3. Look at what the dog has done to my shoes
Answers
An unnamed poor woman dies from excess alcohol consumption. She had been an outcast in her village due to her addiction but her death brought the villager’s sympathy so they arranged a proper funeral for her. The woman had three children. A farmer decided to adopt the eldest son John, who’s 12 years old, thinking he can help him in his field work. Mrs. Elli begrudgingly adopts Kate, who’s a few years too young to work in any factory, saying she’s much undisciplined.The youngest child, Maggie, gets left alone because of her health. When she was much younger, she fell from a window and the fall had damaged her spine. Hence, she was permanently bed-ridden. Everyone suggests sending her to the poorhouse but no one makes an effort to do something about it.
After the funeral, everyone leaves without even a glance at Maggie but Joe Thompson lingers. Joe works as a wheelwright in the village and makes wooden wheels for wagons and carts. Though he looks to be a rough man, Joe is kind and loves children but he and his wife are unable to have kids. Maggie sees all the villagers leaving and also notices that Joe is still standing outside her hovel. She calls out for him and pleads him not to leave her alone.
Even though Joe knows that his wife, Jane Thompson, won’t be very happy to see Maggie, he carries the kid to his home. As he had guessed, his wife’s not happy to see her and asks him when he’s going to get rid of her.
In answer, he says that he had read many times in The Bible that those who help children shan’t be unrewarded. Joe also requests her to put aside her heart’s bitterness and see how cruel life is for Maggie; motherless, homeless and permanently bed-ridden. Though Mrs. Thompson doesn’t say anything to her husband, her heart softens a little towards Maggie.
Joe tells his wife that he will make errands tomorrow to send Maggie to the poorhouse and leaves for work. After dusk, when he comes home he sees from the window that Mrs. Thompson is sitting by Maggie’s bed and they are talking or rather Maggie’s answering Mrs. Thompson’s questions. He feels it’s best to not bring up the topic of Maggie himself, so he doesn’t say anything further on the subject