MELCHIOR'S DREAM
AND OTHER TALES.
BY
JULIANA HORATIA EWING.
LONDON:
SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE,
Northumberland Avenue, W.C.
NEW YORK: E. & J.B. YOUNG & CO.
[Published under the direction of the General Literature Committee.]
Dedicated
TO
FOUR BROTHERS AND FOUR SISTERS.
CONTENTS.
| PAGE | |
| Melchior's Dream | 9 |
| The Blackbird's Nest | 51 |
| Friedrich's Ballad | 66 |
| A Bit of Green | 118 |
| Monsieur the Viscount's Friend | 134 |
| The Yew-lane Ghosts | 188 |
| A Bad Habit | 236 |
| A Happy Family | 261 |
EDITOR'S PREFACE.
It is always a memorable era in a mother's life when she firstintroduces a daughter into society. Many things contribute to make itso; among which is the fact of the personal blessing to herself, inhaving been permitted to see the day—to have been spared, that is, towatch over her child in infancy, and now to see her entering life uponher own account.
But a more uncommon privilege is the one granted to me on the presentoccasion, of introducing a daughter into the literary world; and thefeelings of pride and pleasure it calls forth, are certainly not lesspowerful than those created by the commoner occurrence. It is mycomfort also to add that these are not overclouded by any painfulanxiety or misgiving. There may be differences of opinion as to theprecise amount of literary merit in these tales; but viewed as thefirst productions of a young author, they are surely full of promise;while their whole tone and aim is so unmistakably high, that eventhose who criticize the style will be apt to respect the writer.
I ought here to express a hope that it will not be thoughtpresumptuous on my part, to undertake the office of introduction. I