THE ENGLISH ORPHANS***
E-text prepared by Stephen Schulze and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
THE ENGLISH ORPHANS
Or, A Home in the New World
by
MRS. MARY J. HOLMES
Author of _Darkness and Daylight_, _Marian Grey_, _Meadow Brook_, _Homestead_, _Dora Deane_, _Cousin Maude_, _Tempest and Sunshine_, _Lena Rivers_, etc.
1877
CONTENTS
I. The Emigrants
II. Chicopee
III. Billy Bender
IV. Ella Campbell
V. The Poor-House
VI. Sal Furbush
VII. The Lincolns
VIII. At Church
IX. The New Bonnet
X. Winter at the Poor-House
XI. Alice
XII. A New Friend
XIII. A New Home in Rice Corner
XIV. Visitors
XV. The Three Young Men
XVI. The Schoolmistress
XVII. Jealousy
XVIII. A New Plan
XIX. Mount Holyoke
XX. The closing of the year
XXI. Vacation
XXII. Education Finished
XXIII. Life in Boston
XXIV. A Change of Opinion
XXV. The Party
XXVI. Making up his Mind
XXVII. The Shadows Deepen
XXVIII. Glenwood
XXIX. A New Discovery
XXX. The Crisis
XXXI. A Question
XXXII. Going Home
XXXIII. Conclusion
CHAPTER I.
THE EMIGRANTS.
"What makes you keep that big blue sun-bonnet drawn so closely over your face? are you afraid of having it seen?"
The person addressed was a pale, sickly-looking child about nine years of age, who, on the deck of the vessel Windermere, was gazing intently towards the distant shores of old England, which were fast receding from view. Near her a fine-looking boy of fourteen was standing, and trying in vain to gain a look at the features so securely shaded from view by the gingham bonnet.
At the sound of his voice the little girl started, and without turning her head, replied, "Nobody wants to see me, I am so ugly and disagreeable."
"Ugly are you?" repeated the boy, and at the same time lifting her up and forcibly holding her hands, he succeeded in looking her fully in the face, "Well, you are not very handsome, that's a fact," said he, after satisfying his curiosity, "but I wouldn't be sullen about it. Ugly people are always smart, and perhaps you are. Any way, I like little girls, so just let me sit here and get acquainted."
