Rollo in London

Jacob Abbott

Description

This early work by Jacob Abbott was originally published in 1864. It is part of 'The Rollo Series' and is an entertaining and educational piece of juvenile fiction.

Informations

• Publié par: Read Books Ltd.
• Date de parution: 20 février 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781473371118
• Langue: English

Extrait

Rollo in London
by
Jacob Abbott


Copyright © 2013 Read Books Ltd.
This book is copyright and may not be
reproduced or copied in any way without
the express permission of the publisher in writing
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library


Contents
Rollo in London
Jacob Abbott
Chapter I. City and Town.
Chapter II. London Bridge.
Chapter III. The River.
Chapter IV. The Policeman.
Chapter V. Lodgings.
Chapter VI. Breakfast.
Chapter VII. Westminster Abbey.
Chapter VIII. Calculations.
Chapter IX. St. Paul’s.
Chapter X. The Dome of St. Paul’s.
Chapter XI. The Aristocracy.
Chapter XII. A Misfortune .
Chapter XIII. Philosophy.
Chapter XIV. The Docks.
Chapter XV. The Emigrants.
Chapter XVI. The Tower and the Tunnel.


Jacob Abbott
Jacob Abbott was born on 14th November 1803 at Hallowell, Maine, United States. He was an American writer of children’s books, much loved for his historical and straightforward approach. Abbott spent his early education at the local Hallowell Academy , later studying at Bowdoin College and graduating in 1820. He then moved to Andover Theological Seminary , and on completing his course became a tutor there from 1824-1825. Abbott was clearly academically gifted and soon after (in 1829) was appointed professor of mathematics and natural philosophy at Amherst College , having also been licensed to preach by the Hampshire Association in 1826. He also founded the Mount Vernon School for Young Ladies in Boston in 1829 and was principal of it until 1833.
After these academic and theological successes, Abbott became a full-time pastor of Eliot Congregational Church (which he founded) at Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1834-1835. With his brothers, he was also a founder, and in 1843–1851 a principal of Abbott’s Institute , and in 1845–1848 of the Mount Vernon School for Boys , in New York City. Abbott is best known for his writing however. He was a prolific author, writing juvenile fiction, brief histories, biographies, religious books for the general reader, and a few works in popular science. He wrote 180 books and was a co-author or editor of thirty-one more. His Rollo Books , such as Rollo at Work, Rollo at Play, Rollo in Europe , etc., are the best known of his writings, having as their chief characters a representative boy and his associates. Works of historical fiction, they recount Rollo and his every day adventures, growing up in nineteenth century rural America. Rollo enjoys playing in the woods, whether he’s building a wigwam, setting a trap for a squirrel, or rescuing a baby bird. Yet events don’t always turn out the way he wants — the squirrel escapes, the blueberry expedition is delayed by rain and, when it finally does happen, he encounters trouble on the mountain. Yet his friends and parents help Rollo through his difficulties, sometimes by aiding him directly but mostly by prompting him to think about his behaviour and come to a resolution himself.
Abbott had actually preceded these works with his Lucy Series, a similar endeavour, but directed at girls. He later penned Uncle George, using this character to teach young readers about ethics, geography, history and science. Abbott also wrote twenty-two volumes of biographical histories and a ten volume set titled the Franconia Stories. His biographical histories were especially well received, encompassing figures as diverse as Genghis Kahn, Margaret of Anjou, Richard I, II and III, Nero, Alexander the Great and Queen Elizabeth. They were specifically aimed at young people; from about fifteen to twenty-five years old, and within a few years of their publication (1848) they became standard reference works for juvenile history. Abraham Lincoln was even a fan! He wrote to the Abbots: ‘I want to thank you and your brother for Abbott’s series of Histories. I have not education enough to appreciate the profound works of voluminous historians, and if I had, I have no time to read them. But your series of Histories gives me, in brief compass, just that knowledge of past men and events which I need. I have read them with the greatest interest. To them I am indebted for about all the historical knowledge I have.’
Although the name of his wife is unrecorded, we do know that she died in 1843, after which Abbott moved to New York with his brother. Abbott had four sons, all of whom led happy and successful lives; Benjamin Vaughan Abbott and Austin Abbott were both eminent lawyers, whilst Lyman Abbott and Edward Abbott followed in their father’s footsteps and became well known authors. Abbott died on 31st October 1879, in Farmington, Maine, America. He had spent time here in 1839, and it was also the town where his brother, Samuel Phillips Abbott chose to found the Abbott School.


ROLLO IN LONDON BY JACOB ABBOTT.

LONDON BRIDGE.





ROLLO’S TOUR IN EUROPE. ORDER OF THE VOLUMES. ROLLO ON THE ATLANTIC. ROLLO IN PARIS. ROLLO IN SWITZERLAND. ROLLO IN LONDON. ROLLO ON THE RHINE. ROLLO IN SCOTLAND. ROLLO IN GENEVA. ROLLO IN HOLLAND. ROLLO IN NAPLES. ROLLO IN ROME.


PRINCIPAL PERSONS OF THE STORY.
Rollo ; twelve years of age.
Mr. and Mrs. Holiday ; Rollo's father and mother, travelling in Europe.
Thanny ; Rollo's younger brother.
Jane ; Rollo's cousin, adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Holiday.
Mr. George ; a young gentleman, Rollo's uncle.




THE PARK. (See Chap. XI.)


ROLLO IN LONDON.
Chapter I. City and Town.
“Which London shall we visit first?” said Mr. George to Rollo.
“Why,” rejoined Rollo, surprised, “are there two of them?”
“Yes,” said Mr. George. “We may almost say there are two of them. Or, at any rate, there are two heads to the monster, though the immense mass forms but one body.”
While Mr. George was saying these words Rollo had been standing on the step of the railway car and looking in at the window towards his uncle George, who was inside. Just at this time, however, the conversation was interrupted by the sound of the bell, denoting that the train was about to start. So Rollo jumped down from the step and ran back to his own car, which was a second-class car, two behind the one where Mr. George was sitting. He had scarcely got to his seat before the whistle of the conductor sounded and the train began to move. As it trundled along out of the station, gradually increasing its speed as it advanced, Rollo sat wondering what his uncle meant by the double-headed character which he had assigned to the monstrous city that they were going to see.
What is commonly called London does in fact consist, as Mr. George had said, of two great cities, entirely diverse from each other, and completely distinct—each being, in its way, the richest, the grandest, and the most powerful capital in the world.
One of these twin capitals is the metropolis of commerce; the other is that of political and military power.
The first is called the City.
The second is called the West End.
Both together—with the immense region of densely-peopled streets and squares which connect and surround them—constitute what is generally called London.
The city was the original London. The West End was at first called Westminster. The relative position of these two centres may be seen by the following map:—

The city—which was the original London—is the most ancient. It was founded long before the days of the Romans; so long, in fact, that its origin is wholly unknown. Nor is any thing known in respect to the derivation or meaning of the name. In regard to Westminster, the name is known to come from the word minster , which means cathedral —a cathedral church having been built there at a very early period, and which, lying west of London as it did, was called the West Minster. This church passed through a great variety of mutations during the lapse of successive centuries, having grown old, and been rebuilt, and enlarged, and pulled down, and rebuilt again, and altered, times and ways without number. It is represented in the present age by the venerable monumental pile—the burial-place of the ancient kings, and of the most distinguished nobles, generals, and statesmen of the English monarchy—known through all the world as Westminster Abbey.
After a time, when England became at length one kingdom, the king built his palace, and established his parliament, and opened his court in Westminster, not far from the abbey. The place, being about three miles from the city, was very convenient for this purpose. In process of time public edifices were erected, and noblemen’s houses and new palaces for the king or for other members of the royal family were built, and shops were set up for the sale of such things as the people of the court might wish to buy, and streets and squares were laid out; and, in fine, Westminster became gradually quite an extended and famous town. It was still, however, entirely distinct from London, being about three miles from it, farther up the river. The principal road from London to Westminster followed the margin of the water, and was called the Strand. Towards Westminster the road diverged from the river so as to leave a space between wide enough for houses; and along this space the great nobles from time to time built magnificent palaces around great square courts, where they could ride in under an