The Project Gutenberg eBook, Patricia, by Emilia Elliott

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Title: Patricia

Author: Emilia Elliott

Release Date: October 30, 2004 [eBook #13895]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PATRICIA***

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Distributed Proofreading Team

PATRICIA

by

EMILIA ELLIOTT

1910

It is a deep regret to the publishers that Miss Emilia Elliott, the
creator of the charming character of Patricia, did not live to see this
book in print, nor to enjoy the welcome that they are confident it will
be accorded.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I. PATRICIA'S FATIGUING DAY.

II. THE GINGHAM APRON PARTY

III. THE WAY OF A GRANDMOTHER

IV. PATRICIA'S CHRISTMAS FAMILY

CHAPTER I

PATRICIA'S FATIGUING DAY

Patricia sat on the back fence, almost hidden by the low-spreading
branches of an old apple-tree. Below her, on the grass, lay a small,
curly, black dog, his brown, trustful eyes fixed confidently on
Patricia.

"Really, you know," the child said, gravely, "it's a very perplexing
situation. Aunt Julia needn't have been so inhospitable. Why didn't
I wait until Daddy got home! Daddy's so much more--convincible. But
it's no use now; Daddy never goes back on Aunt Julia."

Patricia slipped from the fence. "I rather think you and I'd better go
down to the back meadow to talk things over; it's getting pretty near
sewing-time."

Out in the meadow, flat on her back in the long grass, Patricia set
herself to the task of solving this perplexing situation.

Half an hour earlier she had appeared back from one of her desultory
rambles, accompanied by this most forlorn of all forlorn dogs,
explaining that she had met him on the road, and he had followed
her home.

It was no unusual occurrence, but when Patricia added that he didn't
seem to belong to anybody, and she thought she would keep him, Miss
Kirby promptly and firmly protested.

To Patricia's pleading, that he was poor and lame and homeless, that
Caesar, the pointer, was the only dog they had now, and he was too old
to play much, Miss Kirby had proved adam