Little Tora, The Swedish Schoolmistress and Other Stories   By: Sarah S. (Sarah Schoonmaker) Baker (1824-1906)

THE SWEDISH SCHOOLMISTRESS

And Other Stories.

[Illustration: " The school was going on in its usual routine. " Page 33.]

[Illustration: A BRAVE DEED Page 40 ]

LITTLE TORA

THE SWEDISH SCHOOLMISTRESS

And Other Stories

BY

MRS. WOODS BAKER

AUTHOR OF "THE BABES IN THE BASKET," "THE SWEDISH TWINS," "FIRESIDE SKETCHES FROM SWEDISH LIFE," ETC. ETC.

[Illustration]

THOMAS NELSON AND SONS London, Edinburgh, and New York

1898

CONTENTS.

A Swedish Schoolmistress.

I. LITTLE TORA, 13 II. FACING THE WORLD, 19 III. A NARROW ESCAPE, 32 IV. A HAPPY MORNING, 42 V. THE PERMANENT PUPIL, 50

A Week at Kulleby.

I. CHURCH SERVICE, 57 II. AT THE PASTOR'S, 63 III. A STRANGE MEETING, 69 IV. TOO LATE, 76 V. KARIN AND ELSA, 81 VI. CHRISTMAS EVE, 89

Alf.

I. A FOOLISH RESOLVE, 97 II. AFTER THIRTY YEARS, 104 III. IN THE POORHOUSE, 110 IV. PREPARING FOR CONFIRMATION, 118 V. LED TO THE LIGHT, 128 VI. PAINFUL DISCLOSURES, 134 VII. A HAPPY CHRISTMAS, 145 VIII. THE BEATA CHARITY, 151

Transcriber's Note: Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. Original spellings have been retained.

LITTLE TORA:

THE SWEDISH SCHOOLMISTRESS

CHAPTER I.

LITTLE TORA.

The kindly doctor was entertaining his brother in law, and all the family were sitting round the table in state. The polished silver and shining glass, with porcelain, flowers, and fruit, seemed to be all that had been provided for the dinner.

The usual "grace" had hardly been said, when a trim maid announced that a little girl was at the door, who must see the doctor about something particular. "There is nobody sick more than usual," she says; "but she must come in," continued the irritated damsel in waiting.

"Let her come in here. You can never have your meals in peace!" said the doctor's wife affectionately.

The soup and the little girl came in together, the latterly evidently quite prepared to state her errand. She was a small, straight child, with a determined air and a cheery face, as if sure of success in her undertaking. Fresh in Monday cleanliness, her white cotton head kerchief stood stiffly out in a point behind, and her calico apron was without spot or wrinkle. Her shoes, though they had been diligently blackened and were under high polish, did not correspond with the rest of her appearance. They had evidently been made for a boy, an individual much larger than their present wearer. Great wrinkles crossing each other shut off some low, unoccupied land near the toe, and showed how much of the sole had been too proud to touch the common ground. All this the observers saw at once.

"Well, Tora!" said the doctor pleasantly, after she had dropped her bob courtesies, and "good days" had been exchanged.

"May I sing for you?" said the little girl, without further hesitation, as she hastily took out a thin, black book from the small pocket handkerchief in which it had been carefully wrapped.

"Sing? yes, surely!" said the doctor. "Just the thing for us while we are taking our dinner. My brother in law here is a famous judge of music, so you must do your best."