Mother Goose in Prose : Complete

THERE once lived a poor widow who supported herself and her only son by gleaning in the fieldsthe stalks of grain that had been missed by the reapers.

Her little cottage was at the foot of abeautiful valley, upon the edge of the river that wound in and out among the green hills; andalthough poor, she was contented with her lot, for her home was pleasant and her lovely boy was aconstant delight to her.He had big blue eyes, and fair golden curls, and he loved his good mother very dearly, and wasnever more pleased than when she allowed him to help her with her work.And so the years passed happily away till the boy was eight years old, but then the widow fellsick, and their little store of money melted gradually away."I don't know what we shall do for bread," she said, kissing her boy with tears in her eyes, "for Iam not yet strong enough to work, and we have no money left.""But I can work," answered the boy; "and I'm sure if I go to the Squire up at the Hall he will giveme something to do."At first the widow was reluctant to consent to this, since she loved to keep her child at her side,but finally, as nothing else could be done, she decided to let him go to see the Squire.Being too proud to allow her son to go to the great house in his ragged clothes, she made him anew suit out of a pretty blue dress she had herself worn in happier times, and when it was finishedand the boy dressed in it, he looked as pretty as a prince in a fairy tale.

For the bright blue jacket setoff his curls to good advantage, and the color just matched the blue of his eyes.

His trousers wereblue, also, and she took the silver buckles from her own shoes and put them on his, that he mightappear the finer. And then she brushed his curls and placed his big straw hat upon them and senthim away with a kiss to see the Squire.