Produced by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was made using scans of public domain works in the International Children's Digital Library.) THE CROFTON BOYS BY HARRIET MARTINEAU AUTHOR OF "THE PEASANT AND THE PRINCE," "FEATS ON THE FIORD," ETC., ETC. LONDON GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS BROADWAY, LUDGATE HILL NEW YORK: 9, LAFAYETTE PLACE Ballantyne Press BALLANTYNE, HANSON AND CO., EDINBURGH CHANDOS STREET, LONDON [Illustration: The Crofton Boys.] CONTENTS. I. ALL THE PROCTORS BUT PHIL II. WHY MR. TOOKE CAME III. MICHAELMAS-DAY COME IV. MICHAELMAS-DAY OVER V. CROFTON PLAY VI. FIRST RAMBLE VII. WHAT IS ONLY TO BE HAD AT HOME VIII. A LONG DAY IX. CROFTON QUIET X. LITTLE VICTORIES XI. DOMESTIC MANNERS XII. HOLT AND HIS DIGNITY XIII. TRIPPING XIV. HOLT AND HIS HELP XV. CONCLUSION THE CROFTON BOYS. CHAPTER I. ALL THE PROCTORS BUT PHIL. Mr. Proctor, the chemist and druggist, kept his shop, and lived in the Strand, London. His children thought that there was never anything pleasanter than the way they lived. Their house was warm in winter, and such a little distance from the church, that they had no difficulty in getting to church and back again, in the worst weather, before their shoes were wet. They were also conveniently near to Covent Garden market; so that, if any friend dropped in to dinner unexpectedly, Jane and Agnes could be off to the market, and buy a fowl, or some vegetables or fruit, and be back again before they were missed. It was not even too far for little Harry to trot with one of his sisters, early on a summer's morning, to spend his penny (when he happened to have one) on a bunch of flowers, to lay on papa's plate, to surprise him when he came in to breakfast. Not much farther off was the Temple Garden, where Mrs. Proctor took her children every fine summer evening to walk and breathe the air from the river; and when Mr. Proctor could find time to come to them for a turn or two before the younger ones must go home to bed, it seemed to the whole party the happiest and most beautiful place in the whole world,--except one. They had once been to Broadstairs, when the children were in poor health after the measles: and for ever after, when they thought of the waves beating on the shore, and of the pleasures of growing strong and well among the sea-breezes, they felt that there might be places more delightful than the Temple Garden: but they were still very proud and fond of the grass and trees, and the gravel walks, and the view over the Thames, and were pleased to show off the garden to all friends from the country who came to visit them.