*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A FLAT IRON FOR A FARTHING ***

Produced by Kathryn Lybarger, Sankar Viswanathan, and the
Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

 

 Inside_Cover

             Mrs. Bundle
 Mrs. Bundle (see p. 3).

 Front_page

 Queen's Treasures Series

 A Flat Iron For A
 Farthing

 or

 Some Passages in the Life of
 an only Son

 by

 Juliana Horatia Ewing

 Illustrated by

 M. V. Wheelhouse

            Illustration

 George Bell & Sons

 London

 1908.

 Dedicated

 TO MY DEAR FATHER,

 AND TO HIS SISTER, MY DEAR AUNT MARY,

 IN MEMORY OF

 THEIR GOOD FRIEND AND NURSE,

 E. B.

 OBIT 3 MARCH, 1872, ÆT. 83.

            J. H. E.

 PREFACE

            An apology is a sorry Preface to any book, however insignificant, and yet I am anxious to apologise for the title of this little tale. The story grew after the title had been (hastily) given, and so many other incidents gathered round the incident of the purchase of the flat iron as to make it no longer important enough to appear upon the title page. It would, however, be dishonest to change the name of a tale which is reprinted from a Magazine; and I can only apologise for an appearance of affectation in it which was not intended.

            As the Dedication may seem to suggest that the character of Mrs. Bundle is a portrait, I may be allowed to say that, except in faithfulness, and tenderness, and high principle, she bears no likeness to my father's dear old nurse.

            It may interest some of my child readers to know that the steep street and the farthing wares are real remembrances out of my own childhood. Though whether in these days of "advanced prices," the flat irons, the gridirons with the three fish upon them, and all those other valuable accessories to doll's housekeeping, which I once delighted to purchase, can still be obtained for a farthing each, I have lived too long out of the world of toys to be able to tell.

            J. H. E.

 CONTENTS

• CHAP. PAGE I. Motherless 1 II. "The Look"—Rubens—Mrs. Bundle Again 6 III. The Dark Lady—Trouble Impending—Beautiful, Golden Mamma 12 IV. Aunt Maria—The Enemy Routed—London Town 20 V. My Cousins—Miss Blomfield—The Boy in Black 31 VI. The Little Baronet—Dolls—Cinder Parcels—The Old Gentleman Next Door—The Zoological Gardens 40 VII. Polly and I Resolve to be "Very Religious"—Dr. Pepjohn—The Alms-Box—The Blind Beggar 52 VIII. Visiting the Sick 61 IX. "Peace be to this House" 67 X. Convalescence—Matrimonial Intentions—The Journey to Oakford—Our Welcome 72 XI. The Tinsmith's—The Beaver Bonnets—A Flat Iron for a Farthing—I Fail to Secure a Sister—Rubens and the Doll 80 XII. The Little Ladies Again—The Meads—The Drowned Doll 86 XIII. Polly—The Pew and the Pulpit—The Fate of the Flat Iron 93 XIV. Rubens and I "drop in" at the Rectory—Gardens and Gardeners—My Father Comes for me 102 XV. Nurse Bundle is Magnanimous—Mr. Gray—An Explanation with my Father 111 XVI. The real Mr. Gray—Nurse Bundle regards him with Disfavour 120 XVII. I fail to teach Latin to Mrs. Bundle—The Rector teaches me 129 XVIII. The Asthmatic Old Gentleman and his Riddles—I play Truant again—In the Big Garden 139 XIX. The Tutor—The Parish—A new Contributor to the Alms-box 144 XX. The Tutor's Proposal—A Teachers' Meeting 151 XXI. Oakford once more—The Satin Chairs—The Housekeeper—The Little Ladies Again—Family Monuments 155 XXII. Nurse Bundle finds a Vocation—Ragged Robin's Wife—Mrs. Bundle's Ideas on Husbands and Public-Houses 164 XXIII. I go to Eton—My Master—I serve him well 173 XXIV. Collections—Leo's Letter—Nurse Bundle and Sir Lionel 180 XXV. The Death of Rubens—Polly's News—Last Times 185 XXVI. I hear from Mr. Jonathan Andrewes—Yorkshire—Alathea alias Betty—We bury our Dead out of our Sight—Voices of the North 196 XXVII. The New Rector—Aunt Maria tries to find him a Wife—My Father has a similar care for me 204 XXVIII. I believe myself to be broken-hearted—Maria in Love—I make an Offer of Marriage, which is neither accepted nor refused 210 XXIX. The Future Lady Damer—Polly has a Secret—Under the Mulberry-Tree 219 XXX. I meet the Heiress—I find myself mistaken on many points—A new Knot in the Family Complications 226 XXXI. My Lady Frances—The Future Lady Damer—We understand each other at last 230 XXXII. We come home—Mrs. Bundle quits Service 234