The Little School-Mothers

Harriet took Ralph to her own room. There she changed all his things and made him get into her bed until she could fetch some fresh ones for him. He was cold, and shivering a gr...

It was now early in September, and although the weather was quite warm, the days were of course shortening considerably. Mrs Burton's school was to re-open on the fifteenth of S...

The gardens were very extensive. There were paddocks and lawns, and running streams where some of the little mothers declared they could see tiny minnows and other minute fish d...

The swimming adventure took place on Friday. Saturday passed without anything special occurring. Sunday was a lovely day, when they all steamed about and enjoyed the fresh breez...

Mr Durrant's prophecies with regard to the weather turned out true. The "Sea-Gull" made with some difficulty into Yarmouth harbour, where it remained snugly ensconced for the ni...

Malcolm Durrant might be a great traveller, and doubtless was; but all the same, Mr Starling felt annoyed at being disturbed in his Sunday nap. Great people did not raise enthus...

The next day dawned gloriously, and soon after ten o'clock the entire party were on board the pretty yacht which was known by the name of the "Sea-Gull." She had been hired by M...

"Jane Bush?" they said, looking at one another as though they thought Patience Chetwold--Patience, the most down-right, matter-of-fact, sensible girl on earth--had suddenly take...

In a very few days Robina Starling was settled at school. She was as completely settled there as though she had lived at Abbeyfield all her life. She was the sort of girl who qu...

Almost immediately after early dinner, two waggonettes came up to the door, and the girls of the sixth form and the girls of the third form, with their governesses and Mrs Burto...

"Robina Starling will arrive at the school this evening," said Mrs Burton. "She is twelve years old, and has never been at school before. I want you girls of the third form to t...

The three remaining days of trial of the school-mothers went quickly by. There was suppressed excitement all over the third form. Harriet alone would not be induced to talk on t...

The next day, the different girls went to their several homes. Robina had to make a longer journey than the others; but she arrived at length at the somewhat solitary house on t...

Alas! Harriet was right. When they reached the house, and when she wildly enquired of Miss Ford if Ralph were anywhere about, she was met by that astonished woman's instant denial.

Ralph had a sweet little room to sleep in. It opened into Miss Ford's, but the door between the two was shut; for Ralph's whole endeavour was to be a very manly boy, and manly b...

After prayers that evening Mrs Burton, as she had arranged, had a talk with the girls of the third form in her own private sitting-room. She spoke very simply, and explained wha...

Late that night, Mr Starling returned home. He was a heavily built, rather dull looking man. He was a gentleman living on his private means, and as these means were small, and h...

How hot was that drawing-room to the tired little boy! His head quite ached, he did not know why; he could not understand his own sensations. There was a very ugly look-out, too...

At eleven o'clock sharp, all the girls, with the exception of Robina, were assembled in Mr Durrant's study. He had asked them to meet him there, and they had come. Ralph was als...

It is all very well for a little girl to repent as Harriet Lane repented on that night when she followed Ralph to the gipsies' hiding-place. Such repentances make a deep impress...

Half an hour afterwards, Robina went downstairs. It was a perfect summer's afternoon. She felt she could not stand the house. She went out. The great heat of the day was over. T...

The pony was a beauty. He was a glossy chestnut, with a white star on his forehead. He had gentle and wonderful eyes, and a way of raising his feet from the ground, which showed...

Robina Starling was waiting all by herself in the school parlour. Mrs Burton had received her, and had been very nice to the small girl. She had talked to her affectionately, an...

The fair was delightful. The merry-go-rounds were much more enchanting than anything Harriet had ever dreamed about. Pattie was very generous, too, with her shilling, and that s...

The gentleman was holding by the hand a small boy. The boy could not have been more than seven or eight years of age. He was rather a little boy for that, so that some of the gi...

Mr Durrant arrived at the Brown House on Sunday afternoon. It was a day when few visitors were expected. Mr Starling, having gone to church in the morning, invariably spent the...

"Harriet, you are the favoured one. Will you please take Ralph to Miss Ford, and get her to set him his lessons, and then will you take him into the third form room, and give hi...

When Ralph Durrant's father came for him on the day of the great break-up at the school, he found a little boy who said with emphasis that he had several school-mothers, and tha...

When Mr Durrant had at last got quite clearly at the truth of things, and when Harriet, brought to bay, at first struggled to deny, but at last was forced to confess the truth o...