E-text prepared by Delphine Lettau, Paul Dring, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Canada Team (http://www.pgdpcanada.net) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 34045-h.htm or 34045-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/34045/pg34045-images.html) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/34045/34045-h.zip) A CHRISTMAS CHILD A Sketch of a Boy-Life by MRS. MOLESWORTH Author of 'Carrots,' 'Cuckoo Clock,' Etc. Illustration: "The Story of Sunny."--_Frontispiece_. Illustration: Skating Scene Illustrated by Walter Crane 'O Christmas, merry Christmas! Is it really come again? With its memories and greetings, With its joy and with its pain.' London Macmillan And Co. 1880 TO _The Two Friends_ WHO WILL BEST UNDERSTAND THIS SIMPLE LITTLE STORY I DEDICATE IT WITH MUCH AFFECTION Paris, _May_ 1880. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. BABY TED 1 CHAPTER II. IN THE GARDEN 18 CHAPTER III. WISHES AND FEARS 37 CHAPTER IV. THE STORY OF SUNNY 58 CHAPTER V. THE STORY OF SUNNY (_Concluded_) 76 CHAPTER VI. LITTLE NARCISSA 94 CHAPTER VII. GETTING BIG 116 CHAPTER VIII. "STATISTICS" 137 CHAPTER IX. A PEACOCK'S FEATHER AND A KISS 161 CHAPTER X. SOME RAINY ADVENTURES 179 CHAPTER XI. "IT'S ONLY I, MOTHER" 200 CHAPTER XII. THE WHITE CROSS 216 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. "THE STORY OF SUNNY" _Frontispiece_ "I WISH THOO'D LET ME HELP THOO TO CUT THE GRASS" _To face page_ 32 "SHE HUNTED ABOUT AMONG THE LEAVES AND BRANCHES TILL SHE FOUND A LITTLE SILVER KNOB" " 83 "BABY SHOWED, OR TED _THOUGHT_ SHE DID, A QUITE EXTRAORDINARY LOVE FOR THE BOUQUETS HER LITTLE BROTHER ARRANGED FOR HER" " 98 "OH DEAR, OH DEAR!" CRIES BEAUTY, JUMPING UP IN A FRIGHT, "HE'S COMING TO EAT ME" " 133 "THEY WERE NEATLY TACKED ON TO THE FEATHER CARD, WHICH HAD A VERY FINE EFFECT ON THE WALL OF THE MUSEUM" " 170 "MASTER TED, VERY WET INDEED, MADE HIS APPEARANCE WITH ROSY CHEEKS AND A GENERAL LOOK OF SELF-SATISFACTION" " 194 CHAPTER I. BABY TED. "Where did you get those eyes so blue?" "Out of the sky as I came through."