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Sonny
Excerpt from Sonny
A boy, you say, doctor? An' she don't know it yet? Then what 're you tellin' me for? No, sir - take it away. I don't want to lay my eyes on it till she's saw it - not if I am its father. She's its mother, I reckon!
Better lay it down somew'eres an' go to her - not there on the rockin'-cheer, for somebody to set on - 'n' not on the trunk, please. That ain't none o' yo' ord'nary new-born bundles, to be dumped on a box that 'll maybe be opened sudden d'rec'ly for somethin' needed, an' he dropped ag'in' the wall-paper behind it.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
A boy, you say, doctor? An' she don't know it yet? Then what 're you tellin' me for? No, sir - take it away. I don't want to lay my eyes on it till she's saw it - not if I am its father. She's its mother, I reckon!
Better lay it down somew'eres an' go to her - not there on the rockin'-cheer, for somebody to set on - 'n' not on the trunk, please. That ain't none o' yo' ord'nary new-born bundles, to be dumped on a box that 'll maybe be opened sudden d'rec'ly for somethin' needed, an' he dropped ag'in' the wall-paper behind it.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
148 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1914
About the author
Ruth McEnery Stuart
121 books2 followersShe was born Mary Routh McEnery Stuart, child of James and Mary Routh (Stirling) McEnery in Marksville, Louisiana. (She changed the spelling of her name to "Ruth" after she began her career in literature.) Stuart's true date of birth is not known with certainty.
Stuart first published in February 1888 in the New Princeton Review. She sold a second story to Harpers New Monthly Magazine shortly thereafter; in the early 1890s she moved to New York City. Stuart was active in her literary career from 1888 until 1917, producing some 75 works.Between 1891 and 1897 she produced "20 books, short stories, sketches, and reprinted verses she had originally published in magazines". She was known not just for her writing, but also for oral performances of her work. Her most famous work is said to be Sonny (1896). She was also occasionally a sub-editor at Harpers.
Stuart has been characterized as belonging to the school of "American local color writing that emphasizes regional characteristics in landscape, way of life, and language." Stuart's treatment of blacks forms a significant portion of her corpus and, if potentially troublesome today, "contemporary critics acclaimed her as providing an authentic representation of African Americans." Her work is said to be of the same school as Kate Chopin
Stuart's work was appreciated in England. She became a member of the Lyceum Club there in 1904. In 1915 she was granted an honorary Litt.D. in 1915 by Tulane University. Also in 1915 a literary club, Ruth McEnery Stuart Clan, was founded and named in her honor.
Stuart died in New York City in 1917 and was buried in New Orleans.
Stuart first published in February 1888 in the New Princeton Review. She sold a second story to Harpers New Monthly Magazine shortly thereafter; in the early 1890s she moved to New York City. Stuart was active in her literary career from 1888 until 1917, producing some 75 works.Between 1891 and 1897 she produced "20 books, short stories, sketches, and reprinted verses she had originally published in magazines". She was known not just for her writing, but also for oral performances of her work. Her most famous work is said to be Sonny (1896). She was also occasionally a sub-editor at Harpers.
Stuart has been characterized as belonging to the school of "American local color writing that emphasizes regional characteristics in landscape, way of life, and language." Stuart's treatment of blacks forms a significant portion of her corpus and, if potentially troublesome today, "contemporary critics acclaimed her as providing an authentic representation of African Americans." Her work is said to be of the same school as Kate Chopin
Stuart's work was appreciated in England. She became a member of the Lyceum Club there in 1904. In 1915 she was granted an honorary Litt.D. in 1915 by Tulane University. Also in 1915 a literary club, Ruth McEnery Stuart Clan, was founded and named in her honor.
Stuart died in New York City in 1917 and was buried in New Orleans.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 19, 2016
2.5 stars
I grabbed this thinking it was a Christmas tale, as the title implies. However, it's a story of the life of a little boy who was born on Christmas Day. As a historical slice of life, it's excellent. But the biggest issue I had with it was the father narrator: he and his wife waited fifteen years for their first and only child, and they spoil him rotten. Spoiled kids just aren't my thing.
*several instances of the n* word
I grabbed this thinking it was a Christmas tale, as the title implies. However, it's a story of the life of a little boy who was born on Christmas Day. As a historical slice of life, it's excellent. But the biggest issue I had with it was the father narrator: he and his wife waited fifteen years for their first and only child, and they spoil him rotten. Spoiled kids just aren't my thing.
*several instances of the n* word
June 28, 2009
Three things you need to know about Ruth Mcenery Stuart:
Her ear for southern accents is pitch perfect.
She is a witty and amusing observer of small-town life.
Her heroines are strong, sassy women with big hearts and voices to match.
Stuart was a writer of her time and yet way ahead of it. She's a gem of a writer!
Her ear for southern accents is pitch perfect.
She is a witty and amusing observer of small-town life.
Her heroines are strong, sassy women with big hearts and voices to match.
Stuart was a writer of her time and yet way ahead of it. She's a gem of a writer!
November 21, 2018
✔️Published in 1911.
This is an interesting story, with lots of wonderfully written dialogue.
Other works I read by I also read by Ruth McEnery Stuart:
Solomon Crow's Christmas pockets: and other tales
Daddy Do-Funny's Wisdom Jingles (Illustrated Edition)
The Haunted Photograph; Whence and Whither; A Case in Diplomacy; The Afterglow
The Story of Babette: A Little Creole Girl
The River's Children An Idyl of the Mississippi
🟣Kindle version.
This is an interesting story, with lots of wonderfully written dialogue.
Other works I read by I also read by Ruth McEnery Stuart:
Solomon Crow's Christmas pockets: and other tales
Daddy Do-Funny's Wisdom Jingles (Illustrated Edition)
The Haunted Photograph; Whence and Whither; A Case in Diplomacy; The Afterglow
The Story of Babette: A Little Creole Girl
The River's Children An Idyl of the Mississippi
🟣Kindle version.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews