Little Tora, The Swedish Schoolmistress and Other Stories

Little Tora, The Swedish
Schoolmistress and
by Mrs.
Woods Baker

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Title: Little Tora, The Swedish Schoolmistress and Other Stories
Author: Mrs. Woods Baker
Release Date: August 1, 2007 [EBook #22195]
Language: English
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TORA ***

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LITTLE TORA:
THE SWEDISH SCHOOLMISTRESS
And Other Stories.

[Illustration: "The school was going on in its usual routine." Page 33.]

[Illustration: A BRAVE DEED Page 40]

LITTLE TORA
THE SWEDISH SCHOOLMISTRESS
And Other Stories
BY
MRS. WOODS BAKER
AUTHOR OF "THE BABES IN THE BASKET," "THE SWEDISH
TWINS," "FIRESIDE SKETCHES FROM SWEDISH LIFE," ETC.
ETC.
[Illustration]
THOMAS NELSON AND SONS London, Edinburgh, and New York
1898

CONTENTS.
A Swedish Schoolmistress.
I. LITTLE TORA, 13 II. FACING THE WORLD, 19 III. A NARROW
ESCAPE, 32 IV. A HAPPY MORNING, 42 V. THE PERMANENT
PUPIL, 50
A Week at Kulleby.
I. CHURCH SERVICE, 57 II. AT THE PASTOR'S, 63 III. A
STRANGE MEETING, 69 IV. TOO LATE, 76 V. KARIN AND
ELSA, 81 VI. CHRISTMAS EVE, 89
Alf.
I. A FOOLISH RESOLVE, 97 II. AFTER THIRTY YEARS, 104 III.
IN THE POORHOUSE, 110 IV. PREPARING FOR
CONFIRMATION, 118 V. LED TO THE LIGHT, 128 VI. PAINFUL
DISCLOSURES, 134 VII. A HAPPY CHRISTMAS, 145 VIII. THE
BEATA CHARITY, 151

Transcriber's Note: Minor typographical errors have been corrected
without note. Original spellings have been retained.

LITTLE TORA:
THE SWEDISH SCHOOLMISTRESS
CHAPTER I.
LITTLE TORA.
The kindly doctor was entertaining his brother-in-law, and all the
family were sitting round the table in state. The polished silver and
shining glass, with porcelain, flowers, and fruit, seemed to be all that

had been provided for the dinner.
The usual "grace" had hardly been said, when a trim maid announced
that a little girl was at the door, who must see the doctor about
something particular. "There is nobody sick more than usual," she says;
"but she must come in," continued the irritated damsel-in-waiting.
"Let her come in here. You can never have your meals in peace!" said
the doctor's wife affectionately.
The soup and the little girl came in together, the latterly evidently quite
prepared to state her errand. She was a small, straight child, with a
determined air and a cheery face, as if sure of success in her
undertaking. Fresh in Monday cleanliness, her white cotton
head-kerchief stood stiffly out in a point behind, and her calico apron
was without spot or wrinkle. Her shoes, though they had been
diligently blackened and were under high polish, did not correspond
with the rest of her appearance. They had evidently been made for a
boy, an individual much larger than their present wearer. Great
wrinkles crossing each other shut off some low, unoccupied land near
the toe, and showed how much of the sole had been too proud to touch
the common ground. All this the observers saw at once.
"Well, Tora!" said the doctor pleasantly, after she had dropped her
bob-courtesies, and "good-days" had been exchanged.
"May I sing for you?" said the little girl, without further hesitation, as
she hastily took out a thin, black book from the small pocket
handkerchief in which it had been carefully wrapped.
"Sing? yes, surely!" said the doctor. "Just the thing for us while we are
taking our dinner. My brother-in-law here is a famous judge of music,
so you must do your best."
Tora opened the book, took what she considered an imposing position,
and announced the name of the song. It was a patriotic one, and in the
full chorus of the schoolroom it had stirred the young Swedish hearts to
their depths.

The first few notes were right, though tremblingly given; then came a
quivering and a faltering and a falsity that made the doctor's boys cover
their laughing mouths with their hands, while their eyes twinkled with
suppressed merriment.
Just then there was a queer buzzing noise in the room, by which the
tune was carried on, and Tora fell in with fresh courage. Most of the
party were taking their soup, as well as listening; but the boys observed
that their uncle quietly held his motionless spoon, and was looking at
the singer as if lost in musical bliss. His mouth