“Oh, I’m glad I died—I’m glad I died!” she said.
“You haven’t died, you little thing!” cried the Blue Linen Lady. “You’re alive—and if they’ll let you stay, you’re never going to leave me. I’ve made up my mind to that. Come—come, dear.”
Littlegirl lay quite still, too happy to speak or think. For somebody had said “dear,” had even said “Come, dear.” And it didn’t mean a little girl away ahead, or away back, or in an automobile. It meant her.
The Earth’s Shadow brooded over the two and helped them to be very near.
“It’s worth keeping up with you all this time,” Shadow said to the Earth, “to see things like this. Even the Uttermost Spaces are touched.”
But the Earth was silent, listening. For the City, the beautiful, green-robed City lying in her glorious night jewels, knew what was happening too. And when the Lady lifted Littlegirl, to carry her away, it was as if something had happened which had touched the life of the City herself. She listened, as the Earth was listening, and the soft crooning which men thought was the roar of her traffic was really her song about what she heard. For the story of Littlegirl spread and echoed, and other children’s stories like hers were in the song, and it was one of the times when the heart of the City was stirred to a great, new measure. At last the City understood the homelessness of children, and their labour, and their suffering, and the waste of them; and she brooded above them like a mother.... And suddenly she knew herself, that she was the mother of all little children, and that she must care for them like a mother if she was to keep herself alive. And if they were to grow up to be her Family, and not just her pretend family, with nobody looking out for anybody else—as no true family would do.
“Is it well?” asked the Shadow, softly, of the Earth.
“It is well,” said the Earth, in deep content. “Don’t you hear the human voices beginning to sing with her? Don’t you see the other Cities watching? Oh, it is well indeed.”
“I’ll go and mention it to the Uttermost Spaces,” said the Shadow.
And, in time, so he did.