large/11252/lizaoflambeth_1704_librivox_64kb_mp3/lizaoflambeth_01_maugham_64kb_9
large/11252/lizaoflambeth_1704_librivox_64kb_mp3/lizaoflambeth_01_maugham_64kb
English
11252
The grown ups were gathered round the open doors; there were usually two women squatting on the doorstep, and two or three more seated on either side on chairs; they were invariably nursing babies, and most of them showed clear signs that the present object of the maternal care would be soon ousted by a new arrival. THE GROWN UPS WERE GATHERED ROUND THE OPEN DOORS THERE WERE USUALLY TWO WOMEN SQUATTING ON THE DOORSTEP AND TWO OR THREE MORE SEATED ON EITHER SIDE ON CHAIRS THEY WERE INVARIABLY NURSING BABIES AND MOST OF THEM SHOWED CLEAR SIGNS THAT THE PRESENT OBJECT OF THE MATERNAL CARE WOULD SOON BE OUSTED BY A NEW ARRIVAL
avements was given up to children. Several games of cricket were being played by wildly excited boys, using coats for wickets, an old tennis-ball or a bundle of rags tied together for a ball, and, generally, an old broomstick for bat. The wicket was so large and the bat so small that the man in was always getting bowled, when heated quarrels would arise, the batter absolutely refusing to go out and the bowler absolutely insisting on going in. The girls were more peaceable; they were chiefly employed in skipping, and only abused one another mildly when the rope was not properly turned or the skipper did not jump sufficiently high. Worst off of all were the very young children, for there had been no rain for weeks, and the street was as dry and clean as a covered court, and, in the lack of mud to wallow in, they sat about the road, disconsolate as poets. The number of babies was prodigious; they sprawled about everywhere, on the pavement, round the doors, and about their mothers' skirts. MENTED SPACE BETWEEN THE PAVEMENTS WAS GIVEN UP TO CHILDREN SEVERAL GAMES OF CRICKET WERE BEING PLAYED BY WILDLY EXCITED BOYS USING COATS FOR WICKETS AN OLD TENNIS BALL OR A BUNDLE OF RAGS TIED TOGETHER FOR A BALL AND GENERALLY AN OLD BROOMSTICK FOR A BAT THE WICKET WAS SO LARGE AND THE BAT SO SMALL THAT THE MAN IN WAS ALWAYS GETTING BOLD WHEN HEATED QUARRELS WOULD ARISE THE BATTER ABSOLUTELY REFUSING TO GO OUT AND THE BOWLER ABSOLUTELY INSISTING ON GOING IN THE GIRLS WERE MORE PEACEABLE THEY WERE CHIEFLY EMPLOYED IN SKIPPING AND ONLY ABUSED ONE ANOTHER MILDLY WHEN THE ROPE WAS NOT PROPERLY TURNED OR THE SKIPPER DID NOT JUMP SUFFICIENTLY HIGH WORST UP OF ALL WERE THE VERY YOUNG CHILDREN FOR THERE HAD BEEN NO RAIN FOR WEEKS AND THE STREET WAS AS DRY AND CLEAN AS A COVERED COURT AND IN THE LACK OF MUD TO WALLOW IN THEY SAT ABOUT THE ROAD DISCONSOLATE AS POETS THE NUMBER OF BABIES WAS PRODIGIOUS THEY SPRAWLED ABOUT EVERYWHERE ON THE PAVEMENT ROUND THE DOORS AND ABOUT THEIR MOTHER'S SKIRTS
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