“My dear children,” Dame Desley said, “I must leave you; I must give you up for a while to the care of another. But I have chosen a guardian for you who is worthy of all your respect. Mr. Learning is coming to see you to-morrow, just an hour before I start; and I hope that he will find you all good and obedient children during my absence. Whatever he may bid you do, do for the love of me, and when you attend to Mr. Learning, think that you are pleasing your mother.”
In this story, Will, Matty, Lubin, and Nelly Desley are each given a cottage by their gaurdian, Mr. Learning, which must be well furnished before their mother’s return. They must use their minutes and hours well to climb ladders of Spelling, nail down carpets of History, conquer Multiplication stairs, and face many more difficulties to furnish their dwellings. The sibling with the best cottage will be awarded the silver crown of success. But when Procrastination, Pride, and Folly appear, will they be able to withstand the temptation, and do what they must?
Charlotte Maria Tucker (1821-1893), was an English author. In 1875 she left England for India to engage in missionary work.
