Fern Leaves from Fanny's Portfolio [Signed Fanny Fern]. (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: " OUR HATTY." She might have had twenty other names, but that was the only appellation I ever heard. It was, " Get out of the way, Hatty!" ?" I dare say Hatty broke that vase, or lost that book!"? " Don't come here; what a fright you are, Hatty!" till the poor sensitive child almost felt as if she had the mark of Cain upon her forehead. She had brothers and sisters, but they were bright, and saucy, and bold, and cunning; and when they wished to carry out a favourite scheme, could throw their arms about the parental neck, flatter some weak side, carry the day, and then laugh at their juvenile foresight; so their coffers were always filled, while poor Hatty's were empty;?and she laid all these things up in her little grieved heart, and, as she saw duplicity better rewarded than sincerity, began to have little infidel doubts whether the Bible, that her father read so much out of, was really true; while Joseph's " coat [of many colours" flaunted ever before her tearful eyes. All her sweet childish impulses were checked and crushed; and where the sweet flowers of love and confidence should have sprung up, the weeds of distrust and suspicion took bitter root. She took no part in the conversation of thedomestic circle. " She was stupid,' 'so they told her; and she had heard it till she believed it true. Sometimes, as was often the case, some talented person made part of the family circle; on such occasions Hatty would listen in her corner till her great wild eyes glowedand burned like living coals of fire. But there was one spot where none disputed Hatty's right to reign,?a little lonely room at the top of the house, which she had fitted up in her own wild way, and where she was free from reproof or intrusion. You should have seen her there,?with her little yearning heart half b...