The Project Gutenberg EBook of Opportunities, by Susan Warner

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Title: Opportunities

Author: Susan Warner

Release Date: October 1, 2009 [EBook #30147]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OPPORTUNITIES ***

Produced by Daniel Fromont. HTML version by Al Haines.

[Transcriber's note: This is the second of a series of four novels by
Susan Warner, all of which are in the Project Gutenberg collection:

1. What She Could
2. Opportunities
3. The House in Town
4. Trading]

OPPORTUNITIES,

A SEQUEL TO "WHAT SHE COULD."

BY THE AUTHOR OF

"THE WIDE WIDE WORLD," &c.

LONDON:

JAMES NISBET & CO., 21 BERNERS STREET.

MDCCCLXXI.

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it." Ecc. ix. 10.

OPPORTUNITIES.

CHAPTER I.

It was the morning after that Sunday when Matilda had been baptized.
The girls came down to prepare breakfast as usual; Maria in a very
unsettled humour. She was cloudy and captious to a degree that Matilda
could not understand. The kitchen was hot; the butter was soft; the
milk was turned; the bread was dry. All things went wrong.

"It is no wonder the bread is dry," said Matilda; "it has been baked
ever since last Friday."

"Thursday. I didn't say it was a wonder. Aunt Candy _will_ have the
bread dry. I hate it!"

"And it is no wonder the butter is soft, if you keep it up here in the
kitchen. The kitchen must be hot, with this hot stove. But the milkman
will be along directly."

"No, he won't. We always have to wait for him; or take the old milk.
And I can't be bothered to keep the butter down cellar and be running
for it fifty times in an hour. I have enough to do as it is. Whatever
possessed Aunt Erminia to want corn bread this morning!"

"Does she want corn bread?"

"Yes."

"Well, corn bread is nice. I am glad of it."

"You wouldn't be glad if you had to make it. There! I knew it would be
so. There isn't a speck of soda. Put on your bonnet, Matilda, and run
round to Mr. Sample's and get some soda, will you?--and be quick. We
shall be late, and then there will be a row."

"There won't be a _row_