THE CROFTON BOYS
BY HARRIET MARTINEAU
AUTHOR OF "THE PEASANT AND THE PRINCE," "FEATS ON THE FIORD," ETC., ETC.
LONDON
GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS
BROADWAY, LUDGATE HILL
NEW YORK: 9, LAFAYETTE PLACE
Ballantyne Press
BALLANTYNE, HANSON AND CO., EDINBURGH
CHANDOS STREET, LONDON
The Crofton Boys.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. ALL THE PROCTORS BUT PHIL
CHAPTER II. WHY MR. TOOKE CAME
CHAPTER III. MICHAELMAS-DAY COME
CHAPTER IV. MICHAELMAS-DAY OVER
CHAPTER V. CROFTON PLAY
CHAPTER VI. FIRST RAMBLE
CHAPTER VII. WHAT IS ONLY TO BE HAD AT HOME
CHAPTER VIII. A LONG DAY
CHAPTER IX. CROFTON QUIET
CHAPTER X. LITTLE VICTORIES
CHAPTER XI. DOMESTIC MANNERS
CHAPTER XII. HOLT AND HIS DIGNITY
CHAPTER XIII. TRIPPING
CHAPTER XIV. HOLT AND HIS HELP
CHAPTER XV. CONCLUSION
THE CROFTON BOYS.
CHAPTER I.
ALL THE PROCTORS BUT PHIL.
Mr. Proctor, the chemist and druggist, kept his shop, and lived in theStrand, London. His children thought that there was never anythingpleasanter than the way they lived. Their house was warm in winter, andsuch a little distance from the church, that they had no difficulty ingetting to church and back again, in the worst weather, before theirshoes were wet. They were also conveniently near to Covent Gardenmarket; so that, if any friend dropped in to dinner unexpectedly, Janeand Agnes could be off to the market, and buy a fowl, or some vegetablesor fruit, and be back again before they were missed. It was not even toofar for little Harry to trot with one of his sisters, early on asummer's morning, to spend his penny (when he happened to have one) on abunch of flowers, to lay on papa's plate, to surprise him when he camein to breakfast. Not much farther off was the Temple Garden, where Mrs.Proctor took her children every fine summer evening to walk and breathethe air from the river; and when Mr. Proctor could find time to come tothem for a turn or two before the younger ones must go home to bed, itseemed to the whole party the happiest and most beautiful place in thewhole world,—except one. They had once been to Broadstairs, when thechildren were in poor health after the measles: and for ever after, whenthey thought of the waves beating on the shore, and of the pleasures ofgrowing strong and well among the sea-breezes, they felt that theremight be places more delig