The Project Gutenberg EBook of Poppy's Presents, by Mrs O. F. Walton

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Title: Poppy's Presents

Author: Mrs O. F. Walton

Release Date: June 18, 2009 [EBook #29153]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration: [_See p._ 35.]

POPPY'S PRESENTS
BY
MRS. WALTON

_Author of 'Christie's Old Organ,' 'A Peep Behind the Scenes,' etc._

London
THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY

56, PATERNOSTER ROW; AND 65, ST. PAUL'S CHURCHYARD

BUTLER & TANNER,
THE SELWOOD PRINTING WORKS,
FROME, AND LONDON.

CONTENTS.

I. THE LITTLE RED CLOAK 7

II. POPPY'S WORK 18

III. A HOLIDAY 26

IV. A LONG NIGHT 35

V. FOUND AT LAST 44

VI. POPPY WRITES A LETTER 53

VII. A VISIT FROM GRANDMOTHER 63

VIII. JACKY AND JEMMY 71

IX. JOHN HENRY'S BAIRN 81

X. THE MOTHER'S LEGACY 90

XI. THE STORY OF THE RING 100

XII. THE WONDERFUL FIRE 112

XIII. POPPY'S FATHER COMES HOME 119

CHAPTER I.

THE LITTLE RED CLOAK.

The great cathedral bell was striking twelve. Slowly and solemnly it
struck, and as it did so people looked at their watches and altered
their clocks, for every one in the great city kept time by that grave
old bell. Every one liked to hear it strike; but the school children
liked it best of all, for they knew that with the last stroke of twelve
lessons would be over, and they would be able to run home to dinner.

'Good morning, children,' said Miss Benson, the mistress.

'Good morning, ma'am,' said the girls, and then they marched out like
soldiers in single file. So quiet they were, so grave, so orderly they
went, almost as solemnly as the old bell itself.

But only till they reached the school door. Then the