It was dawn, and the sky was overcast.The clouds were drooping, the wind was biting, and it was about to snow.There was a child sleeping in the room, and a maid came in and drew the curtains.She glanced unconsciously at the house opposite, a stucco house with a colonnaded front entrance, and then went to the child's bed. "Wake up, Philip," she said. She lifted the quilt, picked up the child, and led him downstairs.The child was in a daze and hadn't woken up yet. "Your mother wants you to go," she said. She came to the floor below, pushed open the door of a room, and carried the child to the bed.On the bed lay a woman, the mother of the child.She opened her arms and let the child snuggle up to her.The child did not ask why he was awakened at this time.The woman kissed the child's eyes, and with her delicate little hands, touched his warm body through the child's white flannel pajamas.She held the child close to her body.

"Still sleepy, baby?" she said. Her voice was soft and leisurely, as if floating from afar.The child didn't respond, but just smiled comfortably. Lying on this big warm bed, surrounded by gentle arms, he felt an indescribable joy.The child curled up against his mother, trying to shrink himself even smaller; he kissed his mother sleepily.After a while, he closed his eyelids and fell asleep soundly.The doctor came and stood by the bed. "Oh, don't take him away now," the woman said sadly. The doctor looked at her gravely, without answering.The woman knew in her heart that the doctor would not let the child stay with her for long, so she kissed the child again; she stroked the child's body, gently pressed her fingers down, and finally touched the child's lower limbs; she pinched the right foot in her hand Here, stroking those five little toes.Then he slowly extended his hand to his left foot.She twitched.

"What's the matter?" said the doctor, "You're tired." She shook her head, choked up and unable to speak, tears streaming down her cheeks.The doctor bent down. "Let me hug him." She was exhausted physically and mentally, unable to disobey the doctor's wishes, so she had to let him take the child away.The doctor handed the child back to the nanny. "Better to send the child back to his own bed." "Okay, sir." The child who was still sound asleep was hugged away.The mother was so desperate at this moment that she sobbed softly.

"Poor boy, what will happen to him in the future?" The nurses who waited on the parturient were consoling and trying to calm her down.After a while, she stopped crying due to exhaustion.The doctor went to a table on the other side of the room, and on the table was a dead baby, covered with a towel.He lifted the towel and looked.Although the doctor's body was covered by the screen, the mother on the bed still guessed what he was doing. "Is it a woman or a man?" she asked the nurse in a low voice. "Another boy." The woman said nothing more.After a while, the child's nanny came back.She walked to the head of the bed.

"Master Philip slept soundly," she said. There was a silence.The doctor took the patient's pulse again. "I guess it's none of my business right now," he said. "I'll be back after breakfast." "Let me show you out," said the child's nurse. They walked down the stairs in silence.In the hall, the doctor stopped. "You sent for Mrs. Carey's uncle, didn't you?" "Yes, sir." "Do you know when he'll be here?" "I don't know, sir, I'm waiting for a telegram." "What about the kid? I think it's best to lead him away."

"Miss Watkin said she would look after the baby, sir." "Who is this lady?" "Godmother to the boy, sir. Do you think Mrs. Carey will ever recover, sir?" The doctor shook his head.