Produced by Internet Archive; University of Florida, Children; Samuel
Thompson and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
[Illustration]
[Illustration: UNCLE THOMAS.]
[Illustration]
1850.
Uncle Thomas's Stories for Good Children.
The design of this series of unpretendinglittle books, is, to give to theYoung information, joined with amusement.
They are prepared for young children,and if, from the reading of these stories,they acquire a love for good books, thecompiler's object will be accomplished.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: Phebe, the Blackberry Girl]
"Why, Phebe, are you come so soon,
Where are your berries, child?
You cannot, sure, have sold them all,
You had a basket pil'd."
"No, mother, as I climb'd the fence,
The nearest way to town,
My apron caught upon a stake,
And so I tumbled down."
"I scratched my arm, and tore my hair,
But still did not complain;
And had my blackberries been safe,
Should not have cared a grain.
[Illustration: Phebe and her Mother.]
"But when I saw them on the ground
All scattered by my side,
I pick'd my empty basket up,
And down I sat and cried.
"Just then a pretty little Miss
Chanced to be walking by;
She stopp'd, and looking pitiful,
She begg'd me not to cry.
"'Poor little girl, you fell,' said she,
'And must be sadly hurt'—
'O, no,' I cried, 'but see my fruit,
All mixed with sand and dirt!'
"'Well, do not grieve for that,' she said:
'Go home, and get some more:'
Ah, no, for I have stripp'd the vines,
These were the last they bore.
"My father, Miss, is very poor,
And works in yonder stall;
He has so many little ones,
He cannot clothe us all.
"I always long'd to go to church,
But never could I go;
For when I ask'd him for a gown,
He always answer'd, 'No.'
"'There's not a father in the world
That loves his childre