Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1864 edition. Excerpt: ...glasses round, and after a song and a tale, they took their departure; the church clock struck ten as they bid each other "good night," and Harry proceeded on his way alone. As it was his custom on Saturday nights, to take something home with him for supper, he looked out for the butcher, and seeing some nice sausages, thought that they would do as well as anything, so he bought and paid for a pound, and putting them in his pocket soon reached his abode. Ellen had been anxiously waiting for him, for the children as well as herself had gone without dinner that day (or, made shift, as Harry would call it, with bread and butter), and she had kept them up with the promise that when father came home they should have something nice. As hour after hour passed away, she had to exercise her best skill in keeping them awake, and also in assuring them that "Father wouldn't be long;" and when at length his footsteps were heard coming up the garden walk, one of the children ran to meet him, shouting out--" We are so glad you are come, father, we do want supper so bad." " Well, here's something nice," he said, as he laid the sausages on the table. This caused Ellen to bustle about, and prepare the supper as quickly as possible, feeling that her best plan was to say nothing about his being so late, &c, before the children, but to get them their supper, and send them out of the way, and then tell Harry what she thought about his treatment. So she put the sausages in the frying-pan, and soon the action of the fire began to operate upon them so successfully, that its music made even the bird to sing and the cat to mew. Harry had seated himself upon the sofa, but somehow, what with the drink he had taken, and the walk home through the cold air, now when he...
