ROSE CLARK. BY FANNY FERN. NEW YORK: PUBLISHED BY MASON BROTHERS 1856. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1855, by MASON BROTHERS, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court, for the Southern District of New York. STEREOTYPED BY THOMAS B. SMITH, 82 & 84 Beekman Street. PRINTED BY JOHN A. GRAY, 97 Cliff St. Reader! When the frost curtains the windows, when the wind whistles fiercely at the key-hole, when the bright fire glows, and the tea-tray is removed, and father in his slippered feet lolls in his arm-chair; and mother with her nimble needle "makes auld claes look amaist as weel as new," and grandmamma draws closer to the chimney-corner, and Tommy with his plate of chestnuts nestles contentedly at her feet; then let my unpretending story be read. For such an hour, for such an audience, was it written. Should any _dictionary on legs_ rap inopportunely at the door for admittance, send him away to the groaning shelves of some musty library, where "literature" lies embalmed, with its stony eyes, fleshless joints, and ossified heart, in faultless preservation. Then, should the smile, and the tear, have passed round, while the candle flickers in the socket, if but one kindly voice murmur low, "MAY GOD BLESS HER!" it will brighten the dreams of FANNY FERN. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE THE ORPHAN ASYLUM--ROSE'S INTRODUCTION TO IT--MRS. MARKHAM--ROSE'S INITIATION--TIMMINS 15 CHAPTER II. MR. BALCH. 27 CHAPTER III. ROSE'S COMPANIONS--THE DINING-TABLE AND THE SCHOOLROOM. 30 CHAPTER IV. AUNT DOLLY--HOW IT CAME TO PASS--TWO OLD MAIDS' OPINIONS ON LITERATURE, MEN AND MARRIAGE GENERALLY, AND ON THE BACHELORS OF DIFFTOWN PARTICULARLY. 34 CHAPTER V. LITTLE TIBBS--AN INSTANCE OF MRS. MARKHAM'S "MOTHERLY CARE" OF THE ORPHANS. 39 CHAPTER VI. THE FASHIONABLE UNDERTAKER. 45 CHAPTER VII. THE INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE "INSPECT" THE ASYLUM--MR. BALCH PRIVATELY RECORDS THE VERDICT ON THE HAND OF THE MATRON. 48 CHAPTER VIII. TIBBS' GHOST. 54 CHAPTER IX. AUNT DOLLY REMOVES ROSE FROM THE ASYLUM--THE RIDE "HOME"--DOLLY'S IDEAS OF NATURE, SENTIMENT, AND DUTY. 57 CHAPTER X. AUNT DOLLY REFUSES ROSE'S REQUEST TO BE SENT TO SCHOOL, AND ATTEMPTS TO CONVINCE HER THAT LYING IS THE BEST POLICY. 68 CHAPTER XI. MR. CLIFTON, THE VILLAGE MINISTER--THE PARSONAGE. 71 CHAPTER XII. MR. CLIFTON'S PASTORAL CALL ON DOLLY--THE CONVERSATION ABOUT ROSE. 76 CHAPTER XIII. DEATH AT THE PARSONAGE. 82 CHAPTER XIV. ROSE REQUESTS OF AUNT DOLLY A MEMENTO OF HER MOTHER. 86