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 24
... turn white ; she suffers an agony beside which his pains are small . 66 Oh , Mumsey , I can't bear it , I can't bear it , " he will cry out ; and she , kneeling beside him , trying to soothe him , will pray in the very madness of her ...
... turn white ; she suffers an agony beside which his pains are small . 66 Oh , Mumsey , I can't bear it , I can't bear it , " he will cry out ; and she , kneeling beside him , trying to soothe him , will pray in the very madness of her ...
Page 26
... life , I think the latter . Can the career of this boy , brilliant though it may be , turn out anything but a disappointment to his mother , who has placed her hopes so high ? And even if his career should satisfy 26 MOTHERS AND CHILDREN.
... life , I think the latter . Can the career of this boy , brilliant though it may be , turn out anything but a disappointment to his mother , who has placed her hopes so high ? And even if his career should satisfy 26 MOTHERS AND CHILDREN.
Page 33
... turn it into tragedy and horror . In the depths of her desolation , Phyllis almost died ; would have died , even as an atheist dies , without belief or hope , but for Bobby . Bobby saved her , lay on her breast , so white and weak ...
... turn it into tragedy and horror . In the depths of her desolation , Phyllis almost died ; would have died , even as an atheist dies , without belief or hope , but for Bobby . Bobby saved her , lay on her breast , so white and weak ...
Page 68
... turning them into shadowy , formless fears . Marguérite was backward . Nurse could not deny it , indignant though she was to hear it had been said . " There was a deal of difference between children ; certainly Miss Margy might not be ...
... turning them into shadowy , formless fears . Marguérite was backward . Nurse could not deny it , indignant though she was to hear it had been said . " There was a deal of difference between children ; certainly Miss Margy might not be ...
Page 80
... turn her head away so that Teddie should not see the tears come into her eyes . She was never alone , they would not even let her cry by herself , but wanted to cheer her up and tell her it was all for the best , that if Dr. Chisel had ...
... turn her head away so that Teddie should not see the tears come into her eyes . She was never alone , they would not even let her cry by herself , but wanted to cheer her up and tell her it was all for the best , that if Dr. Chisel had ...
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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.