"So long old girl, Take things as easily as you can" 

Molly bit back the hasty words that rushed to her lips, and hid her face against the baby in her arms. Take things easily indeed! If only she could;

  “Baby wave to Daddy," cried little Fay on the doorstep at her side, sturdy Tony raised his chubby arm, and, with a final wave at the gate, Jim was gone. Brushing back her hair with a weary gesture, Molly turned back into the kitchen. Oh, the noise! To her aching head, it seemed that everyone was using his or her lungs to their utmost capacity.

 The children were getting ready for school; the twins, Mamie and Margaret shrilly contesting the ownership of a pencil, Billy, cleaning his boots outside the back door, was rendering in a shrill whistle the latest American ballad, interrupting it at intervals to shout remarks to the twins, and Mary -~ what was that girl doing? Oh dear, wasn't there enough to do for the little ones without thirteen-year-old Mary offering fresh problems every day? 

With a violent effort at control, Molly spoke gently: “Mary, I don't think I should put that stuff on your face to go to school.” Mary flashed round, her face crimsoning under the pink powder she had been applying with a liberal puff. 

“Sylvia uses powder,” she said sulkily “and a lipstick. All the girls in my class do. Mamie does her eyebrows too.." 

"But Mary, you are so young..” 

"I’ll be fourteen next month, Mother. Only a few more weeks of school.” 

“and what we shall do with you then", sighed Molly, "I can't think. I would keep you at home to help, if you were any use, even though we can't really afford it." 

"I loathe housework ,"snapped Mary, "and it's getting late, Mother. I can't stop now", and with a swirl of her short skirts, Mary was gone, the twins after her leaving an amazing quiet, through which Billy's whistling sounded shrilly. 

"Billy" called Molly, "You'll be late. The girls have gone." 

"Righte, Mum" and on a top note that set every nerve on edge, he charged in, grabbed his cap and made for the door. On the threshold he turned, in the tone of one confessing a crime blurted out:"I'’ve cleaned your shoes too, Mum", and fled as if pursued. Molly watched him tearing down the street with a puzzled surprise in her eyes. He was a good little son, but she had not quite been able to read the look on his face. The crimson blush, and this unexpected kindness, as if he knew how she needed extra help now. As if he knew? Oh, but he couldn't. She had tried so hard to hide her secret from them all, the secret of that coming, that unwanted seventh child. How bitter she hed been when she first guessed. As if the six were not enough, that this burden should come on them. Another mouth to feed, and Jim's wages stretched to breaking point: another baby to mind, and Tony only just toddling on his fat legs. More work, and no one to help, Mary hating the work of a house, the twins so young. “I don't want it," she had sobbed, "I don't want it," and as the months passed, she had been able to find no welcome in her heart for this now little life. 

Work seemed a burden, and as Molly dragged through the morning round, the endless succession of cleaning and washing and cooking, her pulse beat a crazy refrain of “If only I could rest, If only I could rest.” But dinner must be ready for the hungry horde and Molly tried to force a smile to her lips as they arrived, ravenous and noisy, full of school stories to which Mum must listen. Molly, feeding Tony and keeping a wary eye on Fay, who was apt to play pretend with pudding to the damage of the cloth, felt no appetite and pushed her plate away unfilled. Tony was bothered with a new tooth, and his fretful wail of "mum-mee" followed her in and out as, the crowd gone, she began to clear up. Fay did her best to amuse him, but he would have none of it. 

"Mummy have Tony," he wailed,"no Fay. Mummy carry Tony." 

"Be a good boy, Tony," she pleaded, "go out in the yard with Fay now, and Mummy will.take you for a walk soon." 

"Go walk now,"howled Tony. “Mummy have Tony.’ 

Something seemed to snap in Molly's head. She dropped into the nearest chair, and burying her face in her hands, burst into tears. 

“You'll drive me mad," she wept, "Why did I have any children? oh, why did I have any children?"

"That's what we all say at times, and yet I don't know -I've had six myself and I wouldn't have missed one." 

Molly jerked to her feet at the sound of a strange voice, and looked into the eyes of a motherly woman who stood at the kitchen door. 

"You won't think me rude, will you, for coming straight in. I did knock, but the door was open, end I thought perhaps I could help.” 

"Molly blushed and stammered, but the visitor only smiled at her apologies. 

"Don't I know the feeling?" and she sighed reminiscently."There are times when I have put my heed on the ironing board, and simply howled. Things seemed too much to be borne. And when you feel like that, what you really need is a rest. Sit you down, and give me your apron.”  Scarcely knowing what she was doing Molly obeyed and watched in amazement while her visitor hung up her coat, and began to stack the dishes, chattering meanwhile of unimportant things, introducing herself at last as a worker from the nearest Welfare Centre. "They sent me along," she laughed, to invite you to bring Tony to the centre, but I can see that it's this sort of help you need most." and gradually she drew Molly to talk, till , to her amazement she found herself confiding the secret and her despair. 

“A seventh child," said Mrs. Roberts, end she stopped a minute." Now what is something they say about the seventh child. Something about a blessing going with it, isn't it?"

"A blessing?"It won't be much of a blessing to us."

 "Wait!  I've got it. Wherever a seventh child do come It bringeth a blessing upon the home." 

“I've never heard that", said Molly, “To me it means only more work, end there's enough as it is for one women's hands,” 

"But the children help, don’t they? Especially now." She stopped at the look at Molly's face. "My dear, you don't mean to say you have not told them.”

 "They are so young, “stammered Molly, even Mary is not fourteen.” 

"And Billy is twelve? Both old enough to be hurt at your lack of confidence. And as for the others, why, tell them all, " She sat down and took Molly's hand. "Do give them their chance to share the burden with you, You are not being fair to then." 

Long they talked, Mrs. Roberts giving of her hard-won wisdom, frequently relating her much-regretted failures, till at last she took her leave having wrung a promise from Molly to take the first opportunity of sharing her secret with each member of her family individually. 

“But what shall I say," worried Molly after she had gone. "How can I talk to Mary ?" 

“Tony good boy," said a little voice at her foot."Tony good while Mummy talked to lady."

"I'll begin at the bottom," said Molly to herself, ‘and work up. Maybe I'll have courage to talk to Mary by then." and gathering woe Tony on her knee, she whispered: “Tonys you are going to have a new brother." 

Two puzzled eyes looked into hers. "Brother come see Tony?" queried the shrill voice. 

"Yes, Tony, a tiny baby brother will come to see Tony." 

"A teeny tiny baby?” 

"Mother, what's that?" Fay had darted to her side. "Tell me, tell me." 

Molly repeated the news. "Oo! how lovely. ‘Will he be very tiny, Mummy? Tiny as my baby doll?"

 “Just about as tiny as that, Fay. It will make you and Tony seem very big people. And when tiny brother comes, he won't be able to do anything for himself, so Mummy will have to dress and wash him, and big people like Fey and Tony will have to try to dress themselves.” 

“But I can dress myself, mummy ". Fay was on her dignity. 

"Then you can teach Tony how to do it, can't you, so that Mummy will have more time for tiny brother," 

“What fun! Look, Tony, Fay show you how to put on shoes.” 

In a moment a surprised Tony was sitting shoe-less on the floor and Molly watched with a quivering smile as Fay, in a motherly way, instructed him in the putting on of shoes. Certainly Tony did not seem a very apt pupil, but Fay, the darling, was putting her heart into the job. Would the others feel like that about it, she wondered. 

With trembling heart, she tucked the twins into their bed that night, end, nerving herself to it, sat down by their side. "Twins, dear, I've got something to tell you. -Mother is going to have another little baby.” 

“Mother, how exciting! " Mamie and Margaret sat bolt upright, their round eyes fixed on her. “When is it coming, Mother?”

"In about two months time, dears." 

“But how? There will it come from?" 

Very simply Molly told them, and the twins clasped hands and gazed at her all excitement. 

"Mother," burst out Mamie, “what can we do? Can I bath it?" 

"No, I shall bath it, shan't I Mother, “ cried Margaret. 

“But do you know how to bath a baby?" asked Molly,  wisely. The twine faces fell.

 “I've watched you do Tony," ventured Mamie. 

“I’ll tell you what we will do,"went on Molly," you shall take it in turns to bath Tony, and the one who does it best all alone without getting the soap in his eyes or making him cry shall be the first to bath the new baby." 

The twins cheered and threw themselves upon her, nearly throttling her with their vigorous hugs as they vied with each other in promises of amazing helpfulness.

  “And we will save up our pennies,"they concluded,” and buy it lots of sweets." 

A lump came into Molly's throat as she returned their kisses, and straightened their hopelessly disorganised bed, and she smiled to herself as she went down to the kitchen to see about supper for Jim, who would be in before long.  If only Mary were some use she sighed, she would be getting the supper and I could sit down for a bit. But there was Mary at the table,  her whole mind bent on the hat before her. She locked up, radiant, as Molly entered. 

"Look Mother. All I have to do is to cut that piece off the brim, and turn the pit back, and catch it up here, and it is just the shape of that one in the paper “Newest Mode for Ascot". See, Mother,” and stabbing in two of three pins she set the hat on her head.

 “Why that's fine, Mary. It looks like new, I only wish you could do the same to my poor old felt." 

“May I, Mother? I would love to. I know just how it should go, but I didn't think you would let me. You never think I can do anything,” she added, bitterly. 

"Of course you can, Mary. I'd be glad if you would do anything to help me especially just now.” 

Mary looked up enquiringly. 

"I need all the help I can get from all of you now, Mary. I am going to have another baby." 

“Is it that,” gasped Mary that has made you so tired and ill lately? That? Oh Mother, why didn't you tell me," and to Molly's amazement, she burst into tears. in broken bits it all came out. She had watched Molly, seen the pain she had thought hidden, and dreaded, and dared not ask the cause. Her friend Sylvie's mother had died of cancer, she had heard the women tell the horrible details of her illness, and the fear of this terrible thing had haunted her ever since.

“Oh, mother," she sobbed, "I thought it might be -   - that. I've been so frightened.  Sylvia's mother --oh, it was dreadful.” and she shuddered at the memory. They came nearer to each other in the half hour that followed than they had been for years, Mary talked of her ambition to be a milliner, of the chance that her school mistress might find an opening for her. 

"I’ll talk to her again tomorrow,"she promised, "If I can earn something it will help a bit, won't it? I know I'm not much use at home-- I just hate washing and cleaning -- but if I could only get a start I know could make hats" and her “radiant eyes saw dreams of hats designed for duchesses, for royalty, even.

 Molly struck while the iron was hot. "I wonder if you could do something for me now, with those clever fingers of yours. Baby's things are not half finished, and I just don't seem to find time to get down to them.. ‘here's a length of stuff here that I think will cut into two petticoats.” 

Mary considered it with furrowed brow. 

"Three" she said at last, jubilantly, "Look, Mother, you can just do it if you fit in ever so carefully.”

Silently Molly handed her the big scissors, and turned away to the stove, but her heart was beating with joy that she had at last found a way through to her difficult daughter. She had never dreamed that Mary would respond like this. Only Billy remained. She would slip up to him later when he was in bed, and have her talk with him. 

It was late when at last she stood on the threshold of his room, and she hesitated, thinking him asleep, but a tousles head shot up and a very wide-awake voice said :"Hello, Mum.” 

She sat down on his bed, and for a moment panic seized her. It was easier to the girls. At last she brought out a nervous: "Billy, I've got something to tell you? A strange grunt came from Billy, and to her amazement she saw that he was red as fire. 

"Billy," she gasped. "You know?" He grunted again. — “How?” 

“Jim Blakes He heard his mother talking. Punched his nose for him cos he said things--"

 "Said things?" “Bout how you looked. Won't say em again.” 

(Thy hadn't she spoken before? He was fighting for her and she thought him too young for her confidence.) 

“Thank you, Billy. I wish I had told you myself first. I thought you were still a little boy, and I find you have grown up all of a sudden. And because you are nearly a man, I want you to understand that it isn't an easy thing to have a baby, that it makes a mother very tired and very ill at times. Sometimes Billy, it's hard to get through the work. I want everything to be nice and comfortable for you and the girls, and yet I have to keep remembering that it is bad for me and the new baby if I carry heavy pail and turn the mangle. Dad has been splendid these days. He is saving me all he can, but when Dad isn't there, can I count on you to lend a hand?" 

A hand came out from the bedclothes and caught hers in a tight grip, and a muffled sound came from under the blankets. With a kiss on the tuft of hair which was all that showed, Molly slipped’ away. A tear trickled down her nose, but her eyes were radiant. 

“Why, lass, what has happened," asked Jim, looking up from his pipe? Come into a fortune or found a goldmine?" 

"Something better, Jim", and Molly slipped on to his knee. "I've found out what dears the children are, and the new baby has done it. The seventh child is bringing his blessing already.” 

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