Hearing the title Mother Carey’s Chickens, I mistook it for a book I had read before and didn’t really appreciate. Such a mistake! Now what I want to know is, why isn’t Mother Carey as well-known, and well-loved as Mrs. March from Little Women?
Mrs. Carey, the title character, is the mother of four children. The title also refers to Mother Carey’s Chickens in Charles Kingsley’s book, Water Babies. The characters in this book quote and draw encouragement from Water Babies frequently, in the same way the March girls in Little Women do Pilgrim’s Progress.
The friend who first calls Mrs. Carey’s family Mother Carey’s Chickens, tells the children:
“Mother Carey,” . . . came from the Latin mater cara, this being not only his personal conviction, but one that had the backing of Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable.
“The French call them Les Oiseaux de Notre Dame. That means ‘The Birds of our Lady,’ Kitty, and they are the sailors’ friends. Mother Carey sends them to warn seafarers of approaching storms and bids them go out all over the seas to show the good birds the way home.”
Before Mother Carey’s Chickens can begin to show good birds home, they have to deal with the loss of their own home. The story opens with Mother leaving the children with their housekeepers so she can go to her husband, a sea Captain, who is seriously ill. After weeks of suspense, the children learn that he has died. The usual money concerns in such a situation ensue, and the family ends up moving to a house in the country they had seen once, and loved, while on a vacation.
With them goes cousin Julia, whose father, the Captain’s brother, is too ill to take care of her. She is spoiled and unpleasant to live with for the whole family, even Mother. But they recognize their duty to give her a home, and each of them has to learn to love her, not just to put up with her.
When the Careys move into their new neighborhood, the residents are curious about them, and most are soon drawn to the family because of their hard work and their positive attitudes about their situation. The loving, welcoming atmosphere of their home makes it a home away from home for several lonely young people. In the Carey’s struggle through financial insecurity, they are never too busy to notice someone they can help.
The picture sounds rosy, but it isn’t too good to be true. Each of the children has trials and flaws to work through. Mother, as the only parent, is wise and loving, but she doesn’t always immediately have the right answer for each of their problems. We watch her taking her strength from faith in God, knowing he loves her children more than she does, and has a plan for each one. She teaches lessons, but also lets consequences be their teacher as well. I found the story to be full of gentle mentoring without being didactic.
In the end, each of the characters has successfully grown through a season of life, but not all the loose ends are tied up. We can assume they are going to continue to mature, choose to be happy more than not, and grow in obedience and love. And I think you will have learned to love them all.