The Crown of Success   By: Unknown (1821-1893)

[Illustration: The sparkling crown was placed on her brow. Page 213. ]

THE CROWN OF SUCCESS

by

A. L. O. E.

Thomas Nelson and Sons London, Edinburgh, Dublin and New York

CONTENTS.

I. The Dame's departure , 7

II. Mr. Learning at breakfast , 12

III. The Cottages of Head , 16

IV. Plain work and Fancy work , 22

V. Mr. Alphabet , 29

VI. Mr. Reading's fine shop , 35

VII. The Ladder of Spelling , 41

VIII. Breaking down , 47

IX. Mr. Learning's visit , 55

X. Dick's mishap , 63

XI. Miss Folly , 69

XII. A visit to Arithmetic , 77

XIII. The wonderful Boy , 81

XIV. The Thief of Time , 90

XV. Duty and Affection , 95

XVI. Grammar's Bazaar , 102

XVII. Pride and Folly , 110

XVIII. The Carpet of History , 119

XIX. Hammering in Dates , 125

XX. The pursued Bird , 131

XXI. Plans and Plots , 136

XXII. The Cockatoo, Parade , 143

XXIII. The Cage of Ambition , 152

XXIV. A visit to Mr. Chemistry , 159

XXV. A Lesson , 167

XXVI. Hearing the Truth , 177

XXVII. A Brave Effort , 185

XXVIII. Expectation , 190

XXIX. Empty and Furnished , 196

XXX. Fruits of Needlework , 204

XXXI. The Crown of Success , 212

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

The sparkling crown was placed on her brow , Frontispiece

Nelly could hardly see the stepping stones through the thick leaves of the plant which she bore , 27

Miss folly went jabbering on: "Just try that bonnet on your head," 73

Dick, Lubin, Matty, and Nelly paying their first visit to Grammar's Bazaar , 103

THE CROWN OF SUCCESS.

CHAPTER I.

THE DAME'S DEPARTURE.

A merry life had Dame Desley and her four children led in their rural home. The sound of their cheerful voices, the patter of their little feet, the laugh, the shout, and the song, had been heard from morning till night. I will not stop to tell of all the daisy chains and cowslip balls made by the children under the big elm tree that grew on their mother's lawn; or how they gathered ripe blackberries in autumn; or in the glowing days of summer played about the hay cocks, and buried one another in the hay. Their lives were thoughtless and gay, like those of the sparrows in the garden, or the merry little squirrels in the wood.

But a time came at last when these careless days must end. Dame Desley had to take a long journey she would be absent for many a month and on the evening before her departure she called her four children around her.

"My dear children," she said, "I must leave you; I must give you up for a while to the care of another. But I have chosen a guardian for you who is worthy of all your respect. Mr. Learning is coming to see you to morrow, just an hour before I start; and I hope that he will find you all good and obedient children during my absence. Whatever he may bid you do, do for the love of me, and when you attend to Mr. Learning, think that you are pleasing your mother."

When the four children were alone together, just before going to rest, they began eagerly to talk over what Dame Desley had told them.