The Little Colonel's House Party

The Little Colonel's House Party is written by Annie Fellows Johnston. It is the fourth book in the Little Colonel series.

This story is about the house party of Lloyd Sherman, nicknamed the Little Colonel (see the first book in the series: The Little Colonel) and takes place in Kentucky. Three girls, Betty, Joyce, and Eugenia, came to spend the summer with her and her mother, Mrs. Sherman. Mr. Sherman and the Old Colonel, Lloyd's grandfather, had business in Virginia over the summer, so Mrs. Sherman and Lloyd would be home alone for a bit. As a treat, her mother let her have the house party.

The first to arrive was Elizabeth Lloyd Lewis, or Betty. Betty was a sweet little girl, much loved by everyone who knew her, who entertains writing ambitions. She came from the country where she had been staying with her aunt and uncle, being an orphan. Her mother had been a great friend of Mrs. Sherman's. Mrs. Sherman was Betty's godmother.

Betty came in a bonnet and carried very few clothes, but Lloyd and Mrs. Sherman took care of her embarrassment quickly. She lost some of her country manners but not her sweetness before the other guests arrived.

The second guest to arrive was Joyce Ware. (She has a story all her own in The Giant Scissors.) Her mother was also a great friend of Mrs. Sherman's, but Mrs. Ware was a poor widow living out west for her health. Joyce loved drawing and painting and planning all sorts of fun. She quickly made friends with Betty and Lloyd.

The third and last girl to come was Eugenia Forbes from New York City. She was Lloyd's cousin and they hated each other when they were little, but her mother had died and Mrs. Sherman insisted on inviting her so she would not be lonely during the summer. Eugenia was a spoiled only child who got pretty much whatever she wanted from her father.

The four girls learned much that summer together. When three out of the four caught measles from going to a gypsy camp against orders, Betty and Mrs. Sherman plan many good things to cheer them up. Later Betty fell ill from helping her friends, though she herself did not go to the gypsy camp. The sickness threatened her eyes and caused great dismay amongst the other girls, particularly Eugenia because it had been mostly her fault that they went to the camp at all. The girls learned the story of the Road of the Loving Heart and the danger to Betty's eyes was averted.

The girls promise to try their best to follow the story of the Road of the Loving Heart and they each get a gold ring with a love knot and the word "Tusitala" engraved on the inside to remind them always.

I enjoyed the story, though it is written for younger children. I have read a number of these stories, but I chiefly like the smaller stories told inside of them such as "The Road of the Loving Heart" in this one. It is these which make the books worthwhile to read.