Narratives of a Parent; Or, Birth-Day Tales. Or, Birth-Day Tales

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1845. Excerpt: ... NARRATIVES OF A PARENT; OR, BIETH-DAY TALES, CHAPTER I, It was the custom of my father to receive from each of his children on his birth-day, a tale written by themselves; founded on any religious, historical, or geographical event, which had particularly occupied their attention in the preceding year; and from the subjects chosen, he used to draw a correct notion of our dispositions and characters. It was a day to which we all looked forward with delight; and long before its arrival our little contributions were in readiness: not, however, without having been many times corrected and improved; nay, sometimes written over again, so anxious were we to have them as free as possible from errors. How proud and happy we used to feel when we thought we had chosen subjects that would please him! yet, as the clay drew near, a sentiment of apprehension would s steal over our minds, a fear lhat some error might have heen overlooked, or that our ideas had not been explained as they ought. On that anxiously-expected morning we rose with the sun: and while the dew-drop still hung on the flowers, the most beautiful were gathered to decorate the basket in which our little offerings were deposited. What a picture of happiness we should have presented to the eye of a stranger, as we stood round the study-table (it was only a small room, and contained but one), arranging the flowers which our brothers had provided; and when we had done so to our satisfaction, with what beating hearts and sparkling eyes we awaited the appearance of our parents. I shall pass over many of these anniversaries, and select one which has a double claim on my recollection: first, because the subject we had chosen was of a more important nature than any of the preceding years; secondly, it was the ...