The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Old Castle and Other Stories, by Anonymous

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Title: The Old Castle and Other Stories

Author: Anonymous

Release Date: May 2, 2007 [EBook #21278]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE OLD CASTLE AND OTHER STORIES ***

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[Illustration: THE LONELY COTTAGE
_page 53_]

THE OLD CASTLE

AND

Other Stories.

LONDON: THOMAS NELSON AND SONS.

EDINBURGH; AND NEW YORK.

1881.

* * * * *

Contents.

THE OLD CASTLE,

GEORGE AND ALICK,

THE SIXPENNY CALICO,

A WESTMORELAND STORY,

* * * * *

THE OLD CASTLE.

How pleasant the parlour looked on the evening of "Flaxy's" birthday.
To be sure it was November, and the wind was setting the poor dying
leaves in a miserable shiver with some dreadful story of an iceberg he
had just been visiting. But what cared Dicky and Prue, or Dudley and
Flaxy, or all the rest sitting cosily around that charming fire, which
glowed as if some kind fairy had filled up the little black grate with
carbuncles and rubies? Over the mantle-piece were branches of pretty
white sperm candles, whose light fell softly on the heavy red
curtains and the roses in the carpet, and danced in the eyes of the
happy children.

They, the children, had been having a "splendid time." They had played
games, and put together dissected maps, and tried puzzles, and read in
Flaxy's wonderful books; and since tea they had had a grand romp at
"fox and geese," even such big boys as Bernard and Dudley joining in;
and now they were resting with pretty red cheeks and parted mouths.

"Well, what shall we do now?" cried little Prue, who c