Joan Danvers as reckless as she was improvident , as ...
Page 25
... ness of her spirit peeped out in her unlovely books , and spelt failure for her . She had social ambitions , but her brothers ' erratic careers rendered that dream abortive . Now , in the small figure of her boy , she sees the ...
... ness of her spirit peeped out in her unlovely books , and spelt failure for her . She had social ambitions , but her brothers ' erratic careers rendered that dream abortive . Now , in the small figure of her boy , she sees the ...
Page 53
... ness , a desire to see what his friends would say , a reckless disregard of con- sequences , that led him into it . He liked to be the hero of a nine days ' wonder , and he had arrived at a position where he found 53.
... ness , a desire to see what his friends would say , a reckless disregard of con- sequences , that led him into it . He liked to be the hero of a nine days ' wonder , and he had arrived at a position where he found 53.
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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.