Produced by Jana Srna, D Alexander, David Wilson and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) HOLIDAY HOUSE: A SERIES OF TALES. Dedicated to Lady Diana Boyle. BY CATHERINE SINCLAIR, AUTHORESS OF "MODERN ACCOMPLISHMENTS," "MODERN SOCIETY," "HILL AND VALLEY," "CHARLIE SEYMOUR," &c. &c. "Young heads are giddy, and young hearts are warm, And make mistakes for manhood to reform." Cowper. NEW-YORK: PUBLISHED BY ROBERT CARTER, NO. 58 CANAL STREET. 1839. New-York: Printed by Scatcherd and Adams, No. 38 Gold Street. PREFACE "Of all the paper I have blotted, I have written nothing without the intention of some good. Whether I have succeeded or not, is for others to judge." Sir William Temple. The minds of young people are now manufactured like webs of linen, all alike, and nothing left to nature. From the hour when children can speak, till they come to years of discretion or of indiscretion, they are carefully prompted what to say, and what to think, and what to look, and how to feel; while in most school-rooms nature has been turned out of doors with obloquy, and art has entirely supplanted her. When a quarrel takes place, both parties are generally in some degree to blame; therefore if Art and Nature could yet be made to go hand in hand towards the formation of character and principles, a graceful and beautiful superstructure might be reared, on the solid foundation of Christian faith and sound morality; so that while many natural weeds and wild flowers would be pruned and carefully trained, some lovely blossoms that spring spontaneously in the uncultivated soil, might still be cherished into strength and beauty, far excelling what can be planted or reared by art.