Cover of Percy's holidays

Percy's holidays

  • Free to read
  • 55 min read
  • 5 chapters
  • Reading level: 7th grade

"Percy's Holidays: or, Borrowing Trouble" by Lucy Ellen Guernsey is a children's novel written in the early 1870s, during the late 19th century. The narrative centers around a young girl named Percy who grapples with her fears and anxieties as she transitions from home life to boarding school. The story explores themes of perseverance, self-discovery, and the importance of not succumbing to self-imposed worries, encapsulated in the concept of "borrowing trouble." The tale begins with Percy, an orphaned girl living with her Aunt Zoe, who is sent to a boarding school. Initially apprehensive about the new environment and her interactions with other girls, Percy gradually learns to navigate her fears, especially her tendency to "borrow trouble" by worrying about future problems. Throughout her journey, she encounters various challenges and characters, including her cousin Margaret and Aunt Ackerman, who help her recognize the need to focus on the present and trust in the goodness of life. By the end of her holidays, Percy emerges more self-assured and grateful, shedding much of her earlier anxiety as she embraces the joy of her experiences.

Read free now No app, no sign-up. Your place is saved automatically. Or download for your e-reader ↓
  • Christian life
  • Orphans
  • Girls · Conduct of life
  • Boarding schools
  • Holidays
  • Aunts

Read the opening

Chapter I

MONDAY MORNING.

"PERCY, Percy!"

"Oh, dear me!" said a pale, thin little girl, all black hair and brown eyes, who was sitting on the door-step, studying with all her might. "I shall miss, I know I shall, and then I shall get marked again!"

"Percy! Perseverance!" called the voice again,—a somewhat high but very pleasant and kindly voice. "Come here, my dear, I want to see you!"

"There now! Aunt Zoe will want me to do some errand or other, I know, and what will become of my lesson!" said Percy, impatiently, closing her book, and rising. "I am sure I wouldn't mind, only for missing!"

Keep reading Percy's holidays →

Contents

  1. Chapter I
  2. Chapter II
  3. Chapter III
  4. Chapter IV
  5. Chapter V

Download for your e-reader

Files are provided by Project Gutenberg. On a Kindle, the simplest route is to send the EPUB with Amazon’s Send to Kindle. Downloaded copies don’t sync with your place on Classic Book Reader.

About this edition

This free edition of Percy's holidays by Lucy Ellen Guernsey comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #71823, released 2023-10-06. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Children & Young Adult Reading, Novels.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

More by Lucy Ellen Guernsey