My New Home   By: Mrs. Molesworth (1839-1921)

[Illustration: Book Cover]

MY NEW HOME

[Illustration: 'I'd like to know your sisters that are as little as me's names.' p. 39.] Front.

[Illustration: Title Page]

MY NEW HOME

by Mrs Molesworth

Illustrated by L Leslie Brooke

Macmillan and Co London: 1894

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I PAGE

WINDY GAP 1

CHAPTER II

AT THE FOOT OF THE LADDER 15

CHAPTER III

ONE AND SEVEN 28

CHAPTER IV

NEW FRIENDS AND A PLAN 43

CHAPTER V

A HAPPY DAY 58

CHAPTER VI

'WAVING VIEW' 71

CHAPTER VII

THE BEGINNING OF TROUBLES 83

CHAPTER VIII

TWO LETTERS 96

CHAPTER IX

A GREAT CHANGE 111

CHAPTER X

NO. 29 CHICHESTER SQUARE 125

CHAPTER XI

AN ARRIVAL 139

CHAPTER XII

A CATASTROPHE 153

CHAPTER XIII

HARRY 168

CHAPTER XIV

KEZIA'S COUNSEL 183

CHAPTER XV

'HAPPY EVER SINCE' 195

ILLUSTRATIONS

'I'd like to know your sisters that are as little as me's names.' Frontispiece

Grandmamma's chair was still waiting to be decorated, so the next hour was spent very happily. 67

'I do wonder why they are so late'. 82

A nice looking oldish man came forward and bowed respectfully to grandmamma. 126

It was the portrait of a young girl. 139

Up rushed two or three ... men, Cousin Cosmo the first. 160

It was all uphill too. 173

CHAPTER I

WINDY GAP

My name is Helena, and I am fourteen past. I have two other Christian names; one of them is rather queer. It is 'Naomi.' I don't mind having it, as I am never called by it, but I don't sign it often because it is such an odd name. My third name is not uncommon. It is just 'Charlotte.' So my whole name is 'Helena Charlotte Naomi Wingfield.'

I have never been called by any short name, like 'Lena,' or 'Nellie.' I think the reason must be that I am an only child. I have never had any big brother to shout out 'Nell' all over the house, or dear baby sisters who couldn't say 'Helena' properly. And what seems still sadder than having no brothers or sisters, I have never had a mother that I could remember. For mamma died when I was not much more than a year old, and papa six months before that.

But my history has not been as sad as you might think from this. I was very happy indeed when I was quite a little child. Till I was nine years old I really did not know what troubles were, for I lived with grandmamma, and she made up to me for everything I had not got: we loved each other so very dearly.

I will tell you about our life.