Читать книгу Growing Up In The West - John Muir - Страница 35

TWENTY-SIX

JEAN AND MRS Manson were changing Tom’s bed and body linen.

‘Oh, his poor, poor ribs! It breaks your heart to see them sticking out o’ his skin like that, Jeannie.’

‘Hush, mother, he feels no pain now.’

‘Oh, why does he sigh like that? It’s terrible to listen to him sighing and sighing as if something was broken inside him and he couldna’ stop. His poor, poor legs. There’s no’ much flesh on him noo, Jeannie.’

‘He’s at rest now, mother. It’s like a sleep.’

‘How white his skin is. He had aye a fine white skin. Ever since he was a bairn.’

‘You must think of us now, mother. You still have Mansie and me. Mansie has been a good brother.’

‘He could lift me up wi’ one arm once, and noo I can almost lift him mysel’. Do you mind yon evening when he lifted me up on his shoulder and wadna’ let me doon again? I was frightened oot o’ my wits yon night, Jeannie, I can tell you. He was aye so fu’ o’ fun. Oh, Tom, Tom!’

‘There, it’s finished, mother. He’s comfortable now. Sit down by the fire and rest.’