CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE Introduction 11 I. My Pretty Mother--Ayah--Company 20 II. The Cholera Season--My Mother Goes Away--My Sixth Birthday 26 III. The Bullers--Matilda takes Me up--We Fall Out--Mr. George 34 IV. Sales--Matters of Principle--Mrs. Minchin Quarrels with the Bride--Mrs. Minchin Quarrels with Everybody--Mrs. Minchin is Reconciled--The Voyage Home--A Death on Board 40 V. A Home Station--What Mrs. Buller thought of it--What Major Buller thought of it 53 VI. Dress and Manner--I Examine Myself--My Great-Grandmother 59 VII. My Great-Grandmother--The Duchess's Carriage--Mrs. O'Connor is Curious 67 VIII. A Family History 73 IX. Hopes and Expectations--Dreams and Daydreams--The Vine--Elspeth--My Great-Grandfather 84 X. Thomas the Cat--My Great-Grandfather's Sketches--Adolphe is my Friend--My Great-great-great-Grandfather Disturbs my Rest--I Leave The Vine 96 XI. Matilda's News--Our Governess--Major Buller turned Tutor--Eleanor Arkwright 103 XII. Poor Matilda--The Awkward Age--Mrs. Buller takes Counsel with her Friends--The 'Milliner and Mantuamaker'--Medical Advice--The Major Decides 120 XIII. At School--The Lilac Bush--Bridget's Posies--Summer-- Health 138 XIV. Miss Mulberry--Discipline and Recreation--Madame-- Conversation--Eleanor's Opinion of the Drawing-master-- Miss Ellen's--Eleanor's Apology 146 XV. Eleanor's Theories reduced to Practice--Studies--The Arithmetic-master 159 XVI. Eleanor's Reputation--The Mad Gentleman--Fancies and Follies--Matilda's Health--The New Doctor 166 XVII. Eleanor's Health--Holy Living--The Prayer of the Son of Sirach 175 XVIII. Eleanor and I are late for Breakfast--The School Breaks Up--Madame and Bridget 179 XIX. Northwards--The Black Country--The Stone Country 183 XX. The Vicarage--Keziah--The Dear Boys--The Cook--A Yorkshire Tea--Bed-fellows 191 XXI. Gardening--Drinkings--The Moors--Wading--Batrachosperma-- The Church--Little Margaret 197 XXII. A New Home--The Arkwrights' Return--The Beasts--Going to Meet the Boys--Jack's Hat-box--We Come Home a Rattler 209 XXIII. I Correspond with the Major--My Collection--Occupations-- Madame Again--Fête de Village--The British Hooray 219 XXIV. We and the Boys--We and the Boys and our Fads--The Lamp of Zeal--Clement on Unreality--Jack's Ointment 234 XXV. The "Household Album"--Sketching under Difficulties--A New Species?--Jack's Bargain--Theories 242 XXVI. Manners and Customs--Clique--The Lessons of Experience-- Out Visiting--House-pride--Dressmaking 257 XXVII. Matilda--Ball Dresses and the Ball--Gores--Miss Lining--The 'Parishioner's Pennyworth' 269 XXVIII. I go Back to The Vine--After Sunset--A Twilight Existence--Salad of Monk's-hood--A Royal Summons 279 XXIX. Home Again--Home News--The Very End 293SIX TO SIXTEEN.INTRODUCTION.Eleanor and I are subject to _fads_. Indeed, it is a family failing. (Bythe family I mean our household, for Eleanor and I are not, evendistantly, related.) Life would be comparatively dull, up away here onthe moors, without them. Our fads and the boys' fads are sometimes thesame, but oftener distinct.