hich this work
meant, the expanding of her daughter's life ripples to a bleak and
miserable horizon where the clouds were soapsuds and floor cloths, and
the beyond a blank resignation only made energetic by hunger.

"Oh, my dear," said she, "I hate to think of you having to do such
work, but it will only be for a while, a week, and then I will be well
again. Only a little week, my love, my sweetheart, my heart's darling."

XVII

Early on the following morning Mary Makebelieve awakened with a start.
She felt as if some one had called her, and lay for a few moments to
see had her mother spoken. But her mother was still asleep. Her
slumber was at all times almost as energetic as her wakening hours.
She twisted constantly and moved her hands and spoke ramblingly. Odd
interjections, such as "ah, well, no matter, certainly not, and indeed
aye," shot from her lips like bullets, and at intervals a sarcastic
sniff fretted or astonished her bedfellow into wakefulness. But now as
she lay none of these strenuous ejaculations were audible. Sighs only,
weighty and deep drawn and very tired, broke on her lips and lapsed
sadly into the desolate room.

Mary Makebelieve lay for a time wondering idly what had awakened her
so completely, for her eyes were wide open and every vestige of sleep
was gone from her brain; and then she remembered that on this morning,
and for the first time in her life, she had to go to work. That
knowledge had gone to bed with her and had awakened her with an
imperious urgency. In an instant she sprang out of bed, huddled on
sufficient clothing for warmth, and set about lighting the fire. She
was far too early awake, but could not compose herself to lie for
another moment in bed. She did not at all welcome the idea of going to
work, but the interest attaching to a new thing, the freshness which
vitalizes for a time even the dreariest undertaking, prevented her
from rueing with any bitterness her first day's work. To a young
person even work is an adventure, and anything which changes the usual
current of life is welcome. The fire also went with her; in quite a
short time the flames had gathered to a blaze, and matured, and
concentrated to the glowing redness of perfect combustion, then, when
the smoke had disappeared with the flames, she put on the saucepan of
water. Quickly the saucepan boiled, and she wet the tea. She cut the
bread into slices, put a spoonful of condensed milk into each cup, and
a