The widow's offering Author:Elizabeth Freeman Hill Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: cite painful feelings, and it appeared as though he hated his own children, because we were American born. Frederick was the darling; he was English born, and su... more »perior in hia father's opinion, to all the rest. But God did not suffer such injustice to remain forever, as the sequel will show. My temper was naturally cheerful and buoyant, but I had now become melancholy and dejected, shut up like a nun in a cloister and debarred from all youthful society, I could not feel happy. It was not so with our brother Edward, for he was always full of his boyish frolics, and gambols, and would often cheer us, when our spirits were sunk to the lowest ebb, he would likewise take the opportunity when his father was absent, and go out to play, at the same time keeping a strict watch for him, when he should return, and as soon as he saw him would run round at the back of the house, climb up to one of the two story windows and enter, and appear closely engaged at his studies, when he arrived. He often cheated his father in this way, but was always ready with his tasks when called upon to recite them, he however, one day got nicely caught; as soon as the way was clear he sailed forth as usual, with an old drum and some whistles, which he had picked up among his cast off playthings, and had collected a company of soldiers among his school fellows, and other boys, with whom (he as captain) waa marching in battle array, with banners flying, (made of old pocket handkerchiefs, and strips of silk which we had given him for that purpose) the drum beating and whistles playing, when Iq, to his utter dismay, his father suddenly turned the corner, and poor Eddy had no time to retreat You rascal, he exclaimed, what are you doing here—did I not tell you to learn your tasks ? I have learnt them, sir, he replied. ...« less