Frank and Fanny

Frank and Fanny

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Frank and Fanny, by Mrs. Clara
Moreton This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and
with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away
or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: Frank and Fanny
Author: Mrs. Clara Moreton
Release Date: June 3, 2005 [EBook #15977]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRANK
AND FANNY ***

Produced by Internet Archive Children's Library; University of Florida,
PM Children's Library, Laura Wisewell and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

[Illustration]
FRANK AND FANNY: A RURAL STORY.
BY MRS. CLARA MORETON.

WITH NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS.
BOSTON: PHILLIPS, SAMPSON & CO. 1851.
Entered, according to act of Congress, in the year 1850, By PHILLIPS
AND SAMPSON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the
District of Massachusetts.

PREFACE.
To inculcate gentleness of disposition, patience, and benevolence, and
to inspire the young with a love for the simple pleasures of rural life, is
the purpose of the following story. The love of exciting narratives is
not favourable to the developement of those mild virtues which are the
most beautiful ornaments of youth; and, in the following pages, the
quiet scenes and simple characters of rural life solicit attention, in
preference to the hairbreadth 'scapes and marvellous adventures which
are often brought under the notice of the young. If the author has
succeeded in the moral purpose of her little book, she will be satisfied
with the result.

FRANK AND FANNY.
CHAPTER I.
FRANK AND FANNY'S HOME.
Frank and Fanny Lee were orphans. Their parents died when they were
children, leaving them to the care of their grand-parents, who lived in
the suburbs of a beautiful village, in New England.
Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton were very fond of their grand-children, and did
every thing in their power to make them happy. They were not rich, and
therefore, had no money to throw away for useless toys; but this caused
Frank and Fanny no uneasiness. In fine weather, all the leisure time

which they could get from school, and from their tasks, was spent in
wandering through the woods which skirted the little village on almost
every side. In spring time they watched for the first flowers, and many
a bouquet of tiny 'forget-me-nots,' and dark blue, and pure white violets,
they brought to their grandmother, who welcomed the wild flowers of
spring, with as much pleasure, and youth of heart as the grand-children.
As the season advanced, there was no end to the variety which they
gathered; and the sweetest were daily selected for the little vase, which
always stood upon the table, beside the large family Bible, out of which,
both morning and evening, the good grandmother read to her children.
Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton owned the comfortable cottage, in which they
lived. It was shaded in front by a large elm tree, that spread its arms far
out over the moss-covered roof, as if it were some protecting spirit.
Around the door, a beautiful vine had been trained; and rose bushes,
and shrubs, were scattered through the yard. On one side of the house,
was a garden, where grew a profusion of currant bushes, and raspberry
vines, with many useful vegetables, and flowers were scattered along
on each side of the little walk that ran through the centre of the garden.
There were hollyhocks, and noonsleeps, and tiger-lilies, and little
patches of moss pinks, the tiny flowers all tangled in with their green
foliage, and sweet williams, and love-lies-bleeding; and the children
thought there was never such another garden in the world. Here the
children delighted to watch the butterflies, and bees, and birds,
revelling among the flowers, especially the beautiful humming bird,
with his jacket of golden green, his ruby-colored throat, and long,
slender bill, which he was so fond of thrusting into the garden lilies and
hollyhocks. He loved to resort to the garden of Frank and Fanny, where
the bright sun was shining on the flowers.
[Illustration: THE HUMMING BIRD.]
Then there was a little brown arbor, with grape vines carefully trained
over it, and rustic seats within; and there were quince trees just beyond,
and up by the gateway there grew tall stalks of fennel; and altogether, it
was a most delightful place. Back of the house was an orchard, and
here pippins, long-stems, flyers, greenings, and seek-no-furthers, grew

side by side.
[Illustration: THE CEDAR BIRD.]
Here these children delighted to watch the beautiful cedar bird with his
silky plumage, and his smart crest. He is a sociable, gentle bird, who
allowed the children to come very near him, as he