E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, Mary Meehan,
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A SPECKLED BIRD
BY AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON
AUTHOR OF "ST. ELMO," "VASHTI," "INFELICE," "AT THE MERCY OF TIBERIUS,"ETC.
"As a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her."
G. W. DILLINGHAM COMPANY
PUBLISHERS NEW YORK
Copyright, 1902, BY
G. W. DILLINGHAM COMPANY
A Speckled Bird.
Issued August, 1902.
To
MY KIND READERS
KNOWN AND UNKNOWN, WHO HAVE DESIRED AND ASKED
ME TO WRITE AGAIN, THESE PAGES ARE OFFERED
IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION OF VERY
LOYAL FRIENDSHIP DURING
MANY YEARS
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER X
CHAPTER XI
CHAPTER XII
CHAPTER XIII
CHAPTER XIV
CHAPTER XV
CHAPTER XVI
CHAPTER XVII
CHAPTER XVIII
CHAPTER XIX
CHAPTER XX
CHAPTER XXI
CHAPTER XXII
CHAPTER XXIII
CHAPTER XXIV
CHAPTER XXV
CHAPTER XXVI
CHAPTER XXVII
POPULAR NOVELS
A SPECKLED BIRD
CHAPTER I
"Grandma, who named me Eglah?"
"My cousin, Bishop Vivian, when he baptized you."
"Do you think he had any right to put such a label on me?"
"Certainly, because your father selected your name, and the bishop hadno choice."
"It is so ugly, I never can like it, and a little baby that can't speakher mind ought not to be tied to something she must drag all her lifeand hate for ever and ever."
"Eat your breakfast, and try to be a good, quiet child, then your namewill not trouble you so much."
"I never shall like it, any more than you do, and you know, grandma,when you call me your mouth twists like you had toothache."
"I was not consulted about your name. It belonged to your New EnglandGrandmother Kent, and as it appears you belong o