Water baby Tom (7)

Water baby Tom (7)

The carpet was all over gay little flowers ; and the walls were hung with pictures in gilt frames. There were pictures of ladies and gentlemen and pictures of horses and dogs.

The next thing he saw, and that puzzled him, was a washing-stand, with ewers and basins, and soap and brushes, and towels ; and a large bath, full of clean water ー what a heap of things all for washing !
" She must be a very dirty lady, " thought Tom, " to want as much scrubbing as all that. "



And then, looking towards the bed, he saw that dirty lady, and held his breath with astonishment.

Under the snow-white coverlet, upon the snow-white pillow, lay the most beautiful little girl that Tom had ever seen.
Her cheeks were almost as white as the pillow, and her hair was like threads of gold spread all about over the bed.

She might have been as old as Tom, or maybe a year or two older; but Tom did not think of that.
He thought only of her delicate skin and golden hair, and wondered whether she were a real live person, or one of the wax dolls he had seen in the shops.

But when he saw her breathe, he made up his mind that she was alive, and stood staring at her, as if she had been an angel out of heaven.

(7/16)