FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121  
122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   >>   >|  
she answered, holding up her clenched fist. "I s'pose she won't never come no more," said Alfred. "Look!" she answered, opening her fingers and disclosing a damp penny, the bribe of one of the nurses. "Matron says she's cruel, and 'as forgot about us, same as they all do," said Alfred. Then Lizzie took up her old wail. The penny dropped and rolled in a fine curve along the boards. "There, don't 'e cry, Liz," he said. And they sat huddled together overcome by the dull exhaustion of childish grief. The chapel bell began to ring. Alfred took a corner of her white pinafore, wetted it, and tried to wash off the marks of tears. And as they hurried away Lizzie stooped and picked up the penny. A few minutes later they were at service in their brick and iron chapel, which suburban residents sometimes attended instead of going to church in the evening. "My soul doth magnify the Lord," they sang, following the choir, of which the head-master was justly proud. And the chaplain preached on the text, "Thou hast clothed me in scarlet, yea, I have a goodly heritage," demonstrating that there was no peculiar advantage about scarlet, but that dark blue would serve quite as well for thankfulness, if only the children would live up to its ideal. "This is a wonderful institution," said the chaplain's friend after service, as they sat at tea by the fire. "It is a kind of little Utopia in itself, a modern Phalanstery. How Plato would have admired it! I'm sure he'd have enjoyed this afternoon's service." "Yes, I daresay he would," said the chaplain. "But you must excuse me for an hour or so. I make a point of running through the infirmary and ophthalmic ward on Sundays. Oh yes, we have a permanent ward for ophthalmia. Please make yourself comfortable till I come back." His friend spent the time in jotting down heads for an essay on the advantages of communal nurture for the young. He was a lecturer on social subjects, and liked to be able to appeal to experience in his lectures. V Next morning came a letter written in a large and careful hand: "My dear Alfred,--I hope these few lines find you well, as they don't leave me at present. I fell down the office stairs last night and got a twist to my inside, so can't come to-day. Kiss Liz from me, and tell her to be good. From your loving mother, Mrs. Reeve." Day followed day, and the mother did not come. The children lived on, almost without thought of change in th
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121  
122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Alfred

 

chaplain

 

service

 

chapel

 

mother

 

scarlet

 

children

 

friend

 
Lizzie
 

answered


Please

 

ophthalmia

 
comfortable
 
permanent
 

ophthalmic

 

Sundays

 

nurture

 

communal

 

lecturer

 

advantages


jotting
 

infirmary

 

enjoyed

 
afternoon
 

admired

 

modern

 

Phalanstery

 

daresay

 

running

 

excuse


social

 

subjects

 

holding

 
change
 

inside

 
thought
 

loving

 
stairs
 
office
 

lectures


morning
 

experience

 
Utopia
 

clenched

 

appeal

 

letter

 

written

 

present

 
careful
 

minutes