415

Grandmamma was very much pleased with Lucy's stories 416

A hundred years ago 420

To teach little Francis his letters 421

"I cannot tell what the child's head is running on" 431

To hang flowers round its neck 445

Miss Anne Vaughan led her niece by the hand 446

"What a bustle there is to get ready on a dancing day" 451

Henry reminded her of the robin 464

Someone was waving something white 470

[Illustration]

[Illustration: The Fairchild Family]

The
History of the Fairchild Family

Part I

Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild lived very far from any town; their house stood
in the midst of a garden, which in the summer-time was full of fruit
and sweet flowers. Mr. Fairchild kept only two servants, Betty and
John: Betty's business was to clean the house, cook the dinner, and
milk the cow; and John waited at table, worked in the garden, fed the
pig, and took care of the meadow in which the cow grazed.

Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild had three children: Lucy, who was about nine
years old when these stories began; Emily, who was next in age; and
Henry, who was between six and seven. These little children did not go
to school: Mrs. Fairchild taught Lucy and Emily, and Mr. Fairchild
taught little Henry. Lucy and Emily learned to read, and to do various
kinds of needlework. Lucy had begun to write, and took great pains with
her writing; their mother also taught them to sing psalms and hymns,
and they could sing several very sweetly. Little Henry, too, had a
great notion of singing.

Besides working and reading, the little girls could do many useful
things; they made their beds, rubbed the chairs and tables in their
rooms, fed the fowls; and when John was busy, they laid the cloth for
dinner, and were ready to fetch anything which their parents might
want.

Mr. Fairchild taught Henry everything that was proper for little boys
in his station to learn; and when he had finished his lessons in a
morning, his papa used to take him very often to work in the garden;
for Mr. Fairchild had great pleasure in helping John to keep the garden
clean. Henry had a little basket, and he used to carry the weeds and
rubbish in his basket out of the garden