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ne morning Mother gave me a beautiful bunch of flowers. She said I was only to go with Father as far as Mrs. McConnell's front gate and then I was to take the flowers to Mrs. McConnell and say they were for the baby.
I tapped at the door...everything was quite still. Instead of shouting, "Come right in", Mrs. McConnell came and opened the door quietly. Her eyes were red.
"Mother sent some flowers for your baby, Mrs. McConnell."
"Come and give them to him, Lovey."
She took my hand and led me in. I looked round, expecting to see the baby sitting in his pram. I was going to bounce the flowers at him and hear him giggle. The pram was not there. There was a little table in the middle of the room with a white box on it. Mrs. McConnell put her hands under my arms and lifted me so that I could look into the box. The baby was there--asleep, but his eyes were not quite shut.
Mrs. McConnell said, "Kiss him, Lovey". I kissed the baby's cheek. It was hard and cold. I dropped the flowers on his feet. Mrs. Cameron came in then, so I slipped out and ran home.
"Mother, why was Mrs. McConnell's baby so cold and funny?"
"Did you see the baby?"
"I kissed him. Mrs. McConnell told me to."
Mother looked vexed. She told me about death but I only half understood. I did not take the short cut for a long time after that but went round by Mrs. Lipsett's and Mrs. Swannick's.
--The Book of Small by Emily Carr.
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End garden tour
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