The　Half…Brothers
  by　Elizabeth　Gaskell
  My　mother　was　twice　married。　　She　never　spoke　of　her　first　husband；
  and　it　is　only　from　other　people　that　I　have　learnt　what　little　I
  know　about　him。　　I　believe　she　was　scarcely　seventeen　when　she　was
  married　to　him：　　and　he　was　barely　one…and…twenty。　　He　rented　a　small
  farm　up　in　Cumberland；　somewhere　towards　the　sea…coast；　but　he　was
  perhaps　too　young　and　inexperienced　to　have　the　charge　of　land　and
  cattle：　　anyhow；　his　affairs　did　not　prosper；　and　he　fell　into　ill
  health；　and　died　of　consumption　before　they　had　been　three　years　man
  and　wife；　leaving　my　mother　a　young　widow　of　twenty；　with　a　little
  child　only　just　able　to　walk；　and　the　farm　on　her　hands　for　four
  years　more　by　the　lease；　with　half　the　stock　on　it　dead；　or　sold　off
  one　by　one　to　pay　the　more　pressing　debts；　and　with　no　money　to
  purchase　more；　or　even　to　buy　the　provisions　needed　for　the　small
  consumption　of　every　day。　　There　was　another　child　coming；　too；　and
  sad　and　sorry；　I　believe；　she　was　to　think　of　it。　　A　dreary　winter
  she　must　have　had　in　her　lonesome　dwelling；　with　never　another　near
  it　for　miles　around；　her　sister　came　to　bear　her　company；　and　they
  two　planned　and　plotted　how　to　make　every　penny　they　could　raise　go
  as　far　as　possible。　　I　can't　tell　you　how　it　happened　that　my　little
  sister；　whom　I　never　saw；　came　to　sicken　and　die；　but；　as　if　my　poor
  mother's　cup　was　not　full　enough；　only　a　fortnight　before　Gregory　was
  born　the　little　girl　took　ill　of　scarlet　fever；　and　in　a　week　she　lay
  dead。　　My　mother　was；　I　believe；　just　stunned　with　this　last　blow。
  My　aunt　has　told　me　that　she　did　not　cry；　aunt　Fanny　would　have　been
  thankful　if　she　had；　but　she　sat　holding　the　poor　wee　lassie's　hand
  and　looking　in　her　pretty；　pale；　dead　face；　without　so　much　as
  shedding　a　tear。　　And　it　was　all　the　same；　when　they　had　to　take　her
  away　to　be　buried。　　She　just　kissed　the　child；　and　sat　her　down　in
  the　window…seat　to　watch　the　little　black　train　of　people
  （neighboursmy　aunt；　and　one　far…off　cousin；　who　were　all　the
  friends　they　could　muster）　go　winding　away　amongst　the　snow；　which
  had　fallen　thinly　over　the　country　the　night　before。　　When　my　aunt
  came　back　from　the　funeral；　she　found　my　mother　in　the　same　place；
  and　as　dry…eyed　as　ever。　　So　she　continued　until　after　Gregory　was
  born；　and；　somehow；　his　coming　seemed　to　loosen　the　tears；　and　she
  cried　day　and　night；　till　my　aunt　and　the　other　watcher　looked　at
  each　other　in　dismay；　and　would　fain　have　stopped　her　if　they　had　but
  known　how。　　But　she　bade　them　let　her　alone；　and　not　be　over…anxious；
  for　every　drop　she　shed　eased　her　brain；　which　had　been　in　a　terrible
  state　before　for　want　of　the　power　to　cry。　　She　seemed　after　that　to
  think　of　nothing　but　her　new　little　baby；　she　had　hardly　appeared　to
  remember　either　her　husband　or　her　little　daughter　that　lay　dead　in
  Brigham　churchyardat　least　so　aunt　Fanny　said；　but　she　was　a　great
  talker；　and　my　mother　was　very　silent　by　nature；　and　I　think　aunt
  Fanny　may　have　been　mistaken　in　believing　that　my　mother　never
  thought　of　her　husband　and　child　just　because　she　never　spoke　about
  them。　　Aunt　Fanny　was　older　than　my　mother；　and　had　a　way　of　treating
  her　like　a　child；　but；　for　all　that；　she　was　a　kind；　warm…hearted
  creature；　who　thought　more　of　her　sister's　welfare　than　she　did　of
  her　own　and　it　was　on　her　bit　of　money　that　they　principally　lived；
  and　on　what　the　two　could　earn　by　working　for　the　great　Glasgow
  sewing…merchants。　　But　by…and…by　my　mother's　eye…sight　began　to　fail。
  It　was　not　that　she　was　exactly　blind；　for　she　could　see　well　enough
  to　guide　herself　about　the　house；　and　to　do　a　good　deal　of　domestic
  work；　but　she　could　no　longer　do　fine　sewing　and　earn　money。　　It　must
  have　been　with　the　heavy　crying　she　had　had　in　her　day；　for　she　was
  but　a　young　creature　at　this　time；　and　as　pretty　a　young　woman；　I
  have　heard　people　say；　as　any　on　the　country　side。　　She　took　it　sadly
  to　heart　that　she　could　no　longer　gain　anything　towards　the　keep　of
  herself　and　her　child。　　My　aunt　Fanny　would　fain　have　persuaded　her
  that　she　had　enough　to　do　in　managing　their　cottage　and　minding
  Gregory；　but　my　mother　knew　that　they　were　pinched；　and　that　aunt
  Fanny　herself　had　not　as　much　to　eat；　even　of　the　commonest　kind　of
  food；　as　she　could　have　done　with；　and　as　for　Gregory；　he　was　not　a
  strong　lad；　and　needed；　not　more　foodfor　he　always　had　enough；
  whoever　went　shortbut　better　nourishment；　and　more　flesh…meat。　　One
  dayit　was　aunt　Fanny　who　told　me　all　this　about　my　poor　mother；
  long　after　her　deathas　the　sisters　were　sitting　together；　aunt
  Fanny　working；　and　my　mother　hushing　Gregory　to　sleep；　William
  Preston；　who　was　afterwards　my　father；　came　in。　　He　was　reckoned　an
  old　bachelor；　I　suppose　he　was　long　past　forty；　and　he　was　one　of　the
  wealthiest　farmers　thereabouts；　and　had　known　my　grandfather　well；
  and　my　mother　and　my　aunt　in　their　more　prosperous　days。　　He　sat
  down；　and　began　to　twirl　his　hat　by　way　of　being　agreeable；　my　aunt
  Fanny　talked；　and　he　listened　and　looked　at　my　mother。　　But　he　said
  very　little；　either　on　that　visit；　or　on　many　another　that　he　paid
  before　he　spoke　out　what　had　been　the　real　purpose　of　his　calling　so
  often　all　along；　and　from　the　very　first　time　he　came　to　their　house。
  One　Sunday；　however；　my　aunt　Fanny　stayed　away　from　church；　and　took
  care　of　the　child；　and　my　mother　went　alone。　　When　she　came　back；　she
  ran　straight　upstairs；　without　going　into　the　kitchen　to　look　at
  Gregory　or　speak　any　word　to　her　sister；　and　aunt　Fanny　heard　her　cry
  as　if　her　heart　was　breaking；　so　she　went　up　and　scolded　her　right
  well　through　the　bolted　door；　till　at　last　she　got　her　to　open　it。
  And　then　she　threw　herself　on　my　aunt's　neck；　and　told　her　that
  William　Preston　had　asked　her　to　marry　him；　and　had　promised　to　take
  good　charge　of　her　boy；　and　to　let　him　want　for　nothing；　neither　in
  the　way　of　keep　nor　of　education；　and　that　she　had　consented。　　Aunt
  Fanny　was　a　good　deal　shocked　at　this；　for；　as　I　have　said；　she　had
  often　thought　that　my　mother　had　forgotten　her　first　husband　very
  quickly；　and　now　here　was　proof　positive　of　it；　if　she　could　so　soon
  think　of　marrying　again。　　Besides　as　aunt　Fanny　used　to　say；　she
  herself　would　have　been　a　far　more　suitable　match　for　a　man　of
  William　Preston's　age　than　Helen；　who；　though　she　was　a　widow；　had
  not　seen　her　four…and…twentieth　summer。　　However；　as　aunt　Fanny　said；
  they　had　not　asked　her　advice；　and　there　was　much　to　be　said　on　the
  other　side　of　the　question。　　Helen's　eyesight　would　never　be　good　for
  much　again；　and　as　William　Preston's　wife　she　would　never　need　to　do
  anything；　if　she　chose　to　sit　with　her　hands　before　her；　and　a　boy
  was　a　great　charge　to　a　widowed　mother；　and　now　there　would　be　a
  decent　steady　man　to　see　after　him。　　So；　by…and…by；　aunt　Fanny　seemed
  to　take　a　brighter　view　of　the　marriage　than　did　my　mother　herself；
  who　hardly　ever　looked　up；　and　never　smiled　after　the　day　when　she
  promised　William　Preston　to　be　his　wife。　　But　much　as　she　had　loved
  Gregory　before；　she　seemed　to　love　him　more　now。　　She　was　continually
  talking　to　him　when　they　were　alone；　though　he　was　far　too　young　to
  understand　her　moaning　words；　or　give　her　any　comfort；　except　by　his
  caresses。
  At　last　William　Preston　and　she　were　wed；　and　she　went　to　be　mistress
  of　a　well…stocked　house；　not　above　half…an…hour's　walk　from　where
  aunt　Fanny　lived。　　I　believe　she　did　all　that　she　could　to　please　my
  father；　and　a　more　dutiful　wife；　I　have　heard　him　himself　say；　could
  never　have　been。　　But　she　did　not　love　him；　and　he　soon　found　it　out。
  She　loved　Gregory；　and　she　did　not　love　him。　　Perhaps；　love　would
  have　come　in　time；　if　he　had　been　patient　enough　to　wait；　but　it　just
  turned　him　sour　to　see　how　her　eye　brightened　and　her　colour　came　at
  the　sight　of　that　little　child；　while　for　him　who　had　given　her　so
  much；　she　had　only　gentle　words　as　cold　as　ice。　　He　got　to　taunt　her
  with　the　difference　in　her　manner；　as　if　that　would　bring　love：　　and
  he　took　a　positive　dislike　to　Gregory；he　was　so　jealous　of　the
  ready　love　that　always　gushed　out　like　a　spring　of　fresh　water　when
  he　came　near。　　He　wanted　her　to　love　him　more；　and　perhaps　that　was
  all　well　and　good；　but　he　wanted　her　to　love　her　child　less；　and　that
  was　an　evil　wish。　　One　day；　he　gave　way　to　his　temper；　and　cursed　and
  swore　at　Gregory；　who　had　got　into　some　mischief；　as　children　will；
  my　mother　made　some　excuse　for　him；　my　father　said　it　was　hard　enough
  to　have　to　keep　another　man's　child；　without　having　it　perpetually
  held　up　in　its　naughtiness　by　his　wife；　who　ought　to　be　always　in　the
  same　mind　that　he　was；　and　so　from　little　they　got　to　more；　and　the
  end　of　it　was；　that　my　mother　took　to　her　bed　before　her　time；　and　I
  was　born　that　very　day。　　My　father　was　glad；　and　proud；　and　sorry；
  all　in　a　breath；　glad　and　proud　that　a　son　was　born　to