The Project Gutenberg EBook of In a Little Town, by Rupert Hughes

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: In a Little Town

Author: Rupert Hughes

Release Date: August 1, 2009 [EBook #29561]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN A LITTLE TOWN ***

Produced by Colin Bell, Woodie4, Michael and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

[Illustration: cover]

IN A LITTLE TOWN

BOOKS BY

RUPERT HUGHES

IN A LITTLE TOWN Illustrated. Post 8vo

THE THIRTEENTH COMMANDMENT Illustrated. Post 8vo

CLIPPED WINGS. Frontispiece. Post 8vo

WHAT WILL PEOPLE SAY? Illustrated. Post 8vo

THE LAST ROSE OF SUMMER. Frontispiece. 16mo

EMPTY POCKETS. Illustrated. Post 8vo

* * * * *

HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK

[Illustration: Frontispiece]

In a Little Town

[Illustration: Title page decoration]

BY

RUPERT HUGHES

[Illustration: Publisher's mark]

HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS

NEW YORK AND LONDON

IN A LITTLE TOWN

Copyright, 1917, by Harper & Brothers

Printed in the United States of America

Published March, 1917

TO
FREDERICK ATHERTON DUNEKA
AS AN I-O-U OF
HEARTFELT ESTEEM

CONTENTS

PAGE

DON'T YOU CARE! 1

POP 42

BABY TALK 73

THE MOUTH OF THE GIFT HORSE 106

THE OLD FOLKS AT HOME 141

AND THIS IS MARRIAGE 173

THE MAN THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN 191

THE HAPPIEST MAN IN IOWAY 222

PRAYERS 224

PAIN 232

THE BEAUTY AND THE FOOL 262

THE GHOSTLY COUNSELORS 267

DAUGHTERS OF SHILOH 285

"A" AS IN "FATHER" 356

FOREWORD

There are two immortal imbecilities that I have no patience for.

The other one is the treatment of little towns as if they were