My Mother and I Author:Dinah Maria Mulock Craik Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: muslins were tantalizing impossibilities, and my mother and I looked at them and shook our heads with a resolute smile, but still a smile. What was there to sigh... more » over ? We never had to go in rags, or even threadbare, like some people. And when we did enter a shop, money in hand, to clothe ourselves as elegantly and fashionably as we could afford, how we did enjoy it! Much more, I think, than those who have not to pick and choose, but can buy all they fancy without considering the cost. And then our buying had one remarkable feature, which we regarded essential — though I have found since that every body does not so regard it—we always paid. I took care to let the shopman see my full purse, and was counting my money rather too ostentatiously, and of course awkwardly, when it tumbled down, and one half- sovereign rolled right at the feet of an old gentleman who was just then entering the shop. He stooped and picked it up, though he was rather infirm, but politeness seemed an instinct with him; then looking round, he offered the coin to me, with a half- smile and a bow. I bowed too, and said " thank you," rather gratefully, for I thought it a kind thing for an old man to do. But if old, his figure was upright still, and soldierly looking. It made me look at him a second time: my father had been a soldier. He looked at me, too, not as young men sometimes looked, with rude admiration, but very intently, as if he thought he knew me, and had half a mind to speak to me. But as I did not know him in the least, I quietly turned away, and gave all my mind to the purchase of the shawl. I have it still, that dear old shawl—old and worn, but pretty still. Often I regard it with a curious feeling, remembering the day I bought it. What a struggle the buying cost me ! a battle first...« less