Here's the Book Beginning:
Chapter 1 - Two Girls
Rose sat all alone in the big best parlor, with her little handkerchief laid ready to catch the first tear, for she was thinking of her troubles, and a shower was expected. She had retired to this room as a good place in which to be miserable; for it was dark and still, full of ancient furniture, sombre curtains, and hung all around with portraits of solemn old gentlemen in wigs, severe-nosed ladies in top-heavy caps, and staring children in little bob-tailed coats or short-waisted frocks.
Louisa May paints a good picture of the room, but those two sentences are really long! Would an editor let us write that way today? I don't think so.
Here's the Friday 56 excerpt from my Kindle:
Presently, Phebe appeared with a card. Rose read it, made a grimace, then laughed and said,
"I'll see Miss Blish," and immediately put on her company face, pulled out her locket, and settled her curls.
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