{
 "id": "george-macdonald/the-child-mother",
 "title": "The Child-Mother",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "George MacDonald",
 "poet_slug": "george-macdonald",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "The Poetical Works of George MacDonald, Volume I",
 "book_slug": "poetical-works-vol-1",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 72,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1893,
  "venue": "The Poetical Works of George MacDonald, Volume I (1893)",
  "note": "Taken from the 1893 collected Poetical Works, which is the printing this text is and not the poem's first appearance. MacDonald gathered and revised for it work published from 1855 onward, and it arranges the poems by its own editorial grouping rather than by the volumes they came from, so which earlier book or magazine printed this poem first has not been established here.",
  "uncertain": true,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/poeticalworks01macduoft",
   "https://archive.org/metadata/poeticalworks01macduoft",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/9543"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
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  "repo": "standardebooks/george-macdonald_poetry",
  "file": "poetry.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
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   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/9984",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10578",
   "https://archive.org/details/bookofstrifeinfo00macd",
   "https://archive.org/details/discipleandothe02macdgoog",
   "https://archive.org/details/hiddenlifeandoth00macduoft",
   "https://archive.org/details/discipleandothe02macdgoog",
   "https://archive.org/details/rampolli00macd",
   "https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/102955776",
   "https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/011821572"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 132,
  "n_stanzas": 22,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 48,
  "max_indent": 1
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 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "Heavily slumbered noonday bright",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Upon the lone field, glory-dight,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A burnished grassy sea:",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "The child, in gorgeous golden hours,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Through heaven-descended starry flowers,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Went walking on the lea.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Velvety bees make busy hum;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Green flies and striped wasps go and come;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The butterflies gleam white;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Blue-burning, vaporous, to and fro",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The dragon-flies like arrows go,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Or hang in moveless flight:⁠—",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Not one she followed; like a rill",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "She wandered on with quiet will;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Received, but did not miss;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Her step was neither quick nor long;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Nought but a snatch of murmured song",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Ever revealed her bliss.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "An almost solemn woman-child,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Not fashioned frolicsome and wild,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "She had more love than glee;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "And now, though nine and nothing more,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Another little child she bore,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Almost as big as she.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "No silken cloud from solar harms",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Had she to spread; with shifting arms",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "She dodged him from the sun;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Mother and sister both in heart,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "She did a gracious woman’s part,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Life’s task even now begun!",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "They came upon a stagnant ditch,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The slippery sloping banks of which",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "More varied blossoms line;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Some ragged-robins baby spies,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Stretches his hands, and crows and cries,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Plain saying, “They are mine!”",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "What baby wants, that baby has⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A law unalterable as",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The poor shall serve the rich:",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "They are beyond her reach⁠—almost!",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "She kneels, she strains, and, too engrossed,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Topples into the ditch.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Adown the side she slanting rolled,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But her two arms convulsive hold",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The precious baby tight;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "She lets herself sublimely go,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And in the ditch’s muddy flow",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Stands up, in evil plight.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "’Tis nothing that her feet are wet,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But her new shoes she can’t forget⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They cost five shillings bright!",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Her petticoat, her tippet blue,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Her frock, they’re smeared with slime like glue!",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But baby is all right!",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And baby laughs, and baby crows;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And baby being right, she knows",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "That nothing can be wrong;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "So, with a troubled heart yet stout,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "She plans how ever to get out",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With meditation long.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The high bank’s edge is far away,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The slope is steep, and made of clay;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And what to do with baby?",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "For even a monkey, up to run,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Would need his four hands, every one:⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "She is perplexed as may be.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And all her puzzling is no good!",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Blank-staring up the side she stood,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Which, settling she, grew higher.",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "At last, seized with a fresh dismay",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Lest baby’s patience should give way,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "She plucked her feet from the mire,",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And up and down the ditch, not glad,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But patient, very, did promenade⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Splash, splash, went her small feet!",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "And baby thought it rare good fun,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Sucking his bit of pulpy bun,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And smelling meadow-sweet.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "But, oh, the world that she had left⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The meads from her so lately reft⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Poor infant Proserpine!",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "A fabled land they lay above,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A paradise of sunny love,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In breezy space divine!",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Frequent from neighbouring village-green",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Came sounds of laughter, faintly keen,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And barks of well-known dogs,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "While she, the hot sun overhead,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Her lonely watery way must tread",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In mud and weeds and frogs!",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Sudden, the ditch about her shakes;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Her little heart, responsive, quakes",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With fear of uncouth woes;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "She lifts her boding eyes perforce⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To see the huge head of a horse",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Go past upon its nose.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Then, hark, what sounds of tearing grass",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And puffing breath!⁠—With knobs of brass",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "On horns of frightful size,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "A cow’s head through the broken hedge",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Looks awful from the other edge,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Though mild her pondering eyes.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The horse, the cow are passed and gone;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The sun keeps going on and on,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And still no help comes near.⁠—",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "At misery’s last⁠—oh joy, the sound",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Of human footsteps on the ground!",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "She cried aloud, “I’m here!”",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "It was a man⁠—oh, heavenly joy!",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He looked amazed at girl and boy,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And reached his hand so strong:",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "“Give me the child,” he said; but no!",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Care would not let the burden go",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Which Love had borne so long.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Smiling he kneels with outstretched hands,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And them unparted safely lands",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In the upper world again.",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Her low thanks feebly murmured, she",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Drags her legs homeward painfully⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Poor, wet, one-chickened hen!",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Arrived at length⁠—Lo, scarce a speck",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Was on the child from heel to neck,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Though she was sorely mired!",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "No tear confessed the long-drawn rack,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Till her mother took the baby back,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And the she cried, “I’m tired!”",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And, intermixed with sobbing wail,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "She told her mother all the tale,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Her wet cheeks in a glow:",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "“But, mother, mother, though I fell,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "I kept the baby pretty well⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "I did not let him go!”",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ]
 ]
}