A Living Story, Or, the Would-Be Authoress (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1888. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XI. TO BE CONTINUED. "Mother dear, when am I going to have another birthday?" said our heroine one day, some months after the plum-pudding idea. "When will the 7th of June come?" "Very soon now; to-day is the first." "Then I shall have finished 'Chapter VI., '" said Mabel. "But I shan't have come to the end of my story, shall I, mother? It's like the stones in 'Aunt Judy' that have 'To be continued' put at the end of the chapters. I shall keep on writing my story as long as I live. I wonder if it'll be a good one. Do you think it will, mother?" "I hope so, my darling." "I hope so, too, mother. I am trying to make pretty pictures." Yes; she was trying. The ugly twist of the shoulders, which meant mischief, did not come so often as it used to do in days gone by, and she was a better little girl than she had been in "Chapter V." Sometimes, it is true, she had " naughty turns," as Nurse called them, but she was fighting with them and improving. The end of " Chapter VI." was better than the beginning. It had begun with "The Unhappy Princess." That unfortunate afternoon in Mr. Leicester's study was the one after Mabel's sixth birthday, and now the seventh was so near that Mabel began to count the days, and to wonder what her birthday presents would be. She wanted very much to have a doll, a baby-doll, all ready dressed in long clothes. That would be delightful. At last the much-wished-for day came. What would it bring? "Many happy returns of the day, Miss Mabel," Nurse said, as soon as our little heroine was awake. "Oh it's really come " exclaimed she. "HOW DELIGHTFUL/" 173 "That is nice. Is it a sunshiny day, Nurse?" "Yes, to be sure; don't you see the sunshine coming through the window to the foot of your bed?" "Oh I see something else. Oh it's a do...