Ladies-In-Waiting

Front matter

Reading edition

KATE DOUGLAS WIGGIN

WITH FRONTISPIECE BY

CHRISTINE TUCKE CURTISS

BOSTON AND NEW YORK

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY

The Riverside Press Cambridge

FOREWORD

It may be urged that all proper heroines go through a period of uncertainty before giving their hands and hearts in marriage. Occasionally, however, there are longer seasons of indecision, incident to pride, high temper, or misunderstanding on the lady’s side, or to poverty, undue timidity, or lack of high pressure on the part of the gentleman. I have christened the heroines of this volume “Ladies-in-Waiting,” and that no mental picture may be formed of Queen and Court and Maids of Honor I have asked the artist to portray for the frontispiece a marriageable maiden seated pensively upon a hillside. Her attitude is plainly one of suspended animation while the new moon above her shoulders suggests to the reader that she will not wait in vain.

Kate Douglas Wiggin

August 11, 1919

Contents

CHAPTER PAGE

Miss Thomasina Tucker 1

The Turning-Point 97

Huldah The Prophetess 145

Two On A Tour 183

Philippa’s Nervous Prostration 275

LADIES-IN-WAITING