Childhood is not from birth to a certain age and at a certain age613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCajRHBiQf
The child is grown, and puts away childish things.613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡluOijyjMPL
Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies.
Nobody that matters, that is. Distant relatives of course613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKHHvJ270x2
Die, whom one never has seen or has seen for an hour,613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXLCm2jfp7h
And they gave one candy in a pink-and-green stripéd bag, or a jack-knife,613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xKRI0MCIH
And went away, and cannot really be said to have lived at all.
And cats die. They lie on the floor and lash their tails,613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHRtGvnvvw
And their reticent fur is suddenly all in motion613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt24kY4fyCX
With fleas that one never knew were there,613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnKdufRHBz0
Polished and brown, knowing all there is to know,613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1qVMgJY6u
Trekking off into the living world.613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmB3xdbMJKF
You fetch a shoe-box, but it's much too small, because she won't curl up now:613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0CO0al5t3g
So you find a bigger box, and bury her in the yard, and weep.613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwzMWnCKgXy
But you do not wake up a month from then, two months613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJLhdryEdqf
A year from then, two years, in the middle of the night613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzY5KsMURaE
And weep, with your knuckles in your mouth, and say Oh, God! Oh, God!613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhLDJG0ehA2
Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies that matters,613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ebW5Kf5xW
—mothers and fathers don't die.
And if you have said, "For heaven's sake, must you always be kissing a person?"613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuw7pnFvqrG
Or, "I do wish to gracious you'd stop tapping on the window with your thimble!"613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfYjtVKXb2Z
Tomorrow, or even the day after tomorrow if you're busy having fun,613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDs9sE3kGo
Is plenty of time to say, "I'm sorry, mother."
To be grown up is to sit at the table with people who have died,613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsFvKHPeCq
who neither listen nor speak;613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKc0s3IsjW
Who do not drink their tea, though they always said613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPIvhlxq993
Tea was such a comfort.
Run down into the cellar and bring up the last jar of raspberries;613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv00hGOT6NC
they are not tempted.613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmDTSxjIa5
Flatter them, ask them what was it they said exactly613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuoZLCzaIGz
That time, to the bishop, or to the overseer, or to Mrs. Mason;613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zVPxQ5uEd
They are not taken in.613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TvQpjF89u
Shout at them, get red in the face, rise,613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPVtxmPJ0qC
Drag them up out of their chairs by their stiff shoulders and shake613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBxmFWWUPX
them and yell at them;613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpwM4Xedoo
They are not startled, they are not even embarrassed; they slide613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CSjxGZ95T
back into their chairs.
Your tea is cold now.613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhdRecPhYb
You drink it standing up,613Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYeNKRqOoY
And leave the house.
