"Charlotte's
Quest" (1933)
"Marcella's Reward" (1907)
"An
Invitation Given on Impulse" (1900)
"Freda's
Adopted Grave" (1904)
"Ted's Afternoon
Off" (1907)
"The
Girl Who Drove the Cows" (1908)
"Why
Not Ask Miss Price?" (1904)
"Jane Lavinia" (1906)
"The
Running Away of Chester" (1903)
"Millicent's
Double" (1905)
"Penelope's
Party Waist" (1904)
"The
Little Black Doll" (1909)
"The
Fraser Scholarship" (1905)
"Her
Own People" (1905)
"Miss Sally's
Company" (1904)
"The
Story of an Invitation" (1901)
"The
Softening of Miss Cynthia" (1904)
"Margaret's
Patient" (1908)
"Charlotte's
Ladies" (1911)
Short summaries of the stories:
"Charlotte's Quest"(Family Herald, January 1933)
Charlotte Laurence visits Witch Penny to ask her to help her find a new mother. Her mother is dead and her father has left her to climb mountains. She lives in a home with her Uncle and Aunt where she doesn't fit in. Witch Penny gives her directions to find a mother.
"Marcella's Reward" (Zion's Herald, August 1907)
Nineteen year old Marcella Langley, and her younger sister Patty are orphans living with their Aunt Emma Gibson. Patty is very ill and the doctor advises them to take her to the country, a plan that cannot be afforded. She works at the Canning stores as a clerk and after a run in with a hostile and impatient customer, a stranger notices her and speaks to her.
"An Invitation Given on Impulse" (Philadelphia Times, April 1900)
Ruth Mannering is the most overlooked student at the Oaklawn school. She recently lost her mother and is alone in the world. Carol Golden receives a letter to invite any friend home for the holidays, and wants to invite her friend Maud, until she hears that Ruth has nowhere to go. On impulse, she invites Ruth to come home with her, where surprise meeting takes place to change everything for Ruth.
"Freda's Adopted Grave" (Zion's Herald, September 1904)
Ten year old Frede has lived with Mrs. Wilson after living in the orphan's asylum. She is saddened not to be able to participate in "Graveyard Day," a day in May that the town of North Point cares for the family graves. Frede decides to adopt the one uncared for grave in the graveyard with unexpected consequences.
"Ted's Afternoon Off" (King's Own, August 1907)
Ted Melvin has lived with the Jacksons since his mother's death, and he's excited to have his first half-holiday in 4 years where he's planning to go to a picnic. His life consists of work and three months of school a year, but he has an inner life of dreams and remembers his old life when he has a few spare moments to play his fiddle in the garret. Mrs. Ross visits Ted that afternoon to ask if he can stay with her sick son Jimmy and play his fiddle for him, and Ted makes up his mind to sacrifice going to the picnic to keep Jimmy company. Meanwhile, the violinist Blair Milford is in town.
The story includes a familiar line: "I've got to go to the picnic," and a city called "White Sands" is mentioned.
"The Girl Who Drove the Cows" (Presbyterian Banner, October 1908)
Pauline Palmer and her Aunt Olivia Wallace are spending their summer at a farmhouse. Pauline, against her Aunt's advice is keen on meeting a women she saw driving the cows, named Ada Cameron, who lives with her Aunt and Uncle Embree. They become dear friends and Pauline takes a photo of Ada to enter in a photography contest that causes some changes to take place.
"Why Not Ask Miss Price?" (Girls' Companion, November 1904)
Two sisters, Frances and Alma, are disappointed when they learn they will have a vacant place at their Thanksgiving dinner celebration. Their mother has left them in charge this year, and suggests they fill the empty place with the shy, solitary school teacher Miss Bertha Price, which leads to a reunion.
"Jane Lavinia" (Zion's Herald, September 1906)
Jane Lavinia, who lives with her strict Aunt Rebecca in Chestercote. She's thrilled to meet a well-known illustrator, Mr. Stephens, who encourages her artistic ambitions and invites her to study in New York, but will she really go?
"The Running Away of Chester" (Boys' World, November-December 1903)
Thirteen-year-old Chester Stephens is an orphan who lives in Uptown with his harsh Aunt Harriet Elwell. After she refuses to allow him to go to school and repeated punishments, Chester resolves to run away. He is asked to work at the Stearns' for a fortnight where he earns four dollars, and the next day makes his escape and with hard work, a place to live. Eventually; however, he must return.
"Millicent's Double" (East and West, December 1905)
Millicent Moore and Worth Gordon look so much alike, they could be twins. The two are unrelated and became such good friends upon meeting one another that they became roommates. When Millicent receives two invitations for a single day, both of which she cannot refuse, she asks Worth to serve as her double. After the deception, both feel guilty and return to apologize.
"Penelope's Party Waist" (Designer, March 1904)
Penelope and Doris Hunter are sisters, struggling to make ends meet and take care of one another. When Penelope is invited to a party, and cannot afford to fix her dress to make it suitable. The girls then receive a the Grandmother Hunter's silk quilt, and Doris decides the lining (made from an old dress of their Grandmother) would make perfect material for a party waist for her sister's dress. When Penelope attends the party, the material is recognized.
"The Little Black Doll" (Zion's Herald, August 1909)
Little Joyce is an orphan living with her relatives. She lives in the shadow of her pretty cousin Chrissie, and feels unloved in her home. The only friends she has are Denise, a young French girl dying of consumption, and her little black doll. When Joyce learns from the doctor that Denise is dying, she wants to fulfill her final wish, to have the visiting Madame Laurin sing for her. Laurin collects dolls, and Joyce is willing to give up her doll to give her friend some joy.
"The Fraser Scholarship" (Boys' World, April 1905)
Elliott Campbell wins the Fraser scholarship, but then he learned that preference was given to boys with three different last names: Campbell, Fraser and McLean. Elliott was born of the name Hanselpakker, and took the name Campbell of his adoptive father, but the name Campbell was not legal, so he feels it is his duty to confess.
"Her Own People" (American Messenger, August 1905)
Constance Foster is the youngest teacher at the Taunton school, disliked by all except Miss Channing who tries to befriend her. When Miss Channing learns how sad Constance's life is, how alone she is, and that she has no vacation plans, she suggests that she visit Pine Valley for the summer, where Constance becomes a new person.
This story is reminiscent of Anne's talk with Katherine Brooke in Anne of Windy Poplars.
"Miss Sally's Company" (Forward, October 1904)
Mary and Ida Seymour go for a spin and stop to ask for a drink at a pretty cottage. The Golden Gate cottage is owned by Miss Sally Temple, who is prepared for a visit from her Cousin Abner's girls. They have never visited her, but she prepares for them all the same. The Seymours realize they know who Cousin Abner's girls are and do something about their neglect of Miss Sally.
"The Story of an Invitation" (Philadelphia Times, August 1901)
Bertha Sutherland receives and invitation to visit her Aunt Meg at Riversdale for her vacation. When she shares her news with her roommate, an orphan Grace Maxwell, she learns of Grace's plans to work all summer. Bertha realizes Grace needs rest and plays the good angel from a storybook, by transferring her invitation to Grace to visit Riversdale in her place.
"The Softening of Miss Cynthia" (Living Church, July 1904)
Wilbur Merrivale is sent to live with his Aunt Cynthia after his father's death. Miss Cynthia sees no duty to care for him as he is her half-brother's son, and she send him to live with Mr. Robbin's to work for his board and clothing. Consequently, Wilbur is horribly overworked and falls ill to a fever.
"Margaret's Patient" (East and West, February 1908)
Margaret Campbell has struggled through life as an orphan, first by a distant relative and then as a companion to an old woman, Mrs. Constance. When Mrs. Constance dies, she leaves a cottage and money to Margaret, who for the first time in her life has a home and nothing to do. She plans to visit the Rockies, but when Dr. Forbes comes by and asks her to nurse Freda Martin, another solitary woman, back to health, she has second thoughts about her trip.
"Charlotte's Ladies" (Epworth Herald, February 1911)
Charlotte lives at the asylum, and though popular wither the others, she enjoys her escapes and alone time. She has discovered two openings in the fence to look out, and keeps them a secret. Through the gaps she sees "The Pretty Lady" who she'd like as a mother and "The Tall Lady" whom she'd like as an aunt. Both women end up wanting Charlotte for their own.
Charlotte has freckles and craves roseleaf complexions and her tone of voice is much like another orphan we know and love. The sisters names are Alma Herbert and Anna Bond like the pair of sisters in "Anna's Love Letters."
Last Updated 03.08.07
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