Timothy Crumps Ward

Timothy Crump's Ward: A Story of American Life

The Project Gutenberg Etext of Timothy Crump's Ward: A Story of American Life
by Horatio Alger (#11 in our series by Horatio Alger)
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Title: Timothy Crump's Ward: A Story of American Life
Author: Horatio Alger
Release Date: November, 2003 [Etext #4660] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on February 23, 2002]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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TIMOTHY CRUMP'S WARD:
A STORY OF AMERICAN LIFE.
by Horatio Alger
1866.

CONTENTS.

I. INTRODUCES THE CRUMPS II. THE EVENTS OF AN EVENING III. THE LANDLORD'S VISIT IV. THE NEW YEAR'S PRESENT V. A LUCKY RESCUE VI. WHAT THE ENVELOPE CONTAINED VII. EIGHT YEARS. IDA'S PROGRESS VIII. A STRANGE VISITOR IX. A JOURNEY X. UNEXPECTED QUARTERS XI. SUSPENSE XII. HOW IDA FARED XIII. BAD COIN XIV. DOUBTS AND FEARS XV. AUNT RACHEL'S MISHAPS XVI. THE FLOWER-GIRL XVII. JACK (sic) OBTAIN'S INFORMATION XVIII. FINESSE XIX. CAUGHT IN A TRAP XX. JACK IN CONFINEMENT XXI. THE PRISONER ESCAPES XXII. MR. JOHN SOMERVILLE XXIII. THE LAW STEPS IN XXIV. "THE FLOWER-GIRL" XXV. IDA IS FOUND XXVI. "NEVER TOO LATE TO MEND" XXVII. CONCLUSION

TIMOTHY CRUMP'S WARD.

CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCES THE CRUMPS.

IT was drawing towards the close of the last day of the year. A few hours more, and 1836 would be no more.
It was a cold day. There was no snow on the ground, but it was frozen into stiff ridges, making it uncomfortable to walk upon. The sun had been out all day, but there was little heat or comfort in its bright, but frosty beams.
The winter is a hard season for the poor. It multiplies their necessities, while, in general, it limits their means and opportunities of earning. The winter of 1836-37 was far from being an exception to this rule. It was worse than usual, on account of the general stagnation of business.
In an humble tenement, located on what was then the outskirts of New York, though to-day a granite warehouse stands on the spot, lived Timothy Crump, an industrious cooper. His family consisted of a wife and one child, a boy of twelve, whose baptismal name was John, though invariably addressed, by his companions, as Jack.
There was another member of the household who would be highly offended if she were not introduced, in due form, to the reader. This was Miss Rachel Crump, maiden sister of Uncle Tim, as he was usually designated.
Miss Rachel was not much like her brother, for while the latter was a good-hearted, cheerful easy man, who was inclined to view the world in its sunniest aspect, Rachel was cynical, and given to misanthropy. Poor Rachel, let us not be too hard upon thy infirmities. Could we lift the veil that hides the secrets of that virgin heart, it might be, perchance, that we should find a hidden cause, far back in the days when thy cheeks were rounder and thine eyes brighter, and thine aspect not quite so frosty. Ah, faithless Harry Fletcher! thou hadst some hand in that peevishness