The New-Year's Bargain — Susan Coolidge

Susan Coolidge was the pen name of Sarah Chauncey Woolsey (1835-1905), an American children's author best known for her classic novel What Katy Did (1872) and its sequels. The Carr family of the Katy series were modelled on her own family, with the character of Katy inspired by herself, and the brothers and sisters by her younger siblings. Born into a wealthy and influential family, she worked as a nurse during the American Civil War, after which she started to write. She never married and resided at the family home in Newport, Rhode Island until her death. This collection of stories was first published in 1871 and is reprinted from the edition of 1884, illustrated throughout by Addie Ledyard.