Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (May 2018 Prompt)

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Title: Reduce, Reuse, RecycleAuthor: gardnerhill

Form/Wordcount: Drabble (100 words)Characters/Pairings: Mrs. Hudson Rating: GWarnings/Content: None.

Summary: Mrs. Hudson was ahead of her time. Author’s Notes: For the Holmes Minor May 2018 prompt: Ne'er cast a clout till May be out (clothing)

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Must be spring – the ragmen are about again, calling. Doors open as slaveys and sculleries emerge with armloads of tattered cloth, old bones and bottles. 

They don’t call at 221 – but not out of fear of Mr. Holmes. 

If Billy or Bridget don’t take the bones home to make soup for their own families, they wind up on Mr. Holmes’ chemistry table. Bottles, the same, or become medicine dispensers. Clean white rags make bandages for the Doctor’s bag; clean coloured rags get sewn into quilts or stuffed into dollies for the Irregulars’ little sisters. 

Ragmen? We’ve nought to give them.