BETTY LEICESTER'S CHRISTMAS
BY SARAH ORNE JEWETT
BOSTON AND NEW YORK
HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY
The Riverside Press, Cambridge
1899
COPYRIGHT, 1894 AND 1899, BY SARAH ORNE JEWETT
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
To
M. E. G.
IN SOLEMN MAJESTY
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
| PAGE | |
| In solemn majesty | (page 62) Frontispiece |
| "I was so glad to come" | 20 |
| A tall boy had joined them | 42 |
| Betty, Edith, and Warford | 50 |
BETTY LEICESTER'S CHRISTMAS
I
There was once a story-book girl named Betty Leicester, who lived in asmall square book bound in scarlet and white. I, who know her betterthan any one else does, and who know my way about Tideshead, thestory-book town, as well as she did, and who have not only made many avisit to her Aunt Barbara and Aunt Mary in their charming oldcountry-house, but have even seen the house in London where she spentthe winter: I, who confess to loving Betty a good deal, wish to write alittle more about her in this Christmas story. The truth is, that eversince I wrote the first story I have been seeing girls who reminded meof Betty Leicester of Tideshead. Either they were about the same age orthe same height, or they skipped gayly by me in a little gown like hers,or I saw a pleased look or a puzzled look in their eyes which seemed tobring Betty, my own story-book girl, right before me.
Now, if anybody has read the book, this preface will be much moreinteresting than if anybody has not. Yet, if I say to all newacquaintances that Betty was just in the middle of her sixteenth year,and quite in the middle of girlhood; that she hated some things as muchas she could, and liked other things with all her heart, and did notfeel pleased when older people kept saying don't! perhaps these newacquaintances will take the risk of being friends. Certain things hadbecome easy just as Betty was leaving Tideshead in New England, whereshe had been spending the summer with her old aunts, so that, having gotused to all the Tideshead liberties and restrictions, she thought shewas leaving the easiest place in the world; but when she got back toLondon with her father, somehow or other life was very difficult indeed.
She used to wish for London and for her cronies, the Duncans, when shewas first in Tideshead; but when she was in England again she foundthat, being a little nearer to the awful responsibilities of a grownperson, she was not only a new Betty, but London—great, busy, roaring,delightful London—was a new London altogether. To say that she feltlonely, an