DEDICATION.

 To my Mother.

As I turn over the pages of this my first book, and mark here and there a name which use has made familiar, I feel the more, that, but for your sympathy and encouragement, much would still remain unwritten. With me you have sorrowed over the untimely death of “Little Charlie.” “Bertha,” with her precious gifts,—whereof so many stand in need,—has grown to you and me not a child of fancy, but a living presence. “Little Floy,” and the “Child of the Street,” will recall, to your mind as to mine, the touching¹ lines of Mrs. Browning:—

 

“Do ye hear the children weeping, O my brothers!

Ere the sorrow comes with years?

They are leaning their young heads against their mothers;

And that cannot stop their tears.

The young lambs are bleating² in the meadows;

The young birds are chirping³ in the nest;

The young fawns⁴ are playing with the shadows;

The young flowers are blowing toward the West:

But the young, young children, O my brothers!

They are weeping bitterly,—

They are weeping in the play-time of the others,

In the country of the free.

They look up with their pale and sunken faces,

And their looks are sad to see;

For the man’s grief abhorrent⁵ draws and presses

Down the cheeks of infancy⁶.”

To you, then, I dedicate this book,—which is partly yours, in spirit, if not in deed,—confident, that, whatever may be its shortcomings in the eyes of others, it will find a kindly⁷ welcome at your hands.

1 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

2 bleating   

v.（羊，小牛）叫( bleat的现在分词 )；哭诉；发出羊叫似的声音；轻声诉说

参考例句：

• I don't like people who go around bleating out things like that. 我不喜欢跑来跑去讲那种蠢话的人。 来自辞典例句
• He heard the tinny phonograph bleating as he walked in. 他步入室内时听到那架蹩脚的留声机在呜咽。 来自辞典例句

3 chirping   

鸟叫，虫鸣( chirp的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The birds,chirping relentlessly,woke us up at daybreak. 破晓时鸟儿不断吱吱地叫，把我们吵醒了。
• The birds are chirping merrily. 鸟儿在欢快地鸣叫着。

4 fawns   

n.（未满一岁的）幼鹿( fawn的名词复数 )；浅黄褐色；乞怜者；奉承者v.（尤指狗等）跳过来往人身上蹭以示亲热( fawn的第三人称单数 )；巴结；讨好

参考例句：

• He fawns on anyone in an influential position. 他向一切身居要职的人谄媚。 来自辞典例句
• The way Michael fawns on the boss makes heave. 迈克讨好老板的样子真叫我恶心。 来自互联网

5 abhorrent   

adj.可恶的，可恨的，讨厌的

参考例句：

• He is so abhorrent,saying such bullshit to confuse people.他这样乱说，妖言惑众，真是太可恶了。
• The idea of killing animals for food is abhorrent to many people.许多人想到杀生取食就感到憎恶。

6 infancy   

n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期

参考例句：

• He came to England in his infancy.他幼年时期来到英国。
• Their research is only in its infancy.他们的研究处于初级阶段。

7 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。