Діти залізниці
Peter’s coal-mine.
Sodon’tyougooffwithnoneinyourpockets,younggentleman!"
Thisseemed,atthetimebutamerryjest,andPeterfeltatoncethatthePorterwasafriendlysortwithnononsenseabouthim.ButlaterthewordscamebacktoPeterwithanewmeaning.
Haveyouevergoneintoafarmhousekitchenonabakingday,andseenthegreatcrockofdoughsetbythefiretorise?Ifyouhave,andifyouwereatthattimestillyoungenoughtobeinterestedineverythingyousaw,youwillrememberthatyoufoundyourselfquiteunabletoresistthetemptationtopokeyourfingerintothesoftroundofdoughthatcurvedinsidethepanlikeagiantmushroom.Andyouwillrememberthatyourfingermadeadentinthedough,andthatslowly,butquitesurely,thedentdisappeared,andthedoughlookedquitethesameasitdidbeforeyoutouchedit.Unless,ofcourse,yourhandwasextradirty,inwhichcase,naturally,therewouldbealittleblackmark.
Well,itwasjustlikethatwiththesorrowthechildrenhadfeltatFather’sgoingaway,andatMother’sbeingsounhappy.Itmadeadeepimpression,buttheimpressiondidnotlastlong.
TheysoongotusedtobeingwithoutFather,thoughtheydidnotforgethim;andtheygotusedtonotgoingtoschool,andtoseeingverylittleofMother,whowasnowalmostalldayshutupinherupstairsroomwriting,writing,writing.Sheusedtocomedownattea-timeandreadaloudthestoriesshehadwritten.Theywerelovelystories.
