The Railway Children

Chapter 10 opens with an acknowledgement that it is now obvious to the children that there is something amiss in Father’s absence. The children asked many questions about their father at the beginning of their countryside stay, but now understand that “for some strange miserable reason these questions [about Father] hurt Mother and made her sad” (243). For this reason they gradually begin to speak less of him. Although this silence is meant to spare Mother’s feelings, she starts to worry that Peter and Phyllis especially might be starting to forget their father. To combat this, Mother tells the children stories about their father as a young boy with his brothers, and how she and their father knew one another as children.

Although they try to be good for the sake of Mother, the children end up arguing in the garden, and Peter injures his foot with a rake. Dr. Forrest assures them that the injury will heal, but that Peter should stay off of his foot for two weeks. When Peter grows bored and longs for something new to read, Bobbie goes to Mr. Perks in search of something for Peter. Mr. Perks gives Bobbie a large parcel of “illustrated papers” (263) to take to her brother.