Childhood is not from birth to a certain age and at a certain age503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcDNjtbg0vn
The child is grown, and puts away childish things.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGpg7vXE1HB
Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies.
Nobody that matters, that is. Distant relatives of course503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZg6VHkhICl
Die, whom one never has seen or has seen for an hour,503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKIYkGxzwz1
And they gave one candy in a pink-and-green stripéd bag, or a jack-knife,503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXu7ghQSOuX
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,503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIoZM7REyE
And their reticent fur is suddenly all in motion503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYNZRzDKTm
With fleas that one never knew were there,503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUxTzVnk2x
Polished and brown, knowing all there is to know,503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3XJZAe4Nm
Trekking off into the living world.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50wq70EpwB
You fetch a shoe-box, but it's much too small, because she won't curl up now:503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQIz9Dm5jX
So you find a bigger box, and bury her in the yard, and weep.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxv3eXCTFUj
But you do not wake up a month from then, two months503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnCtjmmYLc
A year from then, two years, in the middle of the night503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0oeb5IDGp
And weep, with your knuckles in your mouth, and say Oh, God! Oh, God!503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZvwB4Kk8L
Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies that matters,503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp3bELTuN83
—mothers and fathers don't die.
And if you have said, "For heaven's sake, must you always be kissing a person?"503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgrtOJhYCf
Or, "I do wish to gracious you'd stop tapping on the window with your thimble!"503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjIkVtnvKHv
Tomorrow, or even the day after tomorrow if you're busy having fun,503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24bx5Vtz3R
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,503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ953mM7rsww
who neither listen nor speak;503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePuCV6YGkr
Who do not drink their tea, though they always said503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9fXkVMqeOR
Tea was such a comfort.
Run down into the cellar and bring up the last jar of raspberries;503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4X0yeMHr2
they are not tempted.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLDfrP4dZo
Flatter them, ask them what was it they said exactly503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJAfVEIORa
That time, to the bishop, or to the overseer, or to Mrs. Mason;503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGKbewJVU4
They are not taken in.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1y3N0ov3o
Shout at them, get red in the face, rise,503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjoZRZuB24Z
Drag them up out of their chairs by their stiff shoulders and shake503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOMqzeVb6W
them and yell at them;503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcj1nYx8UI
They are not startled, they are not even embarrassed; they slide503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCdIvgZeF7
back into their chairs.
Your tea is cold now.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZoqHypoGNK
You drink it standing up,503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3MJwsxGIc
And leave the house.
