The Project Gutenberg EBook of Anxious Audrey, by Mabel Quiller-Couch

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Title: Anxious Audrey

Author: Mabel Quiller-Couch

Release Date: February 3, 2010 [EBook #31173]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ANXIOUS AUDREY ***

Produced by Lionel Sear

ANXIOUS AUDREY.

By

MABEL QUILLER-COUCH.

Author of 'A Waif and a Welcome,' 'Troublesome Ursula,' 'Zach and Debby,'
'In Cornwall's Wonderland,' Etc.

ILLUSTRATED BY HELEN JACOBS.

LONDON: SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE
Northumberland Avenue, W.C.
BRIGHTON: 129, North Street.

[Illustration: When, though, it came to carrying up the chest of drawers,
they all had to give a hand.]

CHAPTER I.

"Lady-bird, lady-bird, fly away home,
The field-mouse has gone to her nest;
The daisies have shut up their sleepy red eyes,
And the birds and the bees are at rest."

Mr. Carlyle, standing outside the nursery door, stayed a moment until the
sweet low voice had reached the end of the verse, then, turning the handle
very gently, entered the room on tiptoe.

Faith looked up with a smile, but with a warning finger held out, while in
a lower and more crooning voice she began the next verse:

"Lady-bird, lady-bird, fly away home,
The glow-worm is lighting her lamp----"

"Oh, dear!" as two round blue eyes looked up at her, full of sleepy
wickedness, "She is as wide awake when I began! Baby, you are not a nice
little girl and I shan't be able to go on loving you if you don't go to
sleep soon."

The blue eyes, wandering from Faith's reproving face, fell on her father,
and with a croon of delight a pair of plump dimpled arms was held out
pleadingly. "Dad! Dad!" cooed the baby voice coaxingly, and the arms were
not held out in vain.

Faith handed over her heavy, lovable burden with a mingled sigh of relief
and hopelessness. "This is all wrong, you know, father," with a weary
little laugh, "a well brought up baby should be sound asleep by this
time--but how is one to make her sleep if she absolutely refuses to?"

Mr. Carlyle looked down at his little daughter snuggling so happily in