Chapter I: Front Matter

_Books by Laura E. Richards._

“Mrs. Richards has made for herself a little niche apart in the literary world, from her delicate treatment of New England village life.”—_Boston Post._

“=SOME SAY=,” and a companion story, “=NEIGHBOURS IN
CYRUS=.” 16mo, 50 cents.

=JIM OF HELLAS; or, IN DURANCE VILE=, and a companion
story, =BETHESDA POOL=. 16mo, 50 cents.

=MARIE.= 16mo, 50 cents.

“Seldom has Mrs. Richards drawn a more irresistible
picture, or framed one with more artistic literary
adjustment.”—_Boston Herald._

“A perfect literary gem.”—_Boston Transcript._

=NARCISSA=, and a companion story, =IN VERONA=. 16mo,
cloth, 50 cents.

“Each is a simple, touching, sweet little story
of rustic New England life, full of vivid
pictures of interesting character, and refreshing
for its unaffected genuineness and human
feeling.”—_Congregationalist._

“They are the most charming stories ever written of
American country life.”—_New York World._

=MELODY.= The story of a Child. 16mo, 50 cents.

“Had there never been a ‘Captain January’, ‘Melody’
would easily take first place.”—_Boston Times._

“The quaintly pretty, touching, old-fashioned story is
told with perfect grace; the few persons who belong
to it are touched in with distinctness and with
sympathy.”—_Milwaukee Sentinel._

=SAME.= _Illustrated Holiday Edition._ With thirty
half-tone pictures from drawings by Frank T. Merrill.
4to, cloth, $1.25.

=CAPTAIN JANUARY.= 16mo, cloth, 50 cents.

A charming idyl of New England coast life, whose
success has been very remarkable. One reads it, is
thoroughly charmed by it, tells others, and so its
fame has been heralded by its readers, until to-day it
is selling by the thousands, constantly enlarging the
circle of its delighted admirers.

=SAME.= _Illustrated Holiday Edition._ With thirty
half-tone pictures from drawings by Frank T. Merrill.
4to, cloth, $1.25.

=WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE.= 4to, cloth, gilt top, $1.25.

The title most happily introduces the reader to the
charming home-life of Dr. Howe and Mrs. Julia Ward Howe
during the childhood of the author.

=GLIMPSES OF THE FRENCH COURT.= Sketches from French
History. Illustrated with a series of portraits in
etching and photogravure. Square 12mo, cloth, $1.50.

With true literary touch, she gives us the story of
some of the salient figures of this remarkable period.

=ISLA HERON.= A charming prose idyl of quaint New
England life. Small quarto, cloth, 75 cents.

=NAUTILUS.= A very interesting story, with
illustrations; uniquely bound, small quarto, cloth,
75 cents.

=FIVE MINUTE STORIES.= A charming collection of short
stories and clever poems for children.

_Estes & Lauriat, Publishers, Boston._

ISLA HERON

BY
LAURA E. RICHARDS
AUTHOR OF “CAPTAIN JANUARY,” “MELODY,” “MARIE,” “NAUTILUS,”
“QUEEN HILDEGARDE,” ETC.

=Illustrated=
BY
FRANK T. MERRILL

_Fifth Thousand_

BOSTON
ESTES AND LAURIAT
PUBLISHERS

_Copyright, 1896_,
BY ESTES AND LAURIAT
_All rights reserved_

=Colonial Press:=
C. H. Simonds & Co., Boston, Mass., U.S.A.
Electrotyped by Geo. C. Scott & Sons

TO MY HUSBAND
AFTER TWENTY-FIVE HAPPY YEARS
1871-1896

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE
I. THE PREACHER 13
II. THE HERONS 20
III. SPRING AND THE CHILDREN 26
IV. THE SCARLET SORREL 35
V. “LONE, LONE, THOU HAST LEFT ME HERE” 40
VI. THE NEW TEACHING 48
VII. LITTLE JACOB 57
VIII. LOCHABER NO MORE! 64
IX. THE NEW SCHOLARS 71
X. JOE’S TREASURY 79
XI. DISCOVERY 85
XII. THE WILD ROCKS AGAIN 97
XIII. THE LAST 102

ISLA HERON.