Soffrona and Her Cat Muff

FRONTISPIECE. See Page 11.
SOFFRONA AND HER CAT MUFF .
BY MRS. SHERWOOD, Author of “LITTLE HENRY & HIS BEARER,” &c. &c.
Wellington, Salop:
PRINTED BY AND FOR HOULSTON AND SON.
And sold at their Warehouse, 65, Paternoster-Row, London.
1828.
LITTLE Soffrona lived with a lady who loved her very much. She was not the lady’s own child, but she was as dear to that lady as if she had been so, and the child always called her mamma. The lady had a little girl of her own called Sophia. Sophia was one year older than Soffrona; and Sophia and Soffrona learned lessons together, and played together, and were very happy in each other’s company. When you saw Soffrona, you might be sure Sophia was not very far off; and when you saw Sophia, it was very certain that Soffrona was at no great distance.
How delightful it is for little children to live in love and peace one with another! Hear what David says on this subject—— Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! (Psalm cxxxiii. 1.)
Soffrona and Sophia lived in a very lovely house, surrounded with woods. Wherever you looked from the windows of that house, you might see trees growing thickly together, forming beautiful arbours, and pleasant shades, with little paths winding about among those trees; and here and there, near the trees, were fountains of water springing from the hills, and running down into the valleys: for there were hills there, and the tops of some of them were covered all through the winter with snow, though in summer they appeared green or blue, according to the time of the year, and wore a very pleasant aspect.
Soffrona and Sophia were allowed to play in these woods, and they had learned to run and skip upon the hills like young fawns. It was very pleasing to see them, and they found many treasures in those wild places which children who have never been in woods have no idea of. They found snail-shells, and painting-stones, and wild strawberries, and bilberries, and walnuts, and hazel nuts, and beautiful moss, and many kinds of flowers; and there they heard birds sing—cuckoos, and linnets, and blackbirds, and thrushes; and saw beautiful butterflies with gold and purple plumes, and dragon-flies, whose wings look like fine silk net.