in rags, and for a little time she washed
its face, wiping it with a bit of rag dipped in the corner of the little
pan she was going to boil her egg in; but she soon got tired of that.
Then she tried to climb on the chair to look out of the window, but when
she managed it, after trying several times, she could not stay long, it
made her legs ache so; and the street was very far down, she could not
see anything interesting. So the weary day went on. Long before one
o'clock she had boiled her egg, and she ate it with great enjoyment;
but that did not take very long, and then there were hours and hours to
wait before at last the old stairs creaked and her mother put the key in
the lock and came in with a tired face. She was a good woman this,
though so poor and wretched, and she could not help her little girl's
being left alone, and she always tried to bring home something for her
to cheer her up.

'Look, Beatrice Annie!' she cried, as she opened the door. 'What hever
do ye think I've brought for yer?' And she held up a bunch of red
radishes for a treat.

Well, when this lady found out that there were many children like
Beatrice Annie, she said that there might be a school just for such poor
sick children, and that they could do as much or as little work as they
liked. Several rich people joined in sharing the expense of starting the
school, and one doctor gave a carriage that had two seats in it on which
children could lie right down, and others where they could sit. Then a
good kind nurse was found, and every morning the nurse went round and
carried out or helped all the little sick children who were well enough
to come, and took them driving in their own carriage to school. She had
to begin very early, and go backwards and forwards several times, for
the carriage did not hold a great many children at a time, and there
were so many who wanted to come. She took them to a school in Tavistock
Place, not very far from the British Museum, in a part of London called
Bloomsbury, and by ten o'clock all the children were there.

Then they began work, a little reading and writing, and a few sums; but
they were always carefully watched, and if any child seemed tired she
was made to stop and lie down on a sofa. At twelve o'clock dinner-time
came. At first a few of the children used to bring their own dinners,
and as the mothers were very poor, sometimes the dinners were very
nasty, and not at all good for a delicate child. Perhaps