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    Eight Cousins: or, The Aunt Hill
    Eight Cousins: or, The Aunt Hill
    Eight Cousins: or, The Aunt Hill
    Ebook287 pages4 hours

    Eight Cousins: or, The Aunt Hill

    By Louisa May Alcott

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    “Eight Cousins - Or, the Aunt-Hill” is a 1875 novel by American author Louisa May Alcott. The story centres around Rosy, an orphan who must adjust to her strange new life with her guardian, Uncle Alec. Once at her new home, she is confronted with an unknown family and the realities of life for contemporary women. Louisa May Alcott (1832 – 1888). was an American short story writer, novelist, and poet most famous for writing the novel “Little Women”, as well as its sequels “Little Men” and “Jo's Boys”. She grew up in New England and became associated with numerous notable intellectuals of her time, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Henry David Thoreau. Other notable works by this author include: "An Old-Fashioned Girl" (1886), and "A Long Fatal Love Chase" (1875). Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with the original text and artwork.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRead Books Ltd.
    Release dateMay 11, 2015
    ISBN9781473370210
    Author

    Louisa May Alcott

    Louisa May Alcott was a 19th-century American novelist best known for her novel, Little Women, as well as its well-loved sequels, Little Men and Jo's Boys. Little Women is renowned as one of the very first classics of children’s literature, and remains a popular masterpiece today.

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    Reviews for Eight Cousins

    4/5

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    • 4/5
      Lovely as always. I read and reread this so many times that, despite not having looked at it in probably 20 or 30 years, I remembered most of the events as they came up. Of course, that's helped by the fact that it's utterly predictable - Rose really doesn't go in for twists. It's a sweet story; the style is old-fashioned (not unexpectedly - originally published in 1875), but unlike several other books I've read recently, Alcott doesn't obtrude herself into the story excessively. The characters are solid, the language slightly odd but not very, the situations quite familiar - people don't change all that much - and while there is a strong moral message, it's transmitted through and by the characters, rather than by straight preaching. Glad I read it again, I won't wait as long next time.
    • 4/5
      Sweet story of an orphan with seven cousins being taken care of by her uncle. He encourages her to run, jump and play; not to be lady like.
    • 3/5
      This was sweet, but nostalgia aside, not exciting enough for me to give it more than a 3 (sorry, Louisa!)

      It was a tantalizing mix of terribly old-fashioned attitudes (often without the author/characters realising that, and why should they, they were the prevailing attitudes at the time and for a good deal longer) and more modern approaches (which is the apparent point of the book). Unfortunately, very little happened ... I expect more of a compelling through-line in a novel, rather than this gentle depictions of uneventful picnics, dinners, chats, lessons, etc.

      Good as comfort reading if you're sad/sick/tired, but otherwise you will likely be more engaged elsewhere.

      (Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).
    • 4/5
      This is only the second Louisa May Alcott book I've read, but I enjoyed it quite a bit more than Little Women. I definitely want to read the sequel.
    • 4/5
      Eight Cousins or The Aunt Hill by Louisa May Alcott; (4*);Loved it! This is a wonderful story about a young girl overcoming depression, fighting against loneliness and the social restrictions of the era. A kind, forward-thinking uncle takes Rose under his wing after the death of her parents. Despite protesting the strange and shocking lifestyle changes she's asked to make she finds that her life is changing and she is becoming a healthy and happy person. She is the sole female child in the family amid seven rowdy boy cousins. Rose befriends a household servant, ignoring class lines so prevalent at the time. As she allows others to help her grow and learn, the people around her are affected by her changes, her inner beauty and are also changed. This is a wonderful read for anyone, but especially youngsters, who might be struggling with self image or sadness issues. Alcott writes so wonderfully.
    • 4/5
      Rose is orphaned. Her legal guardian is her Uncle Alec. She moves to the "Aunt Hill," the home of six aunts and seven cousins, all of whom are male. Her color is pale, but Uncle Alec prescribes sunshine and play. She must also learn to eat oatmeal and not drink coffee, among other changes. The book was pretty progressive for its time. Even though today's children will not relate to much of what takes place, it can still be enjoyed within its historical context. Alcott did a remarkable job with characterization. This is one reason the novel stands the test of time.
    • 3/5
      Although there are a few archaic parts to the book, it is surprising in that it promotes the independence and fairness of Rose, the main character.
    • 3/5
      Very similar in style to Alcott's Little Women but lacking much of the substance (perhaps because Rose doesn't reach adulthood in this book). I enjoyed listening to the free LibriVox audiobook of this as light relief from my somewhat serious books at the moment but I don't think that it would be a satisfying adult book otherwise. The stories about little Rose & her 7 boy cousins were sweet but Alcott's moralizing tone at times is a bit hard to take.
    • 5/5
      Eight Cousins or The Aunt-hill by Louisa May Alcott (1955)
    • 4/5
      Rose, a young orphaned teenager, lives with two great-aunts who love her but have little idea how to help her stay healthy and mature. Her Uncle Alec is her legal guardian, and decides to give her plenty of fresh air and good food, and also to encourage her to spend time with her seven cousins - all boys, of varying ages.

      It's many years since I first read this book, and I'd pretty much forgotten what it was about. It's obviously dated, with authorial asides typical of the era (it was first published in 1875), and some parts that seem extremely sexist.

      But still, a good light read. Particularly recommended for anyone - adult or teenager - who enjoyed Louisa M Alcott's other books such as 'Little Women' and its sequels.
    • 3/5
      his is a morality tale, showing young girls of the late 19th century what virtue looks like. And while many of the lessons remain true today – kindness, sacrifice, avoiding bad company and harmful habits like smoking – I struggled with this book.The heroine Rose is so darn good she sets my teeth on edge. I sincerely thought about abandoning this, but then read the Wikipedia entry and learned that this book was considered quite feminist in its day for encouraging comfortable clothing and outdoor exercise as well as a wealthy young lady wanting to have an occupation to fall back on– which, tear my hair out - turned out to be housekeeping.I'm glad to have read it as the only other Alcott I've read was Little Women and, from my first reading of it in 5th grade, I was firmly on Team Jo. This book is not for the rebels at heart.
    • 4/5
      COTC Book Club selection for December 2010.

      Read previously (many times) - listened to the Recorded Books cassette edition in January 2008. I was torn on how many stars to give this - I remember this title as one I've loved since childhood, but there's so many problems with it. Since I think the intended audience is children, I'm going to rate based on my previous view of it, but I'm struck by how much more annoying Rose is to listen to than to read about and by the casual racism in the story about Rose visiting her Uncle's warehouse of Chinese goods. In general I'm amazed at the faults I haven't noticed on previous readings; I think part of this is hearing it aloud and part is reading from a different age point. Uncle Alec was so smug and pompous most of the time I wanted to smack him, but I thought he was wonderful when I read this as a child. Everything is so moral and preachy - and Aunt Jessie, portrayed as the best and most sympathetic of the Aunts, burns the "thrilling" books that her two middle sons are reading. Book burning! And this didn't bother me? Now moving on to the sequel Rose in Bloom; we'll see if it stands the test of time (or age viewpoint) any better!

      Re-read again for the book club discussion and it definitely holds up better through reading than listening. I can just breeze through the parts I don't like and give the sometimes twee dialogue a better tone in my head. I still like Rose in Bloom better though.
    • 5/5
      recommended for: children of all agesThis is probably my second favorite Louisa May Alcott book (after Little Women.) At least it was when I was a kid. I remember envying Rose all those boy cousins; it seemed as though it would be so much fun to have so many built in boy playmates. And it’s yet another orphan story – I do have an “orphans” shelf on goodreads as I love books about orphans. I don’t remember this as a depressing or somber tale at all though.On another note: I pulled out my copy of the book, and I’m very excited as I must still have my mother’s copy: have one published the year (1927) she was twelve; I read this for the first time when I was a few years younger than that.
    • 4/5
      I had fond memories of Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott from reading it as a child, but I didn’t remember just how sweetly sentimental it truly was. Of course my reading taste has matured, and soured slightly over the years, so I found this book a little too sweet for my taste. In showing her readers the value of family, simple pleasures and an industrious life, we are told the story of Rose Campbell, orphaned and given over to the care of various aunts while awaiting the arrival of her guardian, the sea-faring Uncle Alex. Rose has been overly coddled and protected and is on the verge of becoming a sickly, timid child. Her uncle extracts a promise from the aunts to give him a year of total control over Rose’s life to see if he can bring out the healthy, vibrant girl he believes she can be. Rose, along with her seven male cousins enjoys a year of outdoor activity, healthy eating, with many life and morality lessons. She, of course, blooms under this treatment. This book was originally published in 1875, so the outdated ideas on the female role, and the way that other races were looked at, I was able to excuse. Overall the book held it’s charm for me, and I would encourage young girls to read this book, but treat it as a history lesson. As each chapter has a moral, this book would make a great launching pad for discussion. Overall I enjoyed my trip down memory lane and I do plan on eventually reading the sequel, Rose In Bloom, as I remember that as a charming and cozy read as well.
    • 3/5
      This is a sweet little morality tale, of the type popular in its day. Little Rose, orphaned on another continent, is brought to live among the family she has never met. On a hill along the coast in Massachusetts, are the homes of all her other relatives. Her father's old aunts, Peace and Plenty, inhabit the ancestral manse, where all family members come to gather. Scattered on the hill are the homes of her other aunts and their husbands, all of whom have begotten BOYS! Her father's brother, Alec, an unmarried ship's captain, comes to stay with the aunts, and commences Rose's education. He sets her to learning from the old aunts. It was a pretty sight to see the rosy-faced little maid sitting between the two old ladies, listening dutifully to their instructions, and cheering the lessons with her lively chatter and blithe laugh. He teaches her language, anatomy and physical education. Rose grows in strength, health and virtue.For the boys, Ms. Alcott gives each cousin a unique personality, and their interactions with Rose, while each learns from the other, will bring a smile to your face. A nice, old-fashioned sort of story.
    • 4/5
      Rose is an orphaned girl who is staying with two great aunts to await the arrival of her guardian, Uncle Alex, the brother of Rose's deceased father. Because of a quarrel with Alex, custody of Rose was their attempt at reconciliation. Alex invigorates his niece, getting her out of her black mourning clothes, and insisting she she read and study practical things, like math and Bacon's essays, instead of reading fairy tales. Rose gets to know her various aunts and uncles and the seven boy cousins who all love her in one way or another. Alex gives his niece the opportunity to find out in which home she would be happiest by letting her to stay one month with each family. She has a good time at all, even gloomy childless widow Aunt Myra's, and finally comes home to make her choice.
    • 5/5
      One of my favorite Louisa May Alcott books!
    • 4/5
      How funny -- I've forgotten how this ends.
    • 5/5
      My favorite childhood book! Re-read many times....
    • 4/5
      The first introduction of Rose. At the time I wasn't holding my breath that Alcott could recreate the magic that Little Women held for me, having read the follow ups to Little women and being less than impressed. Yet in Rose I found another character to lose myself in, and the books following her story were a treat to read also.
    • 3/5
      When I was eight, I read Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" for the first time. And then I read it again - about twenty-five times in that first year, slurping it up like a delicious piece of my favorite dessert. It was the first time I ever realized that books could be tastier than cake. And every so often, even now, I feel a need for some Alcott-cake; "Eight Cousins" is still one of my favorites. The story concerns orphaned Rose, the only girl in a family of eight first cousins. On the death of her father, Rose is sent to the family home to meet her new guardian, her father's brother Alec, whom she has never met. Rose is frail, pale, overpoweringly ladylike, and (as you might expect, given her recent history) more than a bit anxious about her new life with Uncle Alec - not to mention all those boy cousins. Alec is a free-thinking doctor who is determined to turn frail Rose into a happy, healthy Rose. As a little girl, I loved reading about Alec taking away Rose's tight leather belts and giving her soft rainbow sashes and scarves; stealing her black coffee and making her milk the cow for fresh milk, and surprising her with skates and warm muffs and sleds and boats. And the truth is, I still like it. I like Rose too. She can be awfully priggish, but she tries so hard to be good - you don't see that very often in modern kid-lit. (I'm not talking about you, Harry Pottter!) If you ask me (and nobody has), I think kids lose when they don't find integrity modelled for them in books.
    • 5/5
      Rose Campbell is fragile and delicate, in mourning for her recently dead parents and about as far from "boisterous" as a girl can get. Enter her 7 boy cousins, all of them the epitome of "boisterous." Rose's Uncle Alec encourages her to play with her cousins, and soon she is running all over the place, with no time time for being delicate and fragile.I loved this book because I always wanted older brothers, and since I didn't have them I always loved that Rose had 7 boy cousins who were like brothers to her. I loved all the boys' personalities and how they loved Rose and wanted to play with her.
    • 5/5
      First of all, this was a first edition with wonderful illustrations. Secondly, I am a total sucker for Louisa May Alcott. Her stories are such parable, and so sweet. I don't want to hear that she is out of date or idealistic or gender biased. The story brought back warm memories of reading "Little Women", "Jo's Boys", and "Little Men" as a young teenager.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book. It was another of those fairy tale stories with dead parents and being raised by an uncle and a bunch of male cousins. It has a very good moral about lack of vanity and doing good [Phoebe is the maid as well as best friend]. Highly reccomended for tweens. I liked it much better than LITTLE WOMEN
    • 5/5
      This story of Rose, Phebe, Uncle Alex and all the aunts and cousins stands out in 19thC literature for the jabs it pokes at women's education, societal expectations, medical treatment and social prejudices and practices. Uncle Alex and his loving "experiments" with Rose show us the family love and the family pressures put on young women and alternative thinkers even as we experience old New England. I re-read this every Christmas as a present to myself.
    • 4/5
      Perennial favorite...I have been reading this every Christmas since I was ten. Great glimpse into wealthy family and social customs of the nineteenth century. It is a clear example of how women and their circumstances have changed. Medicine, travel, education, young women and family dynamicsare examined and Alcott's radicalmism is evident but subdued.
    • 3/5
      I found this one difficult to begin. It took several attempts to get into the story initially but as the novel went on, it seemed to pick up. It is very much a family oriented story and it is fun to see Rose discover what true family is like while living up on "The Aunt Hill." It does not rate among my favorites but it is a nice story for what it is and I have recommended it to friends in the past.
    • 4/5
      I remember really enjoying this book. I loved how Rose comes to meet her extended family of strangers for the first time. I vividly remember the "cold bath" scene--it's an eye-opening look at 19th-century childrearing.
    • 5/5
      my favorite of all of Alcott's books -- I probably read it a dozen times when I was a kid
    • 5/5
      An old fashioned story about a over-protected orphan who comes under the care of an uncle with progressive ideas about raising a healthy child. Part of the prescription involves mixing her with her seven harum-scarum boy cousins. A reflection, no doubt of Louisa Alcott's own father, and his ideas on education, and perhaps her wish to have a houseful of brothers.I am not fond of the illustrations. They make Rose seem a little too young, Aunt Plenty a little too slim! Of course, my copy of "Rose in Bloom" is several decades older with more stylish illustrations; fine-line engravings.Found in an antique store in Sioux City, Iowa.

    Book preview

    Eight Cousins - Louisa May Alcott

    1.png

    EIGHT COUSINS

    OR, THE AUNT-HILL

    By

    LOUISA MAY ALCOTT

    First published in 1875

    This edition published by Read Books Ltd.

    Copyright © 2019 Read Books Ltd.

    This book is copyright and may not be

    reproduced or copied in any way without

    the express permission of the publisher in writing

    British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

    A catalogue record for this book is available

    from the British Library

    Contents

    Louisa May Alcott

    Preface

    Two Girls

    The Clan

    Uncles

    Aunts

    A Belt and a Box

    Uncle Alec's Room

    A Trip to China

    And what came of it

    Phebe's Secret

    Rose's Sacrifice

    Poor Mac

    The Other Fellows

    Cosey Corner

    A Happy Birthday

    Ear-Rings

    Bread and Button-Holes

    Good Bargains

    Fashion and Physiology

    Brother Bones

    Under The Mistletoe

    A Scare

    Something to do

    Peace-Making

    Which?

    Louisa May Alcott

    Louisa May Alcott was an American Novelist, best known for the classic Little Women (1868) and its sequels Little Men and Jo’s Boys. Alcott was born on 29 November, 1832 in Germantown, Pennsylvania, USA, and was raised by her transcendentalist parents. The family, despite their connections with the American intellectual elite, suffered severe financial hardship and Alcott frequently helped to support the household. In 1840, after several financial setbacks, most notably following the experimental school set up by Louisa May’s father, the family moved to a cottage along the Sudbury River in Massachusetts. In 1843, the family moved again to the Utopian Fruitlands Community, an agrarian commune, dedicated to natural living. They finally settled in a house they named Hillside in 1845. As a result of this peripatetic childhood, Alcott’s schooling was mainly received from her father, who was an incredibly strict disciplinarian, high thinker and advocate of plain living. This instilled a determination and strong work ethic in Alcott, who worked as a teacher, governess, seamstress and writer in her early years. As an adult, Alcott was a strong abolitionist and a feminist advocate, becoming the first woman to register to vote in Concord, in a school board election. During the civil war, Alcott worked as a nurse in the Union Hospital at Georgetown, D.C. She collected all her letters, often dryly humorous, in book entitled Hospital Sketches (1863); a work which brought Alcott critical acclaim. Following on from this success, Alcott wrote several novels under the pen name A. L. Barnard, most notably A Long Fatal Love Chase (1866) and A Modern Mephistopheles (1875). However, Little Women and its sequels were Alcott’s major successes; the first book dealt with the childhood of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy; characters strongly based on Alcott’s childhood accompanied by her own three sisters. The sequel, Good Wives (1869) dealt with their progression into adulthood, whilst Little Men (1871) detailed Jo’s life at the school she founded alongside her husband. Jo’s Boys (1886) completed the ‘Family Saga’. The Character Jo was loosely based on Alcott’s own life, however unlike the heroine, Alcott never married, commenting that ‘I am more than half-persuaded that I am a man's soul put by some freak of nature into a woman's body ... because I have fallen in love with so many pretty girls and never once the least bit with any man.’ Alcott was firmly part of the Gilded Age, along with authors such as Elizabeth Stoddard and Rebecca Harding Davis, she addressed women’s issues in a modern and candid manner. Alcott continued to write until her death on 6 March, 1888. The cause of death is uncertain; she suffered chronic health problems, including vertigo and typhoid, the latter of which was treated with mercury. However recent analysis of her illnesses has suggested an autoimmune disease such as Lupus. She is buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, Massachusetts, on a hillside known as Author’s Ridge.

    Preface

    The Author is quite aware of the defects of this little story, many of which were unavoidable, as it first appeared serially. But, as Uncle Alec's experiment was intended to amuse the young folks, rather than suggest educational improvements for the consideration of the elders, she trusts that these shortcomings will be overlooked by the friends of the Eight Cousins, and she will try to make amends in a second volume, which shall attempt to show The Rose in Bloom.

    L.M.A.

    Chapter 1

    Two Girls

    Rose sat all alone in the big best parlor, with her little handkerchief laid ready to catch the first tear, for she was thinking of her troubles, and a shower was expected. She had retired to this room as a good place in which to be miserable; for it was dark and still, full of ancient furniture, sombre curtains, and hung all around with portraits of solemn old gentlemen in wigs, severe-nosed ladies in top-heavy caps, and staring children in little bob-tailed coats or short-waisted frocks. It was an excellent place for woe; and the fitful spring rain that pattered on the window-pane seemed to sob, Cry away: I'm with you.

    Rose really did have some cause to be sad; for she had no mother, and had lately lost her father also, which left her no home but this with her great-aunts. She had been with them only a week, and, though the dear old ladies had tried their best to make her happy, they had not succeeded very well, for she was unlike any child they had ever seen, and they felt very much as if they had the care of a low-spirited butterfly.

    They had given her the freedom of the house, and for a day or two she had amused herself roaming all over it, for it was a capital old mansion, and was full of all manner of odd nooks, charming rooms, and mysterious passages. Windows broke out in unexpected places, little balconies overhung the garden most romantically, and there was a long upper hall full of curiosities from all parts of the world; for the Campbells had been sea-captains for generations.

    Aunt Plenty had even allowed Rose to rummage in her great china closet a spicy retreat, rich in all the goodies that children love; but Rose seemed to care little for these toothsome temptations; and when that hope failed, Aunt Plenty gave up in despair.

    Gentle Aunt Peace had tried all sorts of pretty needle-work, and planned a doll's wardrobe that would have won the heart of even an older child. But Rose took little interest in pink satin hats and tiny hose, though she sewed dutifully till her aunt caught her wiping tears away with the train of a wedding-dress, and that discovery put an end to the sewing society.

    Then both old ladies put their heads together and picked out the model child of the neighbourhood to come and play with their niece. But Ariadne Blish was the worst failure of all, for Rose could not bear the sight of her, and said she was so like a wax doll she longed to give her a pinch and see if she would squeak. So prim little Ariadne was sent home, and the exhausted aunties left Rose to her own devices for a day or two.

    Bad weather and a cold kept her in-doors, and she spent most of her time in the library where her father's books were stored. Here she read a great deal, cried a little, and dreamed many of the innocent bright dreams in which imaginative children find such comfort and delight. This suited her better than anything else, but it was not good for her, and she grew pale, heavy-eyed and listless, though Aunt Plenty gave her iron enough to make a cooking-stove, and Aunt Peace petted her like a poodle.

    Seeing this, the poor aunties racked their brains for a new amusement and determined to venture a bold stroke, though not very hopeful of its success. They said nothing to Rose about their plan for this Saturday afternoon, but let her alone till the time came for the grand surprise, little dreaming that the odd child would find pleasure for herself in a most unexpected quarter.

    Before she had time to squeeze out a single tear a sound broke the stillness, making her prick up her ears. It was only the soft twitter of a bird, but it seemed to be a peculiarly gifted bird, for while she listened the soft twitter changed to a lively whistle, then a trill, a coo, a chirp, and ended in a musical mixture of all the notes, as if the bird burst out laughing. Rose laughed also, and, forgetting her woes, jumped up, saying eagerly,

    It is a mocking-bird. Where is it?

    Running down the long hall, she peeped out at both doors, but saw nothing feathered except a draggle-tailed chicken under a burdock leaf. She listened again, and the sound seemed to be in the house. Away she went, much excited by the chase, and following the changeful song, it led her to the china-closet door.

    In there? How funny! she said. But when she entered, not a bird appeared except the everlastingly kissing swallows on the Canton china that lined the shelves. All of a sudden Rose's face brightened, and, softly opening the slide, she peered into the kitchen. But the music had stopped, and all she saw was a girl in a blue apron scrubbing the hearth. Rose stared about her for a minute, and then asked abruptly,

    Did you hear that mocking-bird?

    I should call it a phebe-bird, answered the girl, looking up with a twinkle in her black eyes.

    Where did it go?

    It is here still.

    Where?

    In my throat. Do you want to hear it?

    Oh, yes! I'll come in. And Rose crept through the slide to the wide shelf on the other side, being too hurried and puzzled to go round by the door.

    The girl wiped her hands, crossed her feet on the little island of carpet where she was stranded in a sea of soap-suds, and then, sure enough, out of her slender throat came the swallow's twitter, the robin's whistle, the blue-jay's call, the thrush's song, the wood-dove's coo, and many another familiar note, all ending as before with the musical ecstacy of a bobolink singing and swinging among the meadow grass on a bright June day.

    Rose was so astonished that she nearly fell off her perch, and when the little concert was over clapped her hands delightedly.

    Oh, it was lovely! Who taught you?

    The birds, answered the girl, with a smile, as she fell to work again.

    It is very wonderful! I can sing, but nothing half so fine as that. What is your name, please?

    Phebe Moore.

    I've heard of phebe-birds; but I don't believe the real ones could do that, laughed Rose, adding, as she watched with interest the scattering of dabs of soft soap over the bricks, May I stay and see you work? It is very lonely in the parlor.

    Yes, indeed, if you want to, answered Phebe, wringing out her cloth in a capable sort of way that impressed Rose very much.

    It must be fun to swash the water round and dig out the soap. I'd love to do it, only aunt wouldn't like it, I suppose, said Rose, quite taken with the new employment.

    You'd soon get tired, so you'd better keep tidy and look on.

    I suppose you help your mother a good deal?

    I haven't got any folks.

    Why, where do you live, then?

    I'm going to live here, I hope. Debby wants some one to help round, and I've come to try for a week.

    I hope you will stay, for it is very dull, said Rose, who had taken a sudden fancy to this girl, who sung like a bird and worked like a woman.

    Hope I shall; for I'm fifteen now, and old enough to earn my own living. You have come to stay a spell, haven't you? asked Phebe, looking up at her guest and wondering how life could be dull to a girl who wore a silk frock, a daintily frilled apron, a pretty locket, and had her hair tied up with a velvet snood.

    Yes, I shall stay till my uncle comes. He is my guardian now, and I don't know what he will do with me. Have you a guardian?

    My sakes, no! I was left on the poor-house steps a little mite of a baby, and Miss Rogers took a liking to me, so I've been there ever since. But she is dead now, and I take care of myself.

    How interesting! It is like Arabella Montgomery in the 'Gypsy's Child.' Did you ever read that sweet story? asked Rose, who was fond of tales of found-lings, and had read many.

    I don't have any books to read, and all the spare time I get I run off into the woods; that rests me better than stories, answered Phebe, as she finished one job and began on another.

    Rose watched her as she got out a great pan of beans to look over, and wondered how it would seem to have life all work and no play. Presently Phebe seemed to think it was her turn to ask questions, and said, wistfully,

    You've had lots of schooling, I suppose?

    Oh, dear me, yes! I've been at boarding school nearly a year, and I'm almost dead with lessons. The more I got, the more Miss Power gave me, and I was so miserable that I 'most cried my eyes out. Papa never gave me hard things to do, and he always taught me so pleasantly I loved to study. Oh, we were so happy and so fond of one another! But now he is gone, and I am left all alone.

    The tear that would not come when Rose sat waiting for it came now of its own accord two of them in fact and rolled down her cheeks, telling the tale of love and sorrow better than any words could do it.

    For a minute there was no sound in the kitchen but the little daughter's sobbing and the sympathetic patter of the rain. Phebe stopped rattling her beans from one pan to another, and her eyes were full of pity as they rested on the curly head bent down on Rose's knee, for she saw that the heart under the pretty locket ached with its loss, and the dainty apron was used to dry sadder tears than any she had ever shed.

    Somehow, she felt more contented with her brown calico gown and blue-checked pinafore; envy changed to compassion; and if she had dared she would have gone and hugged her afflicted guest.

    Fearing that might not be considered proper, she said, in her cheery voice,

    I'm sure you ain't all alone with such a lot of folks belonging to you, and all so rich and clever. You'll be petted to pieces, Debby says, because you are the only girl in the family.

    Phebe's last words made Rose smile in spite of her tears, and she looked out from behind her apron with an April face, saying in a tone of comic distress,

    That's one of my troubles! I've got six aunts, and they all want me, and I don't know any of them very well. Papa named this place the Aunt-hill, and now I see why.

    Phebe laughed with her as she said encouragingly,

    Everyone calls it so, and it's a real good name, for all the Mrs. Campbells live handy by, and keep coming up to see the old ladies.

    I could stand the aunts, but there are dozens of cousins, dreadful boys all of them, and I detest boys! Some of them came to see me last Wednesday, but I was lying down, and when auntie came to call me I went under the quilt and pretended to be asleep. I shall have to see them some time, but I do dread it so. And Rose gave a shudder, for, having lived alone with her invalid father, she knew nothing of boys, and considered them a species of wild animal.

    Oh! I guess you'll like 'em. I've seen 'em flying round when they come over from the Point, sometimes in their boats and sometimes on horseback. If you like boats and horses, you'll enjoy yourself first-rate.

    But I don't! I'm afraid of horses, and boats make me ill, and I hate boys! And poor Rose wrung her hands at the awful prospect before her. One of these horrors alone she could have borne, but all together were too much for her, and she began to think of a speedy return to the detested school.

    Phebe laughed at her woe till the beans danced in the pan, but tried to comfort her by suggesting a means of relief.

    Perhaps your uncle will take you away where there ain't any boys. Debby says he is a real kind man, and always bring heaps of nice things when he comes.

    Yes, but you see that is another trouble, for I don't know Uncle Alec at all. He hardly ever came to see us, though he sent me pretty things very often. Now I belong to him, and shall have to mind him, till I am eighteen. I may not like him a bit, and I fret about it all the time.

    Well, I wouldn't borrow trouble, but have a real good time. I'm sure I should think I was in clover if I had folks and money, and nothing to do but enjoy myself, began Phebe, but got no further, for a sudden rush and tumble outside made them both jump.

    It's thunder, said Phebe.

    It's a circus! cried Rose, who from her elevated perch had caught glimpses of a gay cart of some sort and several ponies with flying manes and tails.

    The sound died away, and the girls were about to continue their confidences when old Debby appeared, looking rather cross and sleepy after her nap.

    You are wanted in the parlor, Miss Rose.

    Has anybody come?

    Little girls shouldn't ask questions, but do as they are bid, was all Debby would answer.

    I do hope it isn't Aunt Myra; she always scares me out of my wits asking how my cough is, and groaning over me as if I was going to die, said Rose, preparing to retire the way she came, for the slide, being cut for the admission of bouncing Christmas turkeys and puddings, was plenty large enough for a slender girl.

    Guess you'll wish it was Aunt Myra when you see who has come. Don't never let me catch you coming into my kitchen that way again, or I'll shut you up in the big b'iler, growled Debby, who thought it her duty to snub children on all occasions.

    Chapter 2

    The Clan

    Rose scrambled into the china-closet as rapidly as possible, and there refreshed herself by making faces at Debby, while she settled her plumage and screwed up her courage. Then she crept softly down the hall and peeped into the parlor. No one appeared, and all was so still she felt sure the company was upstairs. So she skipped boldly through the half-open folding-doors, to behold on the other side a sight that nearly took her breath away.

    Seven boys stood in a row all ages, all sizes, all yellow-haired and blue-eyed, all in full Scotch costume, and all smiling, nodding, and saying as with one voice, How are you, cousin?

    Rose gave a little gasp, and looked wildly about her as if ready to fly, for fear magnified the seven and the room seemed full of boys. Before she could run, however, the tallest lad stepped out of the line, saying pleasantly,

    Don't be frightened. This is the Clan come to welcome you; and I'm the chief, Archie, at your service.

    He held out his hand as he spoke, and Rose timidly put her own into a brown paw, which closed over the white morsel and held it as the chief continued his introductions.

    We came in full rig, for we always turn out in style on grand occasions. Hope you like it. Now I'll tell you who these chaps are, and then we shall be all right. This big one is Prince Charlie, Aunt Clara's boy. She has but one, so he is an extra good one. This old fellow is Mac, the bookworm, called Worm for short. This sweet creature is Steve the Dandy. Look at his gloves and top-knot, if you please. They are Aunt Jane's lads, and a precious pair you'd better believe. These are the Brats, my brothers, Geordie and Will, and Jamie the Baby. Now, my men, step out and show your manners.

    At this command, to Rose's great dismay, six more hands were offered, and it was evident that she was expected to shake them all. It was a trying moment to the bashful child; but, remembering that they were her kinsmen come to welcome her, she tried her best to return the greeting cordially.

    This impressive ceremony being over, the Clan broke ranks, and both rooms instantly appeared to be pervaded with boys. Rose hastily retired to the shelter of a big chair and sat there watching the invaders and wondering when her aunt would come and rescue her.

    As if bound to do their duty manfully, yet rather oppressed by it, each lad paused beside her chair in his wanderings, made a brief remark, received a still briefer answer, and then sheered off with a relieved expression.

    Archie came first, and, leaning over the chair-back, observed in a paternal tone,

    I'm glad you've come, cousin, and I hope you'll find the Aunt-hill pretty jolly.

    I think I shall.

    Mac shook his hair out of his eyes, stumbled over a stool, and asked abruptly,

    Did you bring any books with you?

    "Four boxes full.

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