Кажется, я нашел у миссис Мортимер светлую сторону:

ей нравились собаки. Если в ее истории появляется собака, всё будет хорошо. Она никогда не утопит собаку в озере, не сожжет в камине, не скормит волкам, как ребенка. Даже если собаку переедет телега, собака выздоровеет и станет лучше прежнего - даже начнет ходить по воскресеньям в церковь.

Jack was a fine big dog. He was brave and live-ly. His home was by the sea. He spent much of his time on the beach. He liked to leap o-ver the big stones, scam-per up the cliffs, or rush in-to the sea to fetch a stick. The sail-ors were fond of him, and gave him bits of meat as well as bones. He was nev-er chain-ed up in a ken-nel. He did as he li-ked. He was a clev-er dog, but he was rude and self-ish. If he met a dog in the street, or on the beach, he seiz-ed him with his teeth, and nev-er let him go till he had sha-ken him. So no dog li-ked to ap-proach him.

As he lay a-sleep on the road a coach ran o-ver him and crush-ed him, but did not kill him. A doc-tor tri-ed to make him well.
When he got well—he went a-gain in the street, and on the beach; but he was not rude as he u-sed to be. He nev-er ill-treat-ed a dog a-gain, and he went to church on Sundays. Why did he go to church? I can-not tell. Dogs need not go to church, for they can-not pray to God: but Jack chose to go. He came in time, and sat quite still. He sat in the best seat in the church. He stay-ed till the end. Then he went home qui-et-ly.

Чтение без слез: Count your chicks; Sweet things

Ann had a hen and a brood of chick-ens. She kept them under a coop in the gar-den.

She had ten chick-ens at first. But soon she be-gan to lose her chick-ens.
The cat came and seiz-ed two chick-ens.
Two chick-ens died from eat-ing too much hard food.
Two were crush-ed un-der the coop.
Two chick-ens fell in-to the pool.
Two chick-ens were trod-den up-on by the horse’s hoofs.

Then Ann had no chick-ens left.

* * *

Why can-not Het-ty eat her food this morning? She has eat-en sweet things. Bob went to the shop to buy tarts and sweet drops, and he gave them to Het-ty, and so she is quite ill, and can-not eat plain food. Het-ty can-not go to school to-day. She can-not play with her hoop to-day. She must be shut up in her bed-room.

И чего я привязался к миссис Мортимер?

Ведь была еще мисс Шервуд, автор "Истории семейства Ферчайлд". У нее это семейство ведет такие разговоры:

When Mr. Fairchild came in from his walk, "Mrs. Goodriche," said he, " have you heard that old John Roberts the gardener died yesterday morning?"
"Indeed!" said Mrs. Goodriche: "I did not hear that his death had really taken place, though we have looked for it every day for this last month: he was quite worn out with old age."
"I have seen the old woman, Betty Roberts," said Mr. Fairchild: "she seems to be in a very happy state of mind, and says she trusts that her poor man died in Christ. She would have me up stairs, to see the corpse."
"If you please, Mrs. Goodriche," said Mrs. Fairchild, " we will walk over to the old gardener's house after dinner: I should like to see poor Mrs. Roberts before I go home."
"With all my heart," said Mrs Goodriche.
"And may we go too?" said Lucy, looking at her mamma.
"What does your papa say?" answered Mrs. Fairchild.
"Have you any desire to see the corpse, my dears?" asked Mr. Fairchild: "you never saw a corpse, I think?"
"No, Papa," answered Lucy: "but we have great curiosity to see one."
"I tell you before-hand, my dear children, that death is very terrible. A corpse is an awful sight."
"I know that, Papa," said Lucy; " but we should like to go."
Mr. Fairchild. "Well, my dears, you shall go; and you shall, if you please, see the corpse."

Популярнейшая была детская книга в течение всего девятнадцатого века.