"Von time my fader come home and he have drunk too much ze beer, and he
have sold ze piano. And von time he come home and he have drunk too much
ze beer, and he have sold ze harp; and ze man come mit him vot have buy
it; and ven ze harp go avay, my moder ce cry, and my fader strike her
mit hees hand, and he strike Jeem and Fred; and me he vill strike, but
my moder ce not let him.
"Von oder time ze men come dare, and zey take avay all ze tings vot my
moder have,--ze chair, and ze sofa, and all ze tings. Zen my moder ce go
live in von leetle house, and some ze time ce not have ze fire dare, and
some ze time ce not have ze bread. And von time in ze night my fader
come home, and he bring too much men mit him vot have drunk ze beer; and
he tell my moder dot ce give ze men ze supper. And my moder say dot
ce have not ze supper, ce have not ze fire, and ce have not ze bread;
and ven ce tell ze men go avay, zey say bad vords to my moder, and my
fader he strike her dot ce go on ze floor. Zen mit her hair he drag her
to ze door, and mit hees feets he strike her vay out on ze stone, and
her head bleed. And Jeem he see her dare, and he cry, and Fred cry, and
I cry; and my moder ce groan like ce die. And von ze men vot come mit
him strike my fader, and von oder man strike _him_, and zey say vicked
vords, and zey all strike, and zey break ze tings.
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