DEATH OF LITTLE JO BY CHARLES DICKENS
DEATH OF LITTLE JO
BY CHARLES DICKENS
"Well, Jo, what is the matter? Don't be frightened."
"I thought," says Jo, who has started and is looking round,—"I thought I was in Tom-all-Alone's agin. Ain't there nobody here but you, Mr. Woodcot ?''
"Nobody."
"And I ain't took back to Tom-all-Alone's, am I, sir?"
"No."
Jo closes his eyes, muttering, "I am wery thankful."
SELECTIONS FOR PRACTISE 521
After watching him closely, a little while, Allan puts his mouth very near his ear, and says to him in a low, distinct voice:
"Jo, did you ever know a prayer?"
'l Never know 'd nothink, sir.''
"Not so much as one short prayer?"
"No, sir. Nothink at all. Mr. Chadbands he wos a-prayin' wunst at Mr. Sangsby's and I heerd him, but he sounded as if he wos a-speakin' to hisself and not to me. He prayed a lot, but I couldn't make out nothink on it. Different times there wos other gen'1'men come down to Tom-all-Alone's a-prayin', but they all mostly sed as the t'other wuns prayed wrong, and all mostly sounded to be a-talkin' to theirselves or a-passin' blame on the t'others, and not a-talkin' to us. We never know'd nothink. I never know'd what it wos all about."
It takes him a long time to say this; and few but an ex-perienced and attentive listener could hear, or hearing, understand him. After a short relapse into sleep or stupor, he makes, of a sudden, a strong effort to get out of bed.
'' Stay, Jo, stay! What now ?''
"It's time for me to go to that there buryin'-ground, sir," he returns with a wild look.
"Lie down and tell me. What burying-ground, Jo?"
"Where they laid him as was wery good to me; wery good to me indeed, he wos. It's time for me to go down to that there buryin'-ground, sir, and ask to be put along with him. I wants to go there and be buried. He used fur to say to me, 'I am as poor as you to-day, Jo,' he ses. I wants to tell him that I am as poor as him, now, and have come there to be laid along with him,"
"By and by, Jo; by and by."
BY CHARLES DICKENS
"Well, Jo, what is the matter? Don't be frightened."
"I thought," says Jo, who has started and is looking round,—"I thought I was in Tom-all-Alone's agin. Ain't there nobody here but you, Mr. Woodcot ?''
"Nobody."
"And I ain't took back to Tom-all-Alone's, am I, sir?"
"No."
Jo closes his eyes, muttering, "I am wery thankful."
SELECTIONS FOR PRACTISE 521
After watching him closely, a little while, Allan puts his mouth very near his ear, and says to him in a low, distinct voice:
"Jo, did you ever know a prayer?"
'l Never know 'd nothink, sir.''
"Not so much as one short prayer?"
"No, sir. Nothink at all. Mr. Chadbands he wos a-prayin' wunst at Mr. Sangsby's and I heerd him, but he sounded as if he wos a-speakin' to hisself and not to me. He prayed a lot, but I couldn't make out nothink on it. Different times there wos other gen'1'men come down to Tom-all-Alone's a-prayin', but they all mostly sed as the t'other wuns prayed wrong, and all mostly sounded to be a-talkin' to theirselves or a-passin' blame on the t'others, and not a-talkin' to us. We never know'd nothink. I never know'd what it wos all about."
It takes him a long time to say this; and few but an ex-perienced and attentive listener could hear, or hearing, understand him. After a short relapse into sleep or stupor, he makes, of a sudden, a strong effort to get out of bed.
'' Stay, Jo, stay! What now ?''
"It's time for me to go to that there buryin'-ground, sir," he returns with a wild look.
"Lie down and tell me. What burying-ground, Jo?"
"Where they laid him as was wery good to me; wery good to me indeed, he wos. It's time for me to go down to that there buryin'-ground, sir, and ask to be put along with him. I wants to go there and be buried. He used fur to say to me, 'I am as poor as you to-day, Jo,' he ses. I wants to tell him that I am as poor as him, now, and have come there to be laid along with him,"
"By and by, Jo; by and by."
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