“Bless your sweet eyes! nobody stays with her. She just lies there her lone self, unless some of the other children in the house run in and out, but mostly she doesn't want their noise.”
“How long has she been in bed?”
“Most of the time for eight months, miss,” replied the poor mother with a sigh.
“Doesn't she ever sit up in the rocking-chair?”
“We have no rocking-chair, but sometimes when I go home from work, or the days I have no work, I hold her in my arms a bit to rest her.”
“Has she got anything to amuse her?”
“Yes, she has a picture-book I got her last Christmas.”
“Mamma!” exclaimed Marty, as soon as the door closed behind Mrs. Scott, “just think of lying in bed since Christmas, and now it's the first of May, with nothing but one picture-book!”
“Ah! Marty,” said her mother, “there are many people in the world who have very hard times.”
“Well, I don't know them all, and I couldn't help them all if I did; but I feel that I know Jennie real well, and mayn't I give her some of my books and playthings? a whole lot, so that she wont be so lonesome when her mother's away.”