A LITTLE GIRL IN OLD BOSTON
By AMANDA M. DOUGLAS
A. L. BURT COMPANY PUBLISHERS NEW YORK
COPYRIGHT, 1898, BY DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY.
SALLIE BUFFUM:
To you, who have been a little girl in later Boston, I inscribe this story of another little girl who lived almost a hundred years ago, and found life busy and pleasant and full of affection, as I hope it will prove to you.
AMANDA M. DOUGLAS. NEWARK, N. J., 1898.
CONTENTS.
I. DORIS
II. IN A NEW HOME
III. AUNT PRISCILLA
IV. OUT TO TEA
V. A MORNING AT SCHOOL
VI. A BIRTHDAY PARTY
VII. ABOUT A GOWN
VIII. SINFUL OR NOT?
IX. WHAT WINTER BROUGHT
X. CONCERNING MANY THINGS
XI. A LITTLE CHRISTMAS
XII. A CHILDREN'S PARTY
XIII. VARIOUS OPINIONS OF LITTLE GIRLS
XIV. IN THE SPRING
XV. A FREEDOM SUIT
XVI. A SUMMER IN BOSTON
XVII. ANOTHER GIRL
XVIII. WINTER AND SORROW
XIX. THE HIGH RESOLVE OF YOUTH
XX. A VISITOR FOR DORIS
XXI. ELIZABETH AND--PEACE
XXII. CARY ADAMS
XXIII. THE COST OF WOMANHOOD
XXIV. THE BLOOM OF LIFE--LOVE
A LITTLE GIRL IN OLD BOSTON
CHAPTER I
DORIS
"I do suppose she is a Papist! The French generally are," said Aunt Priscilla, drawing her brows in a delicate sort of frown, and sipping her tea with a spoon that had the London crown mark, and had been buried early in revolutionary times.
"Why, there were all the Huguenots who emigrated from France for the sake of worshiping God in their own way rather than that of the Pope. We Puritans did not take all the free-will," declared Betty spiritedly.
"You are too flippant, Betty," returned Aunt Priscilla severely. "And I doubt if her father's people had much experimental religion. Then, she has been living in a very hot-bed of superstition!"
"The cold, dreary Lincolnshire coast! I think it would take a good deal of zeal to warm me, even if it was superstition."
"And she was in a convent after her mother died! Yes, she is pretty sure to be a Papist. It seems rather queer that second-cousin Charles should have remembered her in his will."
"But Charles was his namesake and nephew, the child of his favorite sister," interposed Mrs. Leverett, glancing deprecatingly at Betty, pleading with the most beseeching eyes that she should not ruffle Aunt Priscilla up the wrong way.
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: A Little Girl in Old Boston by Douglas
- 2: Aunt Priscilla gave a queer sound that was not a sniff
- 3: Or whether the social cream of gentle Elizabeth Leverett
- 4: Captain Grier is a friend of Uncle Win's
- 5: Leverett went out to the kitchen
- 6: Leverett and his son did full justice to the supper
- 7: Cary is at Harvard at college
- 8: Leverett began to beg for them
- 9: And the ewer was tall and slim
- 10: Some of it might come out of a cookbook
- 11: Leverett was mending Warren's coat
- 12: Winthrop Adams smiled at the eager reasoning
- 13: And just then Uncle Leverett and Warren came in
- 14: Doris had very red cheeks for a moment
- 15: This is a good use for the cob
- 16: Leverett was a very sensible woman
- 17: But Winthrop will be her guardian
- 18: Leverett did give her soft laugh then
- 19: She handed the plate to Aunt Priscilla
- 20: Foster Leverett patted her soft hair
- 21: Perkins always said King Street
- 22: Boston is sort of set between two rivers
- 23: Doris didn't know much about Holland
- 24: Uncle Winthrop came out to welcome them
- 25: Recompense Cousin Charles' grandniece
- 26: And Doris leaned over intently
- 27: But did they have a real Armada
- 28: And Uncle Leverett had welcomed her so warmly
- 29: Betty can teach her to sew and do embroidery
- 30: Said Uncle Leverett consolingly
- 31: Leverett sent a piece of cake and some fresh eggs
- 32: I s'pose Recompense Gardiner stays at your uncle's
- 33: And Betty made big eyes at Aunt Priscilla
- 34: Wonderful how Solomon liked little missy
- 35: Leverett said Why didn't you stay all night
- 36: Foster Leverett smiled at this distinction
- 37: Doris said good night and went upstairs
- 38: Leverett had attacked her pile of shirts
- 39: Morse had finished her sewing and folded it
- 40: Leverett was sorry she had consented to Betty's going
- 41: Leverett and his wife had gone to the old establishment
- 42: Don't pattern after Aunt Priscilla
- 43: That made Doris look up and laugh
- 44: Doris looked thoughtfully out to the harbor
- 45: Doris glanced up at Uncle Winthrop
- 46: And that wouldn't be a gift from Doris
- 47: Doris sat beside Uncle Leverett with her arms on his knee
- 48: Uncle Leverett accompanied them in the morning
- 49: There's a potpie made of the cold meat
- 50: Leverett had put it in the business
- 51: Leverett stooped and kissed her
- 52: Betty threw her head back and laughed
- 53: Doris thought ironing was easier
- 54: Leverett was ironing in the kitchen
- 55: Leverett was more interested than she would have believed
- 56: A queen couldn't have looked prettier
- 57: They thought Doris a beautiful name
- 58: Leverett had always been considered rather easy
- 59: Leverett clung to the safety of the good old ways
- 60: Leverett didn't care so much for them early in the season
- 61: Electa and Mary had both married young
- 62: Sam could see under the blinder just the least bit
- 63: Hollis Leverett sang in the choir
- 64: And it is bedtime for little people
- 65: And there were spinning schools
- 66: Leverett handed the letter over to her husband
- 67: And Electa joined the church at fourteen
- 68: Madam Bowdoin holds her age wonderfully
- 69: Leverett looked up in surprise
- 70: And no one surmised it was Priscilla
- 71: And she was glad there had been the summer at Marblehead
- 72: Especially Electa but Electa seemed to prosper so amazingly
- 73: Boys were out snowballing girls
- 74: Returned Aunt Priscilla with a little snort
- 75: Aunt Priscilla dropped into her chair
- 76: Luckily the bandbox could go in it
- 77: Leverett was a good deal interested in all this
- 78: And Recompense is quite willing
- 79: But dirt doesn't stick to Doris
- 80: He was very glad that Recompense had assented so readily
- 81: Miss Recompense smiled at that
- 82: Miss Recompense brought out some knitting
- 83: Began Doris with sweet seriousness
- 84: But Miss Recompense won't let me
- 85: She was curled up in the corner of the chimney
- 86: Then you must have some skates
- 87: Cato bowed in a dignified manner
- 88: Cato sprang out and returned with quite a budget
- 89: And Cary shook hands cordially with Miss Recompense
- 90: Doris wiped the tears from her eyes
- 91: Dorcas Payne goes there this winter
- 92: Elizabeth Leverett would be shocked at the color
- 93: Miss Recompense did not make a very artistic bow
- 94: These two girls are Helen and Eudora Chapman
- 95: Doris said it looked like a Cinderella slipper
- 96: Grandmamma has been to England
- 97: Eudora and her sister went to a Miss Parker
- 98: Miss Recompense had never been that happy
- 99: John Cotton had indulged in flowing versification
- 100: To the great amusement of Miss Recompense
- 101: It's lonesome without you and Betty
- 102: Miss Recompense did not think of something all the time
- 103: And Uncle Leverett missed me very much
- 104: Electa thought the India silk lovely
- 105: Doris had brought home a Latin book
- 106: Hollis Leverett came and spent the day
- 107: And Doris was at the other side of the chimney studying
- 108: Leverett added a tablecloth to her store
- 109: As Aunt Priscilla expressed it
- 110: Hollis Leverett talked about her being so backward
- 111: I'm afraid Uncle Winthrop doesn't
- 112: Her admirers and her conquests she confided to Janie Morse
- 113: Doris winked some tears out of her eyes
- 114: Winthrop Adams just suited her
- 115: And the maples Doris thought wonderful
- 116: Uncle Win used to say with a sigh
- 117: Exclaimed Aunt Priscilla jealously
- 118: Botolph in his coffin and carried him all around the town
- 119: Then I guess they did go with the fairies and kelpies
- 120: She and Miss Recompense were always very friendly
- 121: And next year Cary would graduate
- 122: Aunt Priscilla shook hands with Cousin Winthrop
- 123: Which they interested themselves in having republished
- 124: Leverett had never been an unreasonable man
- 125: Boston with her eighty wharves and quays
- 126: Doris was quite fascinated by it
- 127: So Doris was quite comforted to know that Peter Faneuil
- 128: Certainly Elizabeth Leverett was very kind
- 129: Leverett half wished Jane might fancy Warren
- 130: The old Bowdoin garden was another remarkable place
- 131: The bride danced with both of the groomsmen
- 132: Adams and Doris went to dine at the Cragie House
- 133: Hingham had paid its taxes in milk pails
- 134: Uncle Winthrop smiled over the story
- 135: Then they rounded one more point and came to Marblehead
- 136: Doris was curiously interested
- 137: Doris stood patting down the soft earth with her foot
- 138: Electa chose to see the old town
- 139: Doris flushed up to the roots of her fair hair
- 140: Doris sat alone on the doorstep
- 141: Replied Doris with a look of interested inquiry
- 142: Doris is a happy little girl
- 143: Where was yesterday morning's text
- 144: Sarah and Elizabeth ironed in the afternoon
- 145: She was to make a visit in Salem
- 146: Doris flushed at the compliment
- 147: Leverett made a visit and brought home Hester
- 148: But Uncle Leverett had so much here
- 149: But Uncle Leverett praised Warren and Betty
- 150: If Cary were five or six years older
- 151: Cary was around to the Royalls' nearly every evening
- 152: Cary was congratulated by the elder relatives
- 153: Eudora and Doris patted their feet on the stairs in unison
- 154: Have we done Cary ample honor on his arrival at man's estate
- 155: Warren Leverett began to talk about enlisting
- 156: There is no one else Doris glanced at him in amazement
- 157: Said Doris with tender solemnity
- 158: And even to himself Cary seemed very young
- 159: Winthrop Adams had a delicate appearance
- 160: And the bunting waved above her grave
- 161: I only wish Cary had been in it
- 162: Doris took it eagerly and read aloud
- 163: Doris made a pretty gesture with her hand
- 164: Doris had nothing to cut the cord around the packet
- 165: Doris took the high stool and read eagerly
- 166: If Mary was a little more like Electa
- 167: Doris became his constant companion
- 168: Captain Carden had been a brave gentleman
- 169: One was the capture of the Guerriere with officers
- 170: Leverett wanted to bring her home for a rest
- 171: Gilman had some rather strict ideas
- 172: Doris asked Uncle Winthrop about it
- 173: And Doris accompanied her poor Doris
- 174: Sargent had been offered the post of private secretary
- 175: Exclaimed Doris eagerly that evening
- 176: You were a great delight to Uncle Leverett
- 177: With best wishes from Uncle Winthrop
- 178: Winthrop and Doris with her party
- 179: Returned Uncle Winthrop with a smile
- 180: And opened it to add this postscript Mr
- 181: Doris was much interested in it
- 182: Then Cary made the rounds of the house
- 183: Cary Adams had not forgotten how to dance
- 184: Hawthorne wants to come over here
- 185: Cary began to pile up his books
- 186: Doris unconsciously sweet in her simplicity
- 187: And one of the Chapman cousins with Eudora
- 188: Warren had begun to prosper again
- 189: And Doris was such a pleasant companion
- 190: Winthrop Adams was one of the high bred
- 191: De la Maur was a very nice looking young man
- 192: De la Maur has been reciting Racine
- 193: He might take a few cousinly freedoms
- 194: De la Maur bowed and went slowly out of the apartment
- 195: Nor accomplished like De la Maur
- 196: Father will you give me Doris
- 197: Winthrop Adams rose half bewildered
- 198: The camp fire girls at onoway house
- 199: The blue grass seminary girls' christmas holidays