But Tom longed to ask her one question ; and after all , whenever she looked at him , she did not look cross at all ; and now and then there was a funny smile in her face , and she chuckled to herself in a way which gave Tom courage , and at last he said : `` Pray , ma'am , may I ask you a question ? '' `` Certainly , my little dear . '' `` Why do n't you bring all the bad masters here and serve them out too ? The butties that knock about the poor collier-boys ; and the nailers that file off their lads ' noses and hammer their fingers ; and all the master sweeps , like my master Grimes ? I saw him fall into the water long ago ; so I surely expected he would have been here . I 'm sure he was bad enough to me . '' Then the old lady looked so very stern that Tom was quite frightened , and sorry that he had been so bold . But she was not angry with him . She only answered , `` I look after them all the week round ; and they are in a very different place from this , because they knew that they were doing wrong . '' She spoke very quietly ; but there was something in her voice which made Tom tingle from head to foot , as if he had got into a shoal of sea-nettles . `` But these people , '' she went on , `` did not know that they were doing wrong : they were only stupid and impatient ; and therefore I only punish them till they become patient , and learn to use their common sense like reasonable beings . But as for chimney-sweeps , and collier-boys , and nailer lads , my sister has set good people to stop all that sort of thing ; and very much obliged to her I am ; for if she could only stop the cruel masters from ill-using poor children , I should grow handsome at least a thousand years sooner . And now do you be a good boy , and do as you would be done by , which they did not ; and then , when my sister , MADAME DOASYOUWOULDBEDONEBY , comes on Sunday , perhaps she will take notice of you , and teach you how to behave . She understands that better than I do . '' And so she went . Tom was very glad to hear that there was no chance of meeting Grimes again , though he was a little sorry for him , considering that he used sometimes to give him the leavings of the beer : but he determined to be a very good boy all Saturday ; and he was ; for he never frightened one crab , nor tickled any live corals , nor put stones into the sea anemones ' mouths , to make them fancy they had got a dinner ; and when Sunday morning came , sure enough , MRS. DOASYOUWOULDBEDONEBY came too . Whereat all the little children began dancing and clapping their hands , and Tom danced too with all his might . And as for the pretty lady , I can not tell you what the colour of her hair was , or , of her eyes : no more could Tom ; for , when any one looks at her , all they can think of is , that she has the sweetest , kindest , tenderest , funniest , merriest face they ever saw , or want to see . But Tom saw that she was a very tall woman , as tall as her sister : but instead of being gnarly and horny , and scaly , and prickly , like her , she was the most nice , soft , fat , smooth , pussy , cuddly , delicious creature who ever nursed a baby ; and she understood babies thoroughly , for she had plenty of her own , whole rows and regiments of them , and has to this day . And all her delight was , whenever she had a spare moment , to play with babies , in which she showed herself a woman of sense ; for babies are the best company , and the pleasantest playfellows , in the world ; at least , so all the wise people in the world think .
And therefore when the children saw her , they naturally all caught hold of her , and pulled her till she sat down XXXXX a stone , and climbed into her lap , and clung round her neck , and caught hold of her hands ; and then they all put their thumbs into their mouths , and began cuddling and purring like so many kittens , as they ought to have done .
at because by for from of on so than that