Transcriber's Notes:
Blank pages have been eliminated.
Variations in spelling and hyphenation have been left as in theoriginal.
A few typographical errors have been corrected.
The cover page was created by the transcriber and can be considered public domain.
See Page 11.
THE WISHING-CAP.
BY MRS. SHERWOOD,
AUTHOR OF "LITTLE HENRY AND HIS BEARER," &c. &c.
NEW EDITION.
LONDON:
HOULSTON AND STONEMAN,
63, PATERNOSTER ROW.
THE WISHING-CAP.
There lived once a lady in London,who had a great deal of money, butwho had never given her heart to God.This lady had the care of five children:four of them were brothers andsisters; and their names were Jamesand Edward, Charlotte and Louisa.The fifth child was an orphan, andhad no brothers or sisters. The nameof this little boy was Charles. LittleCharles's papa and mamma had beendead only a very few months: theywere very pious people, and had[8]brought up their little boy in the fearof God. Charles thought of his papaand mamma every day: he knew theywere gone to heaven, and he knew,also, who that blessed person was, forwhose sake they had been receivedinto that happy place.
Every day little Charles read a few[9]chapters in a Bible which his papahad given him, and he tried to rememberthe good things which hadbeen taught him: so God blessedlittle Charles, and helped him to begood.
It happened, one Sunday afternoon,in the Christmas holidays, that thelady came into the children's play-room,and sat down among them. "Iam come," she said, "to drink teawith you this evening; after which wewill put on a wishing-cap; and thenwe shall see what fine things the wishing-capwill produce."
The children were all pleased tosee the lady sit down among them;[10]and while they were drinking theirtea, they talked a great deal aboutthe wishing-cap.
"What can a wishing-cap be?" saidLouisa, who was the youngest: "andhow can it bring fine things?"
"I never heard of a wishing-cap inall my life," said James. "I want teato be over, that we may see it."
"O!" said Charlotte, "I knowwhat is meant by a wishing-cap. Iremember reading of a man, in a fairytale, who had a wishing-cap; andwhen he put this cap on, and wishedfor any thing, he had it immediately:but I thought there were no such[11]things really as wishing-caps, exceptin fairy tales."
"Well, well," said the lady, "weshall see what kind of wishing-cap Ican make: but I must tell you, mywishing-cap is not so good a one asthe man's in the fairy tale; it willonly produce such things as may beeasily had, it will not bring wondersto pass."
In this manner they went on talkingtill tea was over, and the tea-thingscarried away. Then the ladydrew her chair to the fire, and biddingthe children sit round her, sheput her hand int