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222
A New England Girlhood, Outlined from Memory (Beverly, MA)
·
Lucy Larcom
102
The
second
stanza
descended
in
a
dreadfully
abrupt
anti-climax;
but
I
was
blissfully
ignorant
of
rhetoricians'
rules,
and
supposed
that
the
rhyme
was
the
only
important
thing.
It
may
amuse
my
child-readers
if
I
give
them
this
verse
too:
"The
peals
of
thunder,
how
they
rolled!
And
I
felt
myself
a
little
cooled;
For
I
before
had
been
quite
warm;
But
now
around
me
was
a
storm."
My
brother
was
surprised
at
my
success,
and
I
believe
I
thought
my
verses
quite
fine,
too.
But
I
was
rather
sorry
that
I
had
written
them,
for
I
had
to
say
them
over
to
the
family,
and
then
they
sounded
silly.
The
habit
was
formed,
however,
and
I
went
on
writing
little
books
of
ballads,
which
I
illustrated
with
colors
from
my
toy
paintbox,
and
then
squeezed
down
into
the
cracks
of
the
garret
floor,
for
fear
that
somebody
would
find
them.
My
fame
crept
out
among
the
neighbors,
nevertheless.
I
was
even
invited
to
write
some
verses
in
young
lady's
album;
and
Aunt
Hannah
asked
me
to
repeat
my
verses
to
her.
I
considered
myself
greatly
honored
by
both
requests.
My
fondness
for
books
began
very
early.
At
the
age
of
four
I
had
formed
the
plan
of
collecting
a
library.
Not
of
limp,
paper-covered
picture-books,
such
as
people
give
to
babies;
no!
I
wanted
books
with
stiff
covers,
that
could
stand
up
side
by
side
on
a
shelf,
and
maintain
their
own
character
as
books.
But
I
did
not
know
how
to
make
a
beginning,
for
mine
were
all
of
the
kind
manufactured
for
infancy,
and
I
thought
they
deserved
no
better
fate
than
to
be
tossed
about
among
my
rag-babies
and
playthings.
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
