Master Humphrey's Clock - Charles Dickens (online e reader .TXT) 📗

As a child I was melancholy and timid, but that wasbecause the gentle consideration paid to my misfortune sunk deepinto my spirit and made me sad, even in those early days. I wasbut a very young creature when my poor mother died, and yet Iremember that often when I hung around her neck, and oftener stillwhen I played about the room before her, she would catch me to herbosom, and bursting into tears, would soothe me with every term offondness and affection. God knows I was a happy child at thosetimes, - happy to nestle in her breast, - happy to weep when shedid, - happy in not knowing why.

These occasions are so strongly impressed upon my memory, that theyseem to have occupied whole years. I had numbered very, very fewwhen they ceased for ever, but before then their meaning had beenrevealed to me.

I do not know whether all children are imbued with a quickperception of childish grace and beauty, and a strong love for it,but I was. I had no thought that I remember, either t