Little Ferns For Fanny's Little Friends   By: Fanny Fern (1811-1872)

LITTLE FERNS

FOR

FANNY'S LITTLE FRIENDS.

BY THE AUTHOR OF

"FERN LEAVES."

WITH ORIGINAL DESIGNS BY FRED M. COFFIN.

AUBURN AND BUFFALO: MILLER, ORTON & MULLIGAN. 1854.

Published first in England by International Arrangement with the American Proprietors, and entered at Stationers' Hall.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty three, by DERBY AND MILLER, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Northern District of New York.

STEREOTYPED BY DERBY AND MILLER, AUBURN.

TO MY LITTLE DAUGHTER THESE "Little Ferns" ARE AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED

"They reckon not by months, and years Where she hath gone to dwell."

PREFACE.

DEAR CHILDREN:

Aunt Fanny has written you some stories, which she hopes will please and divert you. She would rather have come to you, and told them, that she might have seen your bright faces; but as that could not be, she sends her little book instead. Perhaps you will sometime come and see her, and then won't we have a nice time telling stories?

Where do I live?

Won't you tell certain true? Won't you tell Susy, or Mary, or Hatty, or Sammy, or Tommy, or even your pet Uncle Charley?

Oh, I can't tell!

"If I tell it to one, she will tell it to two, And the next cup of tea, they will plot what they'll do; So I'll tell nobody, I'll tell nobody, I'll tell nobody; no not I!"

FANNY FERN.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

WHERE IS LITTLE NELLY? 11

LITTLE GEORGE'S STORY 14

MATTY AND MABEL; OR WHO IS RICH! WHO IS POOR! 16

THE BABY'S COMPLAINT 20

LITTLE FLOY; OR, TEARS AND SMILES 22

THE LAKE TRIP; OR, GOING A FISHING 27

"MILK FOR BABES" 30

THE LITTLE "MORNING GLORY" 33

THE CHARITY ORPHANS 35

DON'T GET ANGRY 37

"LITTLE BENNY" 42

A RAP ON SOMEBODY'S KNUCKLES 43

LITTLE FREDDY'S MUSINGS 45

ONLY A PENNY 47

A LITTLE BOY WITH A BIG HEART 52

MAY MORNING 56

THE LITTLE DANDELION MERCHANT 59

WALTER WILLET 61

CHILDREN, DID YOU EVER HEAR OF MR. "THEY SAY!" 66

THE LITTLE MARTYR 69

SELFISH MATTHEW 75

CITY CHILDREN 78

ROSALIE AND HETTY 81

THE CRYSTAL PALACE 84

KIZZY KRINGLE'S STORY 89

NEW YORK IN SHADOW 94

HATTY'S MISTAKE 100

MIN YUNG 104

TOM, THE TAILOR 108

BETSEY'S DREAM 114

SCOTT FARM 119

A TRUE STORY 126

THE LITTLE EMIGRANTS 131

ALL ABOUT THE DOLANS 136

FRONTIER LIFE; OR, MITTY MOORE 141

UNCLE JOLLY 151

A PEEP UNDER GROUND THE RAFFERTYS AND THE ROURKES 157

"BALD EAGLE;" OR, THE LITTLE CAPTIVES 162

A STREET SCENE 171

LETTER FROM TOM GRIMALKIN TO HIS MOTHER 177

WHAT CAME OF AN OMNIBUS RIDE, AND "ONE PULL TO THE RIGHT!" 180

LITTLE GERTRUDE'S PARTY 188

FERN MUSINGS 195

CRAZY TIM 200

CICELY HUNT; OR, THE LAME GIRL 206

THE LITTLE TAMBOURINE PLAYER 214

THE BROKER'S WINDOW BY GASLIGHT 223

BLACK CHLOE 229

A PEEP FROM MY WINDOW 235

THE BOY PEDLAR 239

THE NEW COOK 242

LETTY 250

FRONTIER STORIES 260

A PEEP THROUGH MY QUIZZING GLASS 268

THE ENGLISH EMIGRANTS 276

NEW YORK SUNDAY 282

THE BOY WHO LIKED NATURAL HISTORY 288

KNUD IVERSON 292

CHILDREN IN 1853 296