Produced by Michelle Shephard, Charles Franks and the
Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
by
Illustrated by FANNY Y. CORY
When the friends of the Pepper family found that the author was firm inher decision to continue their history no further, they brought theirappeals for the details of some of those good times that made the"little brown house" an object-lesson.
In these appeals, the parents were as vigorous as the young people fora volume of the stories that Polly told, to keep the children happy inthose hard days when her story-telling had to be a large factor intheir home-life; and also for a book of their plays and exploits,impossible to be embodied in the continued series of their history, sothat all who loved the "Five Little Peppers" might the better study theinfluences that shaped their lives.
Those requests were complied with; the author realising that thedetailed account held values, by which stronger light might be thrownon the family life in the "little brown house."
And now the pressure is brought to bear for a book showing the LittlePeppers over the ocean, recorded in "Five Little Peppers Midway." Andthe author is very glad to comply again; for foreign travel throws awholly different side-light upon the Pepper family. So here is the book.
It is in no sense to be taken as a story written for aguide-book,—although the author lives in it again her repeatedenjoyment of the sights and scenes which are accurately depicted. A"Baedeker," if carefully studied, is really all that is needed as aconstant companion to the traveller; while for supplementary helps andsuggestions, there are many valuable books along the same line. Thisvolume is given up to the Peppers; and they must live their own livesand tell their own story while abroad just as they choose.
As the author has stated many times, her part is "simply to set downwhat the Peppers did and said, without trying to make them say or doanything in particular." And so over the ocean they are just as muchthe makers of their own history as when they first opened the door ofthe "little brown house" to
"Now don't you want to get off?"
He clung to his pear with both