The Project Gutenberg EBook of Only an Incident, by Grace Denio Litchfield

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Title: Only an Incident

Author: Grace Denio Litchfield

Release Date: January 22, 2004 [EBook #10780]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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ONLY AN INCIDENT

BY GRACE DENIO LITCHFIELD

1883

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER

I. JOPPA

II. PHEBE

III. GERALD

IV. MRS. UPJOHN'S ENTERTAINMENT

V. FRIENDS

VI. THE PICNIC

VII. TRIED AS BY FIRE

VIII. GERALD OBEYS ORDERS

IX. JOPPA'S MINISTRATIONS TO THE SICK

X. AN APOLOGY AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

XI. "MY SON DICK"

XII. WHY DO SUMMER ROSES FADE?

XIII. JOPPA'S TRIAL

XIV. PHEBE'S GOOD-BY

XV. ONLY AN INCIDENT

TO
GRACE HILL AND EDWIN C. LITCHFIELD.

TO HER FOR WHOSE DEAR SAKE THE STORY WAS PENNED, ALTHOUGH HER EYES HAVE
NEVER REST UPON ITS PAGES, AND TO HIM WHOSE TENDER WATCH OVER ITS GROWTH
HAS BEEN ITS VITAL INSPIRATION--TO THE TWO WHO ARE BUT ONE FOREVER IN THE
HEART OF THEIR DAUGHTER, THIS LITTLE FIRST BOOK IS MOST LOVINGLY
INSCRIBED.

ONLY AN INCODENT

CHAPTER I.

JOPPA.

Joppa was the very centre of all things. That was the opening clause in
the creed of every well-educated and right-thinking Joppite.
Geographically, however, it was not the centre of any thing, being
considerably off from the great lines of railway travel, but possessing
two little independent branch roads of its own, that connected it with
all the world, or rather that connected all the world with it. For though
there were larger places than Joppa even in the county in which it
condescended to find itself, and though New York, and Philadelphia, and
even Boston, were undeniably larger, as its inhabitants reluctantly
admitted when hard pressed, yet they were unanimous in agreeing,
nevertheless, that the sun rose and set wholly and entirely for the
benefit of their one little aristocrati