Cast Adrift by T. S. Arthur - A complete eBook in pages (121 / 281)

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Cast Adrift by T. S. Arthur
Book, page 121 / 281

anything. I've seen her before. Maybe she's his mother. As like as
nor, for nobody knows where he came from. Wasn't Sally Long's baby;
always thought she'd stole him from somebody. Now, mind, he's to
have good milk every day, or I'll change his boarding-house. D'ye
hear!"

And laughing at this sally, the woman turned away to spend in a
night's debauch the money she had gained in half a day's begging.

Left to herself, Mother Hewitt went staggering back with the baby in
her arms, and seated herself on the ground beside the cup of bread
and water, which was mixed to the consistence of cream. As she did
so the light of her poor candle fell on the baby's face. It was
pinched and hungry and ashen pale, the thin lips wrought by want and
suffering into such sad expressions of pain that none but the most
stupid and hardened could look at them and keep back a gush of
tears.

But Mother Hewitt saw nothing of this--felt nothing of this. Pity
and tenderness had long since died out of her heart. As she laid the
baby back on one arm she took a spoonful of the mixture prepared for
its supper, and pushed it roughly into its mouth. The baby swallowed
it with a kind of starving eagerness, but with no sign of
satisfaction on its sorrowful little face. But Mother Hewitt was too
impatient to get through with her work of feeding the child, and
thrust in spoonful after spoonful until it choked, when she shook it
angrily, calling it vile names.

The baby cried feebly at this. when she shook it again and slapped
it with her heavy hand. Then it grew still. She put the spoon again
to its lips, but it shut them tightly and turned its head away.

"Very well," said Mother Hewitt. "If you won't, you won't;" and she
tossed the helpless thing as she would have tossed a senseless
bundle over upon the heap of straw that served as a bed, adding, as
she did so, "I never coaxed my own brats."

The baby did not cry. Mother Hewitt then blew out the candle, and
groping her way to the door of the cellar that opened on the street,
went out, shutting down the heavy door behind her, and leaving the

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