Bad Family

Eliza Fenwick

Description

Part of a series for younger readers called The Dumpy Books, this collection of short stories offers a fascinating glimpse into the manners and mores of children and families at the dawn of the twentieth century. Fans of mock-didactic fiction such as Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events will feel right at home.

Sujets

• Short story

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781776529353
• Langue: English

Extrait

THE BAD FAMILY
AND OTHER STORIES
* * *
ELIZA FENWICK
 
*
The Bad Family And Other Stories First published in 1898 Epub ISBN 978-1-77652-935-3 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77652-936-0 © 2013 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
*
Introduction The Bad Family The Good Family Foolish Fears The Broken Crutch The Journal; or Birthday Gifts The Basket of Plumbs The Choice of Friends Cousin James and Cousin Thomas The Disasters of Impatience The Deaf and Dumb Boy Limby Lumpy The Oyster Patties Endnotes
Introduction
*
Mrs. Fenwick, like Mrs. Turner (some of whose Cautionary Stories havealready been published in this series), lived and wrote at the beginningof this century. Mrs. Turner practised verse, Mrs. Fenwick prose. I cantell nothing of Mrs. Fenwick's life, except that among her books were Infantine Stories , the Life of Carlo , Mary and her Cat , Presentsfor Good Boys and Girls , Rays from the Rainbow (an easy system ofteaching grammar), and Lessons for Children; or, Rudiments of GoodManners, Morals, and Humanity . It is from the last-named book that thefirst ten of the following stories have been taken. It was a favouritework in its day, and not only was it often reprinted in England, but wastranslated into French: for little French children, it seems, needlessons too.
As for these Rudiments , although it was Mrs. Fenwick's purpose thatthey should lead to good conduct, it would satisfy their present editorto know that they had amused. That is why they are printed here, andalso to show the kind of reading prepared for the childhood of ourgreat-grandmothers and great-grandfathers. In those days exaggerationwas rather in favour with story-tellers; and we therefore need notbelieve that there was ever a family quite so bad as the Bad Family inthis book, or a Good Family so good; or that Mrs. Loft (in 'The Basketof Plumbs') would have bought fruit from a household down with fever; orthat a boy of ten could write so well as the hero of 'The Journal.' Butafter making allowances for exaggeration, we may take everything else astruth. As I said, these stories are included in this series chiefly toprovide entertainment; but if they also have the use Mrs. Fenwickwished—if the misadventures of Frank Lawless keep us from robbingorchards, and 'The Broken Crutch' leads to the befriending of weary andwooden-legged sailors—why, so much the better.
The last two stories in this book, 'Limby Lumpy' and 'The OysterPatties,' were not written by Mrs. Fenwick; but they seem to fit inhere rather well.
E. V. LUCAS.
October 1898.
The Bad Family
*
There is a certain street in a certain town (no matter for its name) inwhich there are two handsome houses of equal size. The owners of thesehouses have each six children, and the neighbours have named one the BADFAMILY, and the other the GOOD FAMILY.
In the Bad Family there are three boys and three girls; and theservants, who are always much teased and vexed when they live wherethere are naughty children, speak of them thus:—the eldest they callFIGHTING HARRY, the second GREEDY GEORGE, and the youngest IDLERICHARD; the eldest girl is nicknamed CARELESS FANNY, the next LYINGLUCY, and the youngest SELFISH SARAH.
MASTER HENRY indeed well deserves his title, for he thinks it a mightyfine thing to be a great boxer, and takes great pride and pleasure inhaving a black eye or a bloody nose. This does not proceed from courage;no, no: courage never seeks quarrels, and is only active to repelinsult, protect the injured, and conquer danger; but Harry would be oneof the first to fly from real danger, or to leave the helpless to shiftfor themselves. He knows that he is very strong, and that few boys ofhis age can match him, so he picks quarrels on purpose to fight, becausehis great strength and his constant practice make him almost sure toconquer. All his schoolfellows hate him, for such a boy can neitherhave a good temper, a good heart, nor good manners. It is a pity heshould be sent to school, for learning is thrown away upon him; he willbe fit only to live with men that sweep the streets or drive carts andwaggons, for with such coarse and vulgar habits, gentlemen will notendure him in their company.
GEORGE, the second boy, is always thinking of eating and drinking. Hefollows the cook from place to place to know what nice things she hasgot in her pantry. When there is any dainty on the dinner-table, hisgreedy eyes are fixed on it from the moment he sits down till he ishelped, and then he grudges every morsel that any one else puts in hismouth. In his eagerness to get more than his proper share, he cramsgreat pieces into his mouth until he is almost choked and the tears areforced from his eyes. He will get slily into the store-room and stealhoney, sugar, or raisins; and in the pantry he picks the edges of thetarts and pies, and does a number of other mean tricks. When there iscompany at dinner, he watches the parlour-door till they leave it, andbefore the servants have time to clear the table, he sips up all thedrops of wine that are left in the glasses, and will even eat theparings of apples and pears that lie on the dessert plates. If he hasan orange or a cake, he runs into some dirty hole to eat it, for fearhis brothers and sisters should ask for a piece. If he has any moneygiven him, he spends it all at once, and crams and eats till he canscarcely move.
This greedy boy is always watched and suspected. No one will trust himin a garden, for he would eat till he made himself sick, or tear downthe branches of the trees to get at the fruit. Nor can he be allowed topay any visits, for the manners of a glutton give great offence to allwell-bred people. He has a sallow, ugly look, and is always peeping andprying about, like a beast watching for its prey.
IDLE RICHARD, the third son of the Bad Family, is a great dunce. Yet heis very capable of learning well, if he chose to take the trouble, buthe is fond of idleness and of nothing else. In the morning when he iscalled, though he knows it is time to get up, he will lie still, andafter he has been called again and again, he is never ready in time forbreakfast. At his meals he lolls upon the table, or against the back ofhis chair, and is just as slow and drawling in his manner of eating asin his learning. When he is sent to school, instead of looking at hisbook, he is gazing all round the room, or cutting bits of stick with hisknife; sometimes he lays his head down on the desk and falls asleep, andthen pretends to have the headache to excuse his idleness. His master isobliged often to punish him, and then for an hour or two he will learnvery well, but next day he gets back to all his idle tricks, and doesnothing; so that he is far below many boys that are much younger thanhimself. When other children go to play, he sits still or lies downupon the ground; he can take no pleasure, for he hates the trouble ofmoving, and there he sits yawning and pining for want of something todo. When he walks, he drags his feet along as if they were too heavy tolift up. His clothes are always dirty, for he will not brush them; hiseyes are dull and heavy; he looks like a clown and speaks like ablockhead. Idle Richard is a burthen to himself, and scorned byeverybody.
MISS FANNY has got the title of Careless, because she minds no one thingthat she ought. If she goes out to walk, she is sure to lose one of hergloves, or lets her bonnet blow off into the mud, or steps into themiddle of some filthy puddle, because she is staring about and notminding which way she goes. At home, when she should go to work, herneedle-book, or her thimble, or her scissors cannot be found; thoughshe has a work-basket to put these things in, they are never in theright place.
At dinner she does not observe how her plate stands on the table, andperhaps her meat and all the gravy tumble into her lap. If she has aglass of wine, she spills it on her frock; if she hands a plate of breadand butter to any one, she is sure either to drop the plate, or tolet the bread and butter fall upon the carpet. She wears very coarseclothes, for she cannot be trusted with good ones. At night when sheundresses to go to bed, she throws her frock on a chair or the ground,instead of folding it neatly up, so that it is tumbled and not fit toput on the next morning. If she writes, she throws the ink about herclothes; if she tears a hole in her frock, she does not take a needleand thread to mend it directly, but pins it up; then perhaps the pinpricks her half a dozen times in an hour, and tears three or four moreholes in the frock. If she has a book lent to her, she will let it fallin the dirt, or drop the grease of the candle upon the leaves. She isalways a slattern and always dirty; she is a disgrace to herself and aburthen to her friends.
What a shocking name the next is—LYING LUCY! It is dreadful to thinkthat any one should deserve to be so called, but this wicked little girldeserves it, for she has no sense of honour, and seldom speaks thetruth. Even when she does say what is true, on account of her havingtold falsehoods so long, people know not how to believe her, for who candepend upon the word of a LIAR?