The Story Telling."'I like, best of all, to hear about what happened when Grandmamma wasnew,' said Fritz."—See page 7.

When Grandmamma
Was New

THE STORY OF A VIRGINIA CHILDHOOD

By Marion Harland

ILLUSTRATED

BOSTON
LOTHROP PUBLISHING COMPANY

Copyright, 1899,
BY
LOTHROP PUBLISHING COMPANY.

THIRD THOUSAND

Norwood Press
J. S. Cushing & Co.—Berwick & Smith
Norwood Mass. U.S.A.

Explanatory

It was Fritz who said it first, and when he was three years younger thanhe is now.

Somebody asked him what sort of stories he liked best. No doubt he oughtto have said "Bible Stories," such as his mother tells on Sundayafternoons, and which he does love dearly. But he spoke out what hereally thought and felt at the time of asking, and said, "I like, bestof all, to hear about what happened when Grandmamma was New."

The phrase tickled my fancy, and, thenceforward, I would have no othertitle for the sight-draughts made by the boys upon my bank of memory.When these "vouchers" grew into a volume, no name would serve my turnexcept the mot de famille set in circulation by the quaintfive-year-old.

My laddies are well trained. (Good children run in the family.) Irecord, pridefully, that the sunny head of the least of the band hasnever drooped drowsily while the tale went on, and that his chirp wasdistinct in the general plea for, "More—to-morrow night?" with whichthe conclave brought up at the call to prayers and to pillows. This hasnot so far flattered me out of my sober senses as to beget a hope thatmy reminiscences will find such loving interest and attention so rapt inthe larger audience outlying our doors. Yet I dare believe that othergrandparents will read and other children will listen to the realhappenings of the Long Time Ago when this Grandmamma was New.

MARION HARLAND.

Sunnybank,
May, 1899.

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