Queen Victoria raising Lord Rolle.
PICTURES
FROM
ENGLISH HISTORY.
A Fireside Amusement
WITH ENGRAVINGS.
BATH:
BINNS AND GOODWIN.
LONDON: WHITTAKER & CO., AVE MARIA LANE.
EDINBURGH: JOHNSTONE. DUBLIN: CURRY.
1846.
BATH: PRINTED BY BINNS AND GOODWIN.
PREFACE.
While there are so many pleasant ways ofinstructing the youth of the present day, it mayperhaps appear presumption to add this work tothe number. But those who have watched theexpansion of a child's mind may have seen, that theidea of improvement is too frequently combinedwith that of a task; and where instruction can beconveyed in a lighter form, it is more pleasantlyand permanently impressed. With a little attentionfrom their elders, many branches of education maybe made attractive to children; and it is hoped, thatthis small volume, if it should not succeed inimprinting some few incidents of English History onthe memory of the children, may suggest to theparents the possibility of lessening the wearinessof study.
PICTURES FROM ENGLISH HISTORY.
A Fireside Amusement.
CHAPTER I.
Little boys and girls—aye, and their eldersalso—often feel the hours very long and heavy. Thelatter have many causes for this feeling; but theformer had better take my advice, and directly seekfor some employment, which will, I promise, curetheir complaint. They may have a kind mama orfriend to assist them; and there are many moreways of amusing themselves than they think of.Let them listen to me, and I will tell them ofa game which often entertained some young friendsof mine, and was one of their plans for passingidle moments.
It was early in January that Mrs. Macdonaldwas quietly sitting with her sister, who had notlong arrived from India. It was very cold; theshutters had been shut, the curtains drawn earlierthan usual, and the ladies had made a cheerful fireto greet Mr. Macdonald on his return from hisdaily occupation. After so long a separation theyhad much to talk of, and preferred the bright blazeto the light of the lamp.
At the top of the house a very different scenewas passing. Mrs. Macdonald's children andtheir four cousins had romped until they weretired, and were now silly enough to complain ofbeing obliged to stop, and did not know what todo next; the elder children had good-naturedlyjoined in their games, and were too weary to tellstories, or continue their exertions in their behalf.The nurse had insisted on their not crowding tooclose to the fire, to which she maintained the babyand the tea-kettle had the best right. LittleAlfred had asserted he was tired of his life, and hislittle cousins began crying with cold to which theywere so unaccustomed, when the former started tohis feet, expressing his determination that hewould go to mama, who he was sure had candles,and would shew them the new puzzles papa gavethem at Christmas. It was in vain to try andstop him, or to remind him that it was some timebefore the usual hour of going into the drawingroom: the nursery was quite out of favour, andlittle feet hurrying down stairs, soon interruptedthe ladies' conversation.
Alfred was the first to ente