The Project Gutenberg eBook, Penelope's Progress, by Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin

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Title: Penelope's Progress Being Such Extracts from the Commonplace Book of Penelope Hamilton As Relate to Her Experiences in Scotland

Author: Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin

Release Date: May 19, 2009 [eBook #28877]

Language: English

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PENELOPE'S PROGRESS***

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PENELOPE'S PROGRESS

by

KATE DOUGLAS WIGGIN

* * * * *

BY MRS. WIGGIN.

THE BIRDS' CHRISTMAS CAROL. Illustrated. Square 12mo, 50 cents.

THE STORY OF PATSY. Illustrated. Square 12mo, 60 cents.

A SUMMER IN A CAÑON. A California Story. Illustrated. 16mo, $1.25.

TIMOTHY'S QUEST. A Story for Anybody, Young or Old, who cares to read it. 16mo, $1.00.

THE SAME. Holiday Edition. Illustrated. Crown 8vo, $1.50.

A CATHEDRAL COURTSHIP, AND PENELOPE'S ENGLISH EXPERIENCES.
Illustrated. 16mo, $1.00.

PENELOPE'S PROGRESS. In unique Scottish binding. 16mo, $1.25.

POLLY OLIVER'S PROBLEM. Illustrated. 16mo, $1.00.

THE SAME. In Riverside School Library. 60 cents, net.

THE VILLAGE WATCH-TOWER. 16mo, $1.00.

MARM LISA, 16mo, $1.00.

NINE LOVE SONGS, AND A CAROL. Music by Mrs. WIGGIN. Words by
Herrick, Sill, and others. Square 8vo $1.25.

BY MRS. WIGGIN AND MISS SMITH.

THE STORY HOUR. A Book for the Home and Kindergarten. By Mrs.
Wiggin and Nora A. Smith. Illustrated. 16mo, $1.00.

CHILDREN'S RIGHTS. By Mrs. Wiggin and Nora A. Smith. A Book of
Nursery Logic. 16mo, $1.00.

THE REPUBLIC OF CHILDHOOD. By Mrs. Wiggin and Nora A. Smith.
In three volumes, each, 16mo, $1.00.

I. FROEBEL'S GIFTS. II. FROEBEL'S OCCUPATIONS. III. KINDERGARTEN PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE.

HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY,

Boston and New York.

* * * * *

PENELOPE'S PROGRESS

Being Such Extracts from the Commonplace Book of Penelope Hamilton As Relate to Her Experiences in Scotland

by

KATE DOUGLAS WIGGIN

Boston and New York
The Riverside Press

Boston And New York
Houghton, Mifflin and Company

The Riverside Press, Cambridge

1899

Copyright, 1897 and 1898, by Houghton, Mifflin and Company
Copyright, 1898, by Kate Douglas Riggs
All Rights Reserved

Thirtieth Thousand

TO

G. C. R.

CONTENTS

PART FIRST. IN TOWN

PAGE

I. A Triangular Alliance 1

II. "Edina, Scotia's Darling Seat" 12

III. A Vision in Princes Street 18

IV. Susanna Crum couldna say 29

V. We emulate the Jackdaw 38

VI. Edinburgh Society, Past and Present 48

VII. Francesca meets th' Unconquer'd Scot 60

VIII. "What made th' Assembly shine?" 70

IX. Omnia Presbyteria est Divisa in Partes Tres 82

X. Mrs. M'collop as a Sermon-Taster 93

XI. Holyrood awakens 101

XII. Farewell to Edinburgh 117

XIII. The Spell of Scotland 124

PART SECOND. IN THE COUNTRY

XIV. The Wee Theekit Hoosie in the Loaning 137

XV. Jane Grieve and her Grievances 147

XVI. The Path that led to Crummylowe 161

XVII. Playing Sir Patrick Spens 168

XVIII. Paris comes to Pettybaw 182

XIX. Fowk o' Fife 190

XX. A Fifeshire Tea-Party 207

XXI. International Bickering 214

XXII. Francesca entertains the Green-Eyed Monster 224

XXIII. Ballad Revels at Rowardennan 234

XXIV. Old Songs and Modern Instances 244

XXV. A Treaty between Nations 255

XXVI. "Scotland's burning! Look out!" 260

XXVII. Three Magpies and a Marriage 265

PENELOPE'S PROGRESS

PART FIRST. IN TOWN

I

    "Edina, Scotia's darling seat!
    All hail thy palaces and towers!"

                  Edinburgh, April, 189-.
                  22, Breadalbane Terrace.

We have traveled together before, Salemina, Francesca, and I, and we know the very worst there is to know about one another. After this point has been reached, it is as if a triangular marriage had taken place, and, with the honeymoon comfortably over, we slip along in thoroughly friendly fashion. I use no warmer word than "friendly" because, in the first place, the highest tides of feeling do not visit the coast of triangular alliances; and because, in the second place, "friendly" is a word capable of putting to the blush many a more passionate and endearing one.

Every one knows of our experiences in England, for we wrote volumes of letters concerning them, the which were widely circulated among our friends at the time and read aloud under the evening lamps in the several cities of our residence.

Since then few striking changes have taken place in our history.

Salemina returned to Boston for the winter, to find, to her amazement, that for forty odd years she had been rather overestimating it.

On