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THE BAD FAMILY
AND OTHER STORIES
MRS FENWICK
THE DUMPY BOOKS FOR CHILDREN
Selected by E. V. LUCAS, and each having End-papers speciallydesigned by Mrs. FARMILOE
I. THE FLAMP, THE AMELIORATOR, and THE SCHOOLBOY'S APPRENTICE._Written by_ E. V. LUCAS
II. MRS. TURNER'S CAUTIONARY STORIES
III. THE BAD FAMILY. By Mrs. FENWICK
_Other Volumes in the Series are in preparation_
THE DUMPY BOOKS FOR CHILDREN.
NO. III. THE BAD FAMILY.BY MRS. FENWICK.
The Bad Family; & Other Stories
BYMRS. FENWICK
LONDON: GRANT RICHARDS1898
_CONTENTS_
PAGE
_Introduction_ ix
_The Bad Family_ 1
_The Good Family_ 15
_Foolish Fears_ 29
_The Broken Crutch_ 39
_The Journal; Or, Birthday Gifts_ 45
_The Basket of Plumbs_ 65
_The Choice of Friends_ 75
_Cousin James and Cousin Thomas_ 87
_The Disasters of Impatience_ 97
_The Deaf and Dumb Boy_ 109
_Limby Lumpy_ 119
_The Oyster Patties_ 135
Introduction
Mrs. Fenwick, like Mrs. Turner (some of whose Cautionary Stories havealready been published in this series), lived and wrote at the beginningof this century. Mrs. Turner practised verse, Mrs. Fenwick prose. I cantell nothing of Mrs. Fenwick's life, except that among her books were_Infantine Stories_, the _Life of Carlo_, _Mary and her Cat_, _Presentsfor Good Boys and Girls_, _Rays from the Rainbow_ (an easy system ofteaching grammar), and _Lessons for Children; or, Rudiments of GoodManners, Morals, and Humanity_. It is from the last-named book that thefirst ten of the following stories have been taken. It was a favouritework in its day, and not only was it often reprinted in England, but wastranslated into French: for little French children, it seems, needlessons too.
As for these _Rudiments_, although it was Mrs. Fenwick's purpose thatthey should lead to good conduct, it would satisfy their present editorto know that they had amused. That is why they are printed here, andalso to show the kind of reading prepared for the childhood of ourgreat-grandmothers and great-grandfathers. In those days exaggerationwas rather in favour with story-tellers; and we therefore need notbelieve that there was ever a family quite so bad as the Bad Family inthis book, or a Good Family so good; or that Mrs. Loft (in 'The Basketof Plumbs') would have bought fruit from a household down with fever; orthat a boy of ten could write so well as the hero of 'The Journal.' Butafter making allowances for exaggeration, we may take everything else astruth. As I said, these stories are included in this series chiefly toprovide entertainment; but if they also have the use Mrs. Fenwickwished--if the misadventures of Frank Lawless keep us from robbingorchards, and 'The Broken Crutch' leads to the befriending of weary andwooden-legged sailors--why, so much the better.
The last two stories in this book, 'Limby Lumpy' and 'The OysterPatties,' were not written by Mrs. Fenwick; but they seem to fit inhere rather well.
E. V. LUCAS.
_October_ 1898.