AC dBooks

Baby ceased to cry and began to smile. Seeing this the woman's eyes
sparkled like sunshine.
"See that," she cried. "S'elp me Jesus, I b'lieve I could 'ave been good
meself if I'd on'y 'ad somethink like this to keer for."
I am not ashamed to say that more than once there had been tears in my
eyes while the woman spoke, though her blasphemies had corrupted the air
like the gases that rise from a dust-heap. But when she touched my child
I shuddered as if something out of the 'lowest depths had tainted her.
Then a strange thing happened.
I had risen to go, although my limbs could scarcely support me, and was
folding my little angel closely in my arms, when the woman rose too and
said:
"You wouldn't let me carry your kiddie a bit, would you?"
I tried to excuse myself, saying something, I know not what The woman
looked at me again, and after a moment she said:
"S'pose not. On'y I thought it might make me think as 'ow I was carryin'
Billie."
That swept down everything.
The one remaining window of the woman's soul was open and I dared not
close it.


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