English
Allchildren,exceptone,growup.Theysoonknowthattheywillgrowup,andthewayWendyknewwasthis.
Onedaywhenshewastwoyearsoldshewasplayinginagarden,andshepluckedanotherflowerandranwithittohermother.
Isupposeshemusthavelookedratherdelightful,forMrs.Darlingputherhandtoherheartandcried,"Oh,whycan'tyouremainlikethisforever!"
Thiswasallthatpassedbetweenthemonthesubject,buthenceforthWendyknewthatshemustgrowup.Youalwaysknowafteryouaretwo.Twoisthebeginningoftheend.
Ofcoursetheylivedat14[theirhousenumberontheirstreet],anduntilWendycamehermotherwasthechiefone.
Shewasalovelylady,witharomanticmindandsuchasweetmockingmouth.
Herromanticmindwaslikethetinyboxes,onewithintheother,thatcomefromthepuzzlingEast,howevermanyyoudiscoverthereisalwaysonemore;andhersweetmockingmouthhadonekissonitthatWendycouldneverget,thoughthereitwas,perfectlyconspicuousintheright-handcorner.
ThewayMr.Darlingwonherwasthis:themanygentlemenwhohadbeenboyswhenshewasagirldiscoveredsimultaneouslythattheylovedher,andtheyallrantoherhousetoproposetoherexceptMr.Darling,whotookacabandnippedinfirst,andsohegother.
Hegotallofher,excepttheinnermostboxandthekiss.
Heneverknewaboutthebox,andintimehegaveuptryingforthekiss.
WendythoughtNapoleoncouldhavegotit,butIcanpicturehimtrying,andthengoingoffinapassion,slammingthedoor.
Mr.DarlingusedtoboasttoWendythathermothernotonlylovedhimbutrespectedhim.
Hewasoneofthosedeeponeswhoknowaboutstocksandshares.
Ofcoursenoonereallyknows,buthequiteseemedtoknow,andheoftensaidstockswereupandsharesweredowninawaythatwouldhavemadeanywomanrespecthim.
Mrs.Darlingwasmarriedinwhite,andatfirstshekeptthebooksperfectly,almostgleefully,asifitwereagame,notsomuchasaBrusselssproutwasmissing;butbyandbywholecauliflowersdroppedout,andinsteadofthemtherewerepicturesofbabieswithoutfaces.
Shedrewthemwhensheshouldhavebeentottingup.TheywereMrs.Darling'sguesses.
Wendycamefirst,thenJohn,thenMichael.
ForaweekortwoafterWendycameitwasdoubtfulwhethertheywouldbeabletokeepher,asshewasanothermouthtofeed.
Mr.Darlingwasfrightfullyproudofher,buthewasveryhonourable,andhesatontheedgeofMrs.Darling'sbed,holdingherhandandcalculatingexpenses,whileshelookedathimimploringly.
Shewantedtoriskit,comewhatmight,butthatwasnothisway;hiswaywaswithapencilandapieceofpaper,andifsheconfusedhimwithsuggestionshehadtobeginatthebeginningagain.
"Nowdon'tinterrupt,"hewouldbegofher.
"Ihaveonepoundseventeenhere,andtwoandsixattheoffice;Icancutoffmycoffeeattheoffice,saytenshillings,makingtwonineandsix,withyoureighteenandthreemakesthreenineseven,withfivenaughtnaughtinmycheque-bookmakeseightnineseven—whoisthatmoving?
—eightnineseven,dotandcarryseven—don'tspeak,myown—andthepoundyoulenttothatmanwhocametothedoor—quiet,child—dotandcarrychild—there,you'vedoneit!—didIsayninenineseven?
yes,Isaidninenineseven;thequestionis,canwetryitforayearonninenineseven?"
"Ofcoursewecan,George,"shecried.ButshewasprejudicedinWendy'sfavour,andhewasreallythegrandercharacterofthetwo.
"Remembermumps,"hewarnedheralmostthreateningly,andoffhewentagain.
"Mumpsonepound,thatiswhatIhaveputdown,butIdaresayitwillbemorelikethirtyshillings—don'tspeak—measlesonefive,Germanmeasleshalfaguinea,makestwofifteensix—don'twaggleyourfinger—whooping-cough,sayfifteenshillings"—andsoonitwent,anditaddedupdifferentlyeachtime;butatlastWendyjustgotthrough,withmumpsreducedtotwelvesix,andthetwokindsofmeaslestreatedasone.
TherewasthesameexcitementoverJohn,andMichaelhadevenanarrowersqueak;butbothwerekept,andsoon,youmighthaveseenthethreeofthemgoinginarowtoMissFulsom'sKindergartenschool,accompaniedbytheirnurse.
Mrs.Darlinglovedtohaveeverythingjustso,andMr.Darlinghadapassionforbeingexactlylikehisneighbours;so,ofcourse,theyhadanurse.
Astheywerepoor,owingtotheamountofmilkthechildrendrank,thisnursewasaprimNewfoundlanddog,calledNana,whohadbelongedtonooneinparticularuntiltheDarlingsengagedher.
Shehadalwaysthoughtchildrenimportant,however,andtheDarlingshadbecomeacquaintedwithherinKensingtonGardens,whereshespentmostofhersparetimepeepingintoperambulators,andwasmuchhatedbycarelessnursemaids,whomshefollowedtotheirhomesandcomplainedoftotheirmistresses.
Sheprovedtobequiteatreasureofanurse.
Howthoroughshewasatbath-time,andupatanymomentofthenightifoneofherchargesmadetheslightestcry.
Ofcourseherkennelwasinthenursery.
Shehadageniusforknowingwhenacoughisathingtohavenopatiencewithandwhenitneedsstockingaroundyourthroat.
Shebelievedtoherlastdayinold-fashionedremedieslikerhubarbleaf,andmadesoundsofcontemptoverallthisnew-fangledtalkaboutgerms,andsoon.
Itwasalessoninproprietytoseeherescortingthechildrentoschool,walkingsedatelybytheirsidewhentheywerewellbehaved,andbuttingthembackintolineiftheystrayed.
OnJohn'sfooter[inEnglandsoccerwascalledfootball,"footer"forshort]dayssheneveronceforgothissweater,andsheusuallycarriedanumbrellainhermouthincaseofrain.
ThereisaroominthebasementofMissFulsom'sschoolwherethenurseswait.
Theysatonforms,whileNanalayonthefloor,butthatwastheonlydifference.
Theyaffectedtoignoreherasofaninferiorsocialstatustothemselves,andshedespisedtheirlighttalk.
SheresentedvisitstothenurseryfromMrs.Darling'sfriends,butiftheydidcomeshefirstwhippedoffMichael'spinaforeandputhimintotheonewithbluebraiding,andsmoothedoutWendyandmadeadashatJohn'shair.
Nonurserycouldpossiblyhavebeenconductedmorecorrectly,andMr.Darlingknewit,yethesometimeswondereduneasilywhethertheneighbourstalked.
Hehadhispositioninthecitytoconsider.
Nanaalsotroubledhiminanotherway.Hehadsometimesafeelingthatshedidnotadmirehim.
"Iknowsheadmiresyoutremendously,George,"Mrs.Darlingwouldassurehim,andthenshewouldsigntothechildrentobespeciallynicetofather.
Lovelydancesfollowed,inwhichtheonlyotherservant,Liza,wassometimesallowedtojoin.
Suchamidgetshelookedinherlongskirtandmaid'scap,thoughshehadsworn,whenengaged,thatshewouldneverseetenagain.Thegaietyofthoseromps!
AndgayestofallwasMrs.Darling,whowouldpirouettesowildlythatallyoucouldseeofherwasthekiss,andthenifyouhaddashedatheryoumighthavegotit.
ThereneverwasasimplerhappierfamilyuntilthecomingofPeterPan.
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