Chapter I: Front Matter

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE:

—Obvious print and punctuation errors were corrected.

GRANDMOTHER

Handy Volume Editions
of Copyrighted Fiction

BY
LAURA E.
RICHARDS

MRS. TREE’S WILL $ .75

MRS. TREE .75

GEOFFREY STRONG .75

FOR TOMMY .75

LOVE AND ROCKS .75

CAPTAIN JANUARY .75

_Tall 16mos, Individual Cover
Designs. Illustrated._

DANA ESTES & CO., PUBLISHERS
ESTES PRESS, BOSTON, MASS.

GRANDMOTHER

The Story of a Life That Never Was Lived

By

Laura E. Richards

_Author of_ “Captain January,” “Melody,” “Marie,” “Mrs. Tree’s Will,” etc.

Boston DANA ESTES & COMPANY Publishers]

_Copyright_, 1907
BY DANA ESTES & COMPANY

_All rights reserved_

GRANDMOTHER

_COLONIAL PRESS
Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co.
Boston, U. S. A._

TO
MY DAUGHTER
Elizabeth

I heard an angel singing
When the day was springing,
“Mercy, pity and peace
Are the world’s release!”

—WILLIAM BLAKE.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. HOW SHE CAME TO THE VILLAGE 1

II. HOW THE FIRST LINE CAME IN HER FACE 15

III. HOW SHE PLAYED WITH THE CHILDREN 30

IV. HOW SHE SANG GRANDFATHER TO SLEEP 50

V. HOW THE SECOND LINE CAME IN HER FOREHEAD 65

VI. HOW SHE WENT VISITING 81

VII. HOW THE LIGHT CAME TO HER 99

VIII. HOW HER HAIR TURNED WHITE 116

IX. HOW SHE FOUND PEACE 132

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

“GRANDMOTHER KNELT DOWN BESIDE HIM, AND
TOOK HIS HAND”(_Page 62_) _Frontispiece_

“THE LONG WHITE LILY—PUTTING IT DELICATELY TO HER CHEEK” 20

“GRANDMOTHER HAD FORGOTTEN ALL THE WORLD EXCEPT THE CHILD” 102

“SHE LAY LIKE AN IVORY STATUE” 145

GRANDMOTHER