Charwoman's Daughter - Softcover

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1912 edition. Excerpt: ... "of the bed their mother sat telling with a gigantic voice a story wherein her husband's sister figured as the despicable person she was to the eye of discernment, and this story was punctuated and shot through and dislocuted by objurgations, threats, pleadings, admirations, alarms, and despairs addressed to the children separately and en masse, by name, nickname, and hastily created epithet. Mary halted in amazement in the doorway. She could not grasp all the pandemonium at once, and while she stood Mrs. Cafferty saw her. " Come on in, honey, " said she. " Your ma's as right as a trivet. All she wanted was a bit of good company and some children to play with. Deed, " she continued, " children are the best medicine for a woman that I know of. They don't give you time to be sick, the creatures!--Patrick John, I'll give you a smack on the side of the head if you don't let your little sister alone; and don't you, Norah, be vexing him or you'll deserve all you get. Run inside, Julia Elizabeth, cut a slice of bread for the twins, and put a bit of sugar on it, honey. Yes, alanna, you can have a slice for yourself, too, you poor child you, well you deserve it." Mrs. Makebelieve was sitting up in the bed with two pillows propping up her back. One of her long thin arms was stretched out to preserve the twins from being bruised against the wall in their play. Plainly they had become great friends with her, for every now and then they swarmed over her, and a hugging match of extreme complexity ensued. She looked almost her usual self, and all the animation which had been so marked a feature of her personality had returned to her. " Are you better, mother?" said Mary." Mrs. Makebelieve took her daughter's head in her hands and kissed her until the twins butted...