The Little Girl

To the little gril he was be figure and avoideb. Every morning before going to work he came into her room and  gave her a casual  kiss, to which she responded with ''Goodbey , Father ''. And oh, there was a glad sense of relief whenshe heard the noise of the carriage growing fainter down the long road. In the evening when he came home she stood near the staircase and heard his loud voice in the hall. ''Bring my tea into the drawing - room... Hasn't paper come yet? mother go and snd see if my paper's out there -and dringb me slippers .

''Kezia ,'' Mother would call to her ,'' if you'', a good girl you can come down and take off father 's boots .''slowly the girl would slip down the stairs , more slowly still across the hall, and push open the drawing -room door .By that time he had his spectacles on and looked at her over them in a way that was terrifying to the little girl. '' Well kezia, hurry up and pull off these boots and take them outside. Have you been a good girl today. '' '' I d-d-don't know, Father .'' You d-d-don,t know ?If you stutter like that mother will have to take you to docter.