The Project Gutenberg EBook of Aunt Judith, by Grace Beaumont

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Title: Aunt Judith
The Story of a Loving Life

Author: Grace Beaumont

Release Date: May 14, 2007 [EBook #21432]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AUNT JUDITH ***

Produced by Al Haines

[Illustration: Started off through the first figure.]

AUNT JUDITH

The Story of a Loving Life

BY

GRACE BEAUMONT

THOMAS NELSON AND SONS

LONDON, EDINBURGH,

DUBLIN, AND NEW YORK

Published 1888, 1910

CONTENTS.

I. A School-girl Quarrel
II. Aunt Judith
III. Will You have Me for a Friend?
IV. A Talk with Aunt Judith
V. A Fallen Queen
VI. Winnie's Home
VII. An Afternoon at Dingle Cottage
VIII. Forging the First Link
IX. The Christmas Party
X. Gathering Clouds
XI. It is so hard to say Good-bye
XII. I always speak as I think
XIII. Our Sailor Boy
XIV. The Prize Essay
XV. How shall I live through the long, long years?
XVI. Light in Darkness
XVII. I shall learn to be good now
XVIII. Conclusion

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Started off through the first figure . . . . . . _Frontispiece_

"Will you have me for a friend?"

A prostrate figure with white, upturned face

The eyes, wide open, were fixed on the sheets of
manuscript before her

AUNT JUDITH.

CHAPTER I.

A SCHOOL-GIRL QUARREL.

"Girls, girls, I've news for you!" cried Winnifred Blake, entering the
school-room and surveying the faces of her school-mates with great
eagerness.

Luncheon hour was almost over, and the pupils belonging to Mrs. Elder's
Select Establishment for Young Ladies were gathered together in the
large school-room, some enjoying a merry chat, others, more studiously
inclined, conning over a forthcoming lesson.

"Give us the benefit of your news quickly, Winnie," said Ada Irvine,
looking round from her snug seat on the broad window-ledge; "surely we
must be going to hear something wonderful when _you_ are so excited;"
and the girl eyed her animated school-fellow half scornfully.

"A new pupil is