The Project Gutenberg EBook of Little Folks Astray
by Sophia May (Rebecca Sophia Clarke)

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Title: Little Folks Astray

Author: Sophia May (Rebecca Sophia Clarke)

Release Date: February 24, 2004 [EBook #11257]

Language: English

Character set encoding: US-ASCII

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LITTLE FOLKS ASTRAY.

BY SOPHIE MAY

"To give room for wandering is it
That the world was made so wide."

1872

TO

MY YOUNG FRIEND,

EMMA ADAMS.

"JOHNNIE OPTIC."

TO PARENTS.

Here come the Parlins and Cliffords again. They had been sent to bed and
nicely tucked in, but would not stay asleep. They "wanted to see the
company down stairs;" so they have dressed themselves, and come back to
the parlor. I trust you will pardon them, dear friends. Is it not a
common thing, in this degenerate age, for grown people to frown and
shake their heads, while little people do exactly as they please?

Well, one thing is certain: if these children insist upon sitting up,
they shall listen to lectures on self-will and disrespect to superiors,
which will make their ears tingle.

Moreover, they shall hear of other people, and not always of themselves.
Fly Clifford, who expects to be in the middle, will be somewhat
overwhelmed, like a fly in a cup of milk; for Grandma Read is to talk
her down with her Quaker speech, and Aunt Madge with her story of the
summer when she was a child. It is but fair that the elders should have
a voice. That they may speak words which shall come home to many little
hearts, and move them for good, is the earnest wish of

THE AUTHOR.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER

I. THE LETTER

II. THE UNDERTAKING

III. THE FROLIC

IV. "TAKING OUR AIRS"

V. DOTTY HAVING HER OWN WAY

VI. DOTTY REBUKED

VII. THE LOST FLY

VIII. "THE FRECKLED DOG"

IX. MARIA'S MOTHER

X. FIVE MAKING A CALL

XI. "THE HEN-HOUSES"

XII. "GRANNY"

XIII. THE PUMPKIN HOOD

LITTLE FOLKS ASTRAY.

CHAPTER I.

THE LETTER.

Katie Clifford sat on the floor, in the sun, feeding her white mice. She
had a tea-spoon and a cup of bread