[M]an has an instinctive tendency to speak, as we see in the babble of our young children; whilst no child has an instinctive tendency to brew, bake, or write.

When Cyril goes searching for his deadbeat father, he’s also looking for his bike, and he’s devastated to discover his dad sold it off to make ends meet.

taleable goods

When the father comes home and finds Georgiein disgrace, and Janey in tears, of course the ideal Rhadamanthine thing to do is to lay the coping stone to the boy's wall of isolation, and to add a fresh supply to Janey's bitter fountain. But not being Rhadamanthine, only weak and human and paternal, the sinful man ignores the lines of discipline marked out, and takes Georgie and Janey to his arms with quite impartial caresses and a cheery well-favoured comfort.