Page:The Rejuvenation Of Miss Semaphore.pdf/218

 person who made many objections to appearing in court at all. The children, miserable, pinched objects, with the big, bright eyes, long lashes, and weird faces of the starved, were packed by twos and threes in perambulators in charge of a couple of pauper women, fifteen unhappy infants in all.

Weirdest of the party, was the elder Miss Semaphore, in a pink cotton frock, an infant's bib, and an old and often-washed white shawl. Little Augusta was a singularly unprepossessing baby.

"Drat the child," said the workhouse nurse. "She has just the look of a little old woman, and I never did see one of her age that took such notice of everything a body does. I declare to you I took a sip of her milk just to see if it was sweet, and when I turned round I caught her eye, an' I'm blest if she didn't wink. It gave me quite a turn. A real wicked wink it was, an' when I gave her the bottle if she didn't push it away, and wipe the top before she'd drink a drop."

"She was starved, nurse," said her subordinate. "That's what it was. Them children that is starved has a look and ways as if they was ninety. Many a one of them I've seen brought in here, so I knows the kind."