|
CHAPTER 3 ALICE STARTS SCHOOL This was the only summer Alice and I were able to have the nice times together, in the garden and on the farm looking after the eggs, and picking the red and black currents and green peas, with our patient mother. Because next summer Alice had to go to school every day but Saturdays and Sundays, with George, Bob the next brother and Grace, while I stopped at home and helped our mother with Fred our baby. Because Alice did that for me when I started to toddle.
Fred and I got used to each others company I soon got to know all Fred's adventures. He had reins with bells on the front as he had left off crawling by then he could stand alone but couldn't walk alone. So I had to make sure he didn't come to any harm. It wasn't easy, Fred was interested in the sewing machine treadle, but that was something that was not safe to play with. Or the coal scuttle (not clean enough to play with) and the foot of the stairs was too dangerous to think about at Fred's age. There wasn't play pens those days but mother used to make a pen of a sort with chairs, four chairs and a soft cushion in the centre, and this was a way the toddlers of those days could exercise standing up and getting some strength in their legs, Freddies legs were always very thin, with bones showing more than was usual on his knees. Our mother put cream on Freddies porridge when Alice and I just seem to flourish with plain milk. But in spite of all the extras he was not a bonnie boy, but that first year that he was a toddler in the summer he never appeared timid. He would always have a try, and try again. He could put me to shame, because if I found anything difficult I would give up. I was afraid, but Fred set me a good example. Although I was older I was never bolder than this frail little brother of mine.
I couldn't wait to start school with Alice. The time seemed long without her for company, and she used to tell me of all the nice things the children had to play with, and the games she tried to play with me at home, were too hard for just us two. Because she told me it took lots of children to play the games as they should be played, and then she would sing a little song, she had learnt. How I longed to go to school with her, but mother would say to me how could she (my mother), manage to look after Fred without me to help her. That made me feel important. Before bed time mother used to curl my hair up. I used to stand by her chair and lean against her. She used to wear a big white apron. I was too big and heavy she said when you are nearly old enough to go to school to sit on your mothers lap. I will remember thinking mother had a little kitten under her big white apron, but when I asked her if she had, she told me that she had another little baby growing. Because Fred must have someone to play with when I started school with Alice and I was contented then, because I had thought I couldn't go to school and leave Fred all alone.
So the next summer just before I started school, and by the time Fred could walk well, another baby was ready to take over the pram and cot, the tenth. Click for Chapter
|