A CHRISTMAS CHILD
A Sketch of a Boy-Life
by
MRS. MOLESWORTH
Author of 'Carrots,' 'Cuckoo Clock,' Etc.
Illustration: "The Story of Sunny."--_Frontispiece_.
Illustration: Skating Scene
Illustrated by Walter Crane
'O Christmas, merry Christmas! Is it really come again? With its memories and greetings, With its joy and with its pain.'
London Macmillan And Co. 1880
TO _The Two Friends_ WHO WILL BEST UNDERSTAND THIS SIMPLE LITTLE STORY I DEDICATE IT WITH MUCH AFFECTION
Paris, _May_ 1880.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. BABY TED 1
CHAPTER II. IN THE GARDEN 18
CHAPTER III. WISHES AND FEARS 37
CHAPTER IV. THE STORY OF SUNNY 58
CHAPTER V. THE STORY OF SUNNY (_Concluded_) 76
CHAPTER VI. LITTLE NARCISSA 94
CHAPTER VII. GETTING BIG 116
CHAPTER VIII. "STATISTICS" 137
CHAPTER IX. A PEACOCK'S FEATHER AND A KISS 161
CHAPTER X. SOME RAINY ADVENTURES 179
CHAPTER XI. "IT'S ONLY I, MOTHER" 200
CHAPTER XII. THE WHITE CROSS 216
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
"THE STORY OF SUNNY" _Frontispiece_
"I WISH THOO'D LET ME HELP THOO TO CUT THE GRASS" _To face page_ 32
"SHE HUNTED ABOUT AMONG THE LEAVES AND BRANCHES TILL SHE FOUND A LITTLE SILVER KNOB" " 83
"BABY SHOWED, OR TED _THOUGHT_ SHE DID, A QUITE EXTRAORDINARY LOVE FOR THE BOUQUETS HER LITTLE BROTHER ARRANGED FOR HER" " 98
"OH DEAR, OH DEAR!" CRIES BEAUTY, JUMPING UP IN A FRIGHT, "HE'S COMING TO EAT ME" " 133
"THEY WERE NEATLY TACKED ON TO THE FEATHER CARD, WHICH HAD A VERY FINE EFFECT ON THE WALL OF THE MUSEUM" " 170
"MASTER TED, VERY WET INDEED, MADE HIS APPEARANCE WITH ROSY CHEEKS AND A GENERAL LOOK OF SELF-SATISFACTION" " 194
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: A Christmas Child by Mrs. Molesworth
- 2: For the daffodils nod their golden heads
- 3: The wee man grew bigger and stronger
- 4: Ted must cally it his own self
- 5: That there are no cowslips in this country
- 6: Ted would like towslips for muzzer
- 7: Ted wanted towslips for muzzer
- 8: But and wasn't this clever of Chevie
- 9: Ted looked at nurse thoughtfully
- 10: Said Ted with an air of satisfaction
- 11: But if muzzer doesn't come down Ted can't eat
- 12: Is thoo going to cut the grass
- 13: You soon have your cliver little legs and arms cut to pieces
- 14: Ted will go and get some fissy oil
- 15: Though happily not on the shears
- 16: Ted wouldn't touch zem for hisself
- 17: Ted will ask muzzer for some cock alone for thoo
- 18: When all at once Chevie seemed to disappear
- 19: Percy ran off in another direction
- 20: Ted was usually very quick at seeing a joke
- 21: Ogres didn't like to be contradicted
- 22: Ted reappeared in the drawing room
- 23: Who but our four years old Ted
- 24: At one part turning itself into a waterfall
- 25: In which Ted greatly distinguished himself
- 26: For of course Chevie was of the party
- 27: Why did the naughty diant shut up the way
- 28: Ted wishes somebody would sing a song
- 29: And Sunny thought about his words a great deal
- 30: 'Dear grandfather and grandmother
- 31: Sunny pressed this little knob
- 32: ' Sunny heard him saying to himself
- 33: But he wouldn't let Sunny go away
- 34: But just then the two legged dormouse gave a funny chuckle
- 35: Not if thoo and Mabel was wif me
- 36: Narcissa was a dainty maiden of five or six
- 37: Thoo mustn't be tooked away from thoo's tree
- 38: Zem needs hot water to make zem clean
- 39: He lets muzzer take whatever her likes
- 40: Ted looked on with great interest
- 41: Thoo took soap and somesing else
- 42: I didn't understand till muzzer told me
- 43: And see what muzzer has gave me
- 44: Here in this dear old place little Ted took root again
- 45: Cissy looked rather disconsolate
- 46: But Cissy maintained her ground
- 47: And though Cissy was very little
- 48: At which little Cissy greatly rejoiced
- 49: So that Ted and Cissy feel their cheeks quite red
- 50: Ted always kept to his own place
- 51: Ted heard him half whispering to himself
- 52: So poor Jamie had some reason to cry
- 53: But still I do think Jamie might have been more careful
- 54: And his face grew sadder and sadder
- 55: For though Cissy could not make figures
- 56: Can there be magpies up in that tree
- 57: Cissy doesn't know what dips is
- 58: For Ted to arrange his curiosities on
- 59: The bird of Paradise was a tempting idea
- 60: But Ted saw that she was sorry
- 61: But he wants some more fevvers
- 62: There were plenty of good tempered scrimmages
- 63: What did I say of you to Hatchard
- 64: And kindness and goodness can never be unmanly
- 65: Ted and Cissy looked at each other
- 66: Which puzzled Cissy a good deal were left behind
- 67: Cissy agreed that it would be great fun
- 68: From the two arm holes of the waterproof cloak
- 69: And how Cissy clung to her and sobbed out her woes
- 70: For Ted was a little fellow still only eleven and a half
- 71: That Cissy used to feel quite proud
- 72: For Cissy had been pronounced too young
- 73: Weren't you afraid to come through the lonely streets
- 74: For croquet was then in fashion
- 75: But on their way home she and Mabel talked it over
- 76: For Ted was evidently not well
- 77: But Ted promised to be careful
- 78: Ted did not live to see Christmas or his birthday