Strive and Thrive a Tale

by Mary Botham Howitt

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1864 ...concluded their labours. The shop was to he opened on the Monday morning; and, for the first time for several years, the mother and her five children went altogether to church. It was an anxious Sunday to all the elder members of the family; the mother herself felt more anxious than she chose to avow; and she did not sleep that night without putting up a prayer to the Almighty, that he would be pleased to bless these her humble but honest endeavours. William was up before it was light. He passed first into the little shop, to see that all was right; he lit the ready-laid kitchen fire, cleaned the shoes, and then opened the shop-shutters, which was to be his business. He was, in fact, to be porter, errand-boy, youngest apprentice, and headclerk, all in one. There was no customer before breakfast; and, while that meal was dispatching in the little back room, which opened into the shop--the only room, indeed, on the ground-floor--every eye was continually turned to the shop-door, a? if customers were plenty as but none came. Mrs, Walsingham sate behind tne counter, busy at needlework, all morning; and Mary and Grace, after their housework was done, sate down also, to prepare what, it was hoped, others would buy; Mary, to knit night-caps; and Grace, to net purses. William fidgetted about from the counter to the door, from the door to the inner room, full of nervous excitement; for nobody came. Two ragged children, for a penny ball of cotton, a servant-girl, who came intending to buy shoes, and took a shilling par of scissors instead, and a policeman, who bought a fourteen-penny pair of woollen gloves, were the first day's customers. A week went on, and things got no better. It was not encouraging. The family left off taking supper, partly because ...

36 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2006

About the author

Mary Howitt (12 March 1799 – 30 January 1888) was an English poet, and author of the famous poem The Spider and the Fly.

She was born Mary Botham at Coleford, in Gloucestershire, the temporary residence of her parents, while her father, Samuel Botham, a prosperous Quaker of Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, was looking after some mining property. Samuel had married his wife Ann in South Wales in 1796, when he was 38 and she was 32. They had four children Anna, Mary, Emma and Charles. Their Queen Anne house is now known as Howitt Place. Mary Botham was educated at home, read widely, and began writing verse at a very early age.

Reviews

[Glenn Blake · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good and well written story, ruined by the whinging, completely dislikeable main character, Edward Walsingham. By the halfway point I gave up, wanting only for someone to slap him across the back of the head and tell him to wake up to himself.