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SEAMSTRESSES AGAIN. 243
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Transcript
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Cit Everybody Knows That November Lias A...
" Well , I haven't had a particle of food to-day ; and I ' ve no shoes that the children can wear , nor anything- hardly to _j } u . t Annie on .
And I haven't a _Tbit of fuel , and it's December . " " Who asked ye what ye had an' what ye hadn't , or what year
o * the month it was ! " shouted the husband in anger . "Ye ' ve money to buy oranges and such trumpery it seems , he added , as he
observed the rind of an orange on the bed . " No , I haven't had an orange for a very long time . That
rind Johnny begged of somebody this morning . He'd heard me say I should so like oneand he thought I might like to smell a bit
, of the rind . " This was rather what the poor creature attempted to say than
what she said . The husband heard not a word , but stood trying to adjust his hat , which misfitted wofully , and which was perhaps
the twentieth that had been stuck on his head when he was not in a condition either to claim or disown it .
"Oh surely you'll give me some money , Robert ! " she cried , extending her feeble voice to the utmost , as she saw him advance to
the door . " Oh surely you will !" " I'll not give you a ha ' penny . "
" Then what am I to do ?" " Do as ye like—same as ye always do , " and the wretch slammed
the door , and went down singing a boisterous tune . The poor sufferer pulled away the little bundles of straw from
behind the bolster and lay down ; and she drew the scanty covering over her shivering frame .
" Mother , " said Johnny , approaching her bedside , " here ' s some cake I saved for you . "
" My darling , I can't eat it . " " Yes do , mother , never mind father ; wlien I get big I shall
earn twenty hundred shillings , and I shall give you ' em all . " " Bless you , " said the mother in a whisper _.
" Are you going to sleep , mother ?" " May be : so play nice and still . "
She did not sleep , however , and after some time she motioned her children to come near , and taking a little cold hand of each ,
she said , " Now then , I ' m going to die ; I ' ra going to leave you . " " No , mother , " said Johnny , bursting into . tears , " we don't want
you to : _ive shouldn't like to be alive then . " " But I must : and I want you both to come to me when you
die . And , _Jolxnny , you must be very kind to Annie , because she ' s a little girl , and because she hasn't anybody to take care of her .
You mustn't let her go out by herself , nor meddle with tlie fire . You must be patient with her—and—you must—love one another . "
Here the feeble voice became altogether inarticulate . Many of her words had not reached the ears of her little ones , who looked at
each other now and then , as if not able to comprehend the matter .
After sobbing a little while in company , they retired to their corner
Seamstresses Again. 243
SEAMSTRESSES AGAIN . 243
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Citation
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English Woman’s Journal (1858-1864), Dec. 1, 1859, page 243, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ewj/issues/ewj_01121859/page/27/
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