Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber's notes: Unusual and inconsistent spelling is as printed.

New original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the public domain.

JOAN'S HANDFUL

BY

AMY LE FEUVRE

Author of "Herself and Her Boy," "Four Gates," etc.

GOLDEN CROWN SERIES

PICKERING & INGLIS
14 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON, E.C.4
229 BOTHWELL STREET, GLASGOW, C.2

GOLDEN CROWN LIBRARY

1 HERSELF AND HER BOY
BY AMY LE FEUVRE

2 MINISTERING CHILDREN
BY M. L. CHARLESWORTH

3 HER HUSBAND'S HOME
BY EVELYN EVERETT GREEN

4 PEPPER & CO.
BY ESTHER E. ENOCK

S ELDWYTH'S CHOICE
BY LAURA A. BARTER-SNOW

6 MARTYRLAND
BY ROBERT SIMPSON

7 ANDY MAN
BY AMY LE FEUVRE

8 THE BASKETMAKER'S SHOP
BY M. L. CHARLESWORTH

9 FOUR GATES
BY AMY LE FEUVRE

10 URSULA
BY LAURA A. BARTER-SNOW

11 A MADCAP FAMILY
BY AMY LE FEUVRE

12 NORAH'S VICTORY
BY LAURA A. BARTER-SNOW

13 JOAN'S HANDFUL
BY AMY LE FEUVRE

Made and Printed in Great Britain

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER

1. THE PAINTER

2. THE TRAVELLERS

3. A BUSY DAY

4. RECTORY LIFE

5. RENUNCIATION

6. A MOTHER'S CONFIDENCES

7. THE MAJOR'S HOSPITALITY

8. AN ENCOUNTER WITH WILMOT

9. JOAN'S GODMOTHER

10. OFF TO THE RIVIERA

11. LITERARY ATTEMPTS

12. TROUBLE AT ROLLESTON COURT

13. A FATEFUL TELEGRAM

14. STRUGGLING IN THE NET

15. DERRICK TO THE RESCUE

16. JOAN'S ILLNESS

17. A VISIT TO IRELAND

18. THE CHURCH IN THE HILLS

19. CECIL'S ENGAGEMENT

20. BANTY'S ACCIDENT

21. A CHANCE FOR CECIL

22. HEART TO HEART

23. THE LUCK OF ROLLESTON COURT

ILLUSTRATIONS.

SEATING HERSELF ON A FALLEN LOG, AND GAZING
DOWN UPON THE SMILING VALLEYS BELOW, JOAN FELL
INTO A REVERIE _Frontispiece_

JOAN WENT DOWN ON HER KNEES BEFORE HER MOTHER
IMPULSIVELY, AND TOOK HER HANDS IN HERS

JOAN AND BANTY CHATTED TOGETHER IN LIGHT-HEARTED
FASHION WHEN THEY WERE SITTING DOWN
WATCHING FOR THE KETTLE TO BOIL

SHE WAS DEEP IN THOUGHT AND PRAYER WHEN A
WELL-KNOWN VOICE MADE JOAN START

JOAN HEARD A CHILD'S SHRILL CRY FOR HELP, AND
LOOKING OUT UPON A ROCK CLOSE TO THE SEA, SHE
SAW A SMALL FIGURE WAVING A HANDKERCHIEF

"BETTER IS AN HANDFUL WITH QUIETNESS,
THAN BOTH THE HANDS FULL
WITH TRAVAIL AND VEXATION OF SPIRIT"
(ECCLES. iv. 6).

JOAN'S HANDFUL