title: Victorian Childhoods (Victorian Life and Times)
author: Ginger S. Frost
description: "Dividing the book by aspects most common to children, infancy, school, work and play, Frost shows the wide range of experience that children experienced. She then considers the goals of adults in molding the character of the next generation, the fate of foundlings, the very poor, and disabled children and the, sometimes misguided, efforts of reformers. Over the century, she notices an increase in the marketing of toys and books for children of all economic strata and also more emphasis on public education. Frost gives a multi-faceted presentation of the subject, accessible to scholars and general readers alike." - <strong>Reference &amp; Research Book News</strong><br /><br />". . . admirable book. . . Frost's book is warmly recommended to academic libraries." - <strong>Catholic Library World</strong><br /><br />"Frost (Samford Univ.) has written a useful overview of British childhood in the 19th century that is a good starting point for undergraduates in the US. . . the work is deeply enriched by biographical and autobiographical accounts. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General and undergraduate libraries." - <strong>Choice</strong>
zlib_text:  
   
   
   
  BY THE PRICKING OF MY THUMB 
   
   
  Agatha Christie 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  By the pricking of my thumbs 
  Something wicked this way comes. 
  (Macbeth) 
   
   
  Book I - SUNNY RIDGE 
   
   
  Chapter 1 
   
  AUNT ADA 
   
   
  Mr and Mrs Beresford were sitting at the breakfast table. They were an 
  ordinary couple. Hundreds of elderly couples just like them were 
  having breakfast all over England at that particular moment. It was an 
  ordinary sort of day too, the kind of day that you get five days out of 
  seven. It looked as though it might rain but wasn't quite sure of it. 
   
  Mr Beresford had once had red hair. There were traces of the red still, 
  but most of it had gone that sandy-cum-grey colour that redheaded 
  people so often arrive at in middle life. 
   
  
  Mrs Beresford had once had black hair, a vigorous curling mop of it. 
  Now the black was adulterated with streaks of grey laid on, apparently 
  at random. It made a rather pleasant effect. Mrs Beresford had once