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. [Illustration: “GRANDMOTHER KNELT DOWN BESIDE HIM, AND TOOK HIS HAND.” (_See page 62_)] [Illustration: 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 CHAPTER I HOW SHE CAME TO THE VILLAGE