Granfer, and One Christmas time

IT was spring. The bright March sun in a cloudless blue sky was shining into the kitchen of Lowercoombe Farm, upon the spotless china on the dresser, the glistening tin ware on...

NOT five minutes' walk from Lowercoombe Farm, situated a little back from the high road, was a large-sized, detached cottage called Coombe Villa, standing in its own grounds. It...

"Coming, father!" his daughter's voice responded from the dairy. And in another moment Mrs. Maple hurried into the kitchen and opened the door to little Una Manners and her nurs...

Six weeks had elapsed since the day when Una had become acquainted with Granfer, and she now saw him often, for she had become very friendly with all the inmates of Lowercoombe...

"GRANFER was very pleased," Una informed her father on her return home. "I met him on my way to the farm, so I gave him my present then. He liked the verse so much, and I told h...

THE garden which surrounded Coombe Villa was what is generally called a wilderness garden, because plants and flowers of all descriptions and colours grew together, and flourish...

IT was the evening before Granfer's birthday, and Mr. and Mrs. Maple had gone for a stroll together, leaving the house in the charge of Nellie and Bessie, with instructions that...

FAIR dawned the morning of Granfer's eightieth birthday. The sun rose behind a gray mist which it quickly dispelled, and shone on a world decked with fresh green fields, tender...

IT was a wretched evening, only a few days before the joyful Christmas season. The weather was damp and chill, and the London streets were slippery and comfortless. Pale, shiver...

The speaker, a weary-looking woman, was seated stitching away by the light of a single candle. She was a button-hole maker, so what wonder if her poor eyes did ache! To make but...

THE following morning the children awoke early, and the chill winter's dawn found them busily discussing the marvellous attractions of the wonderful doll. Annie was so excited t...

IT wanted but two days to Christmas, and it was intensely cold. For a few hours in the morning the sun had shone brightly in a cloudless blue sky; but now evening had come, and...

IT was getting late by the time Mrs. Metherell arrived at home, for she had had a good bit of shopping to do, which had taken her longer than she had anticipated. As she was goi...

IF Mrs. Metherell's party had been anticipated with feelings of pleasure and delight, the realisation quite came up to every one's expectations. To many children it would doubtl...

CLEAR and bright dawned Christmas morning, and the bells from the churches rang out their joyful notes, calling all the world to come and worship the newborn King, the Prince of...

It was little Annie Blundell who spoke, in eager, excited tones. The young medical student and his friend, the clever surgeon, had just gone away, leaving behind them an atmosph...