CHAPTER IX.
THE CHILD BURNT—A NEGRO CHILD CURED BY COTTON-WOOL.
THE next day, at breakfast, Alice asked when they might go in a boat again. ‘I like it so much, grandmamma. I love to be on the sea.’
‘I like it too, my Alice; but we must not go often; for yesterday you know we did nothing else but amuse ourselves, and now we will stay at home and work and do lessons.’
‘Please, ma’am,’ said Mary, entering the room rather hastily, ‘Mrs. Dunne’s little girl has been scalded with hot water. Will you please go and see the poor child? The boy says that she is screaming so much.’
‘Yes, indeed I will; but whilst I am putting on my cloak and bonnet, get me some cotton-wool; you will find some in the lowest drawer.’
Alice and Beatrice were very sorry that the little child was hurt, for they knew the child quite well, and they sometimes went to the village to see Mrs. Dunne, who was a washer-woman.
Their grandmamma told Mary to bring the two little girls to meet her in an hour’s time, and walked very quickly to the village.
When she came near Mrs. Dunne’s cottage she heard the child’s screams; so she opened the door, and went in. Mrs. Dunne was holding the little girl on her lap; and the poor child was crying as loud as she could, and her mother was crying too.