
PREFACE.
E. P. R - CORNWALL-ON-HUDSON, N.Y., AUG. 7, 1885. - CHAPTER I. A RUDE AWAKENING - CHAPTER II. A NEW ACQUAINTANCE - CHAPTER III. A NEW FRIEND - CHAPTER IV. WOMAN'S CHIEF RIGHT - CHAPTER V. "BE HOPEFUL, THAT I MAY HOPE" - CHAPTER VI. A SCHEME OF LIFE - CHAPTER VII. SURPRISES - CHAPTER VIII. CHARMED BY A CRITIC - CHAPTER IX. A GIRL'S LIGHT HAND - CHAPTER X. WILLARD MERWYN - CHAPTER XI. AN OATH AND A GLANCE - CHAPTER XII. "A VOW" - CHAPTER XIII. A SIEGE BEGUN - CHAPTER XIV. OMINOUS - CHAPTER XV. SCORN - CHAPTER XVI. AWAKENED AT LAST - CHAPTER XVII. COMING TO THE POINT - CHAPTER XVIII. A GIRL'S STANDARD - CHAPTER XIX. PROBATION PROMISED - CHAPTER XX. "YOU THINK ME A COWARD" - CHAPTER XXI. FEARS AND PERPLEXITIES - CHAPTER XXII. A GIRL'S THOUGHTS AND IMPULSES - CHAPTER XXIII. "MY FRIENDSHIP IS MINE TO GIVE" - CHAPTER XXIV. A FATHER'S FORETHOUGHT - CHAPTER XXV. A CHAINED WILL - CHAPTER XXVI. MARIAN'S INTERPRETATION OF MERWYN - CHAPTER XXVII. "DE HEAD LINKUM MAN WAS CAP'N LANE" - CHAPTER XXVIII. THE SIGNAL LIGHT - CHAPTER XXIX. MARIAN CONTRASTS LANE AND MERWYN - CHAPTER XXX THE NORTH INVADED - CHAPTER XXXI. "I'VE LOST MY CHANCE" - CHAPTER XXXII. BLAUVELT - CHAPTER XXXIII. A GLIMPSE OF WAR - CHAPTER XXXIV. A GLIMPSE OF WAR, CONTINUED - CHAPTER XXXV. THE GRAND ASSAULT - CHAPTER XXXVI. BLAUVELT'S SEARCH FOR STRAHAN - CHAPTER XXXVII. STRAHAN'S ESCAPE - CHAPTER XXXVIII. A LITTLE REBEL - CHAPTER XXXIX. THE CURE OF CAPTAIN LANE - CHAPTER XL. LOVE'S TRIUMPH - CHAPTER XLI. SUNDAY'S LULL AND MONDAY'S STORM - CHAPTER XLII. THAT WORST OF MONSTERS, A MOB - CHAPTER XLIII. THE "COWARD" - CHAPTER XLIV. A WIFE'S EMBRACE - CHAPTER XLV. THE DECISIVE BATTLE - CHAPTER XLVI. "I HAVE SEEN THAT YOU DETEST ME" - CHAPTER XLVII. A FAIR FRIEND AND FOUL FOES - CHAPTER XLVIII. DESPERATE FIGHTING - CHAPTER XLIX. ONE FACING HUNDREDS - CHAPTER L. ZEB - CHAPTER LI. A TRAGEDY - CHAPTER LII. "MOTHER AND SON" - CHAPTER LIII. "MISSY S'WANEE" - AN ORIGINAL BELLE. - CHAPTER I. - A RUDE AWAKENING.
CHAPTER II. - A NEW ACQUAINTANCE.
CHAPTER III. - A NEW FRIEND.
CHAPTER IV. - WOMAN'S CHIEF RIGHT.
CHAPTER V. - "BE HOPEFUL, THAT I MAY HOPE."
CHAPTER VI. - A SCHEME OF LIFE.
CHAPTER VII. - SURPRISES.
CHAPTER VIII. - CHARMED BY A CRITIC.
CHAPTER IX. - A GIRL'S LIGHT HAND.
In a time when the nation was torn apart by civil war, the story follows a modest New York woman who discovers that true power need not come from beauty or birth. Through a series of chance meetings and quiet determinations, she learns to shape her own destiny, embracing a simple but steadfast scheme of life. The narrative opens with her rude awakening to the harsh realities of a country in conflict, and her growing sense of responsibility toward those around her. As she moves from one friendship to another, her inner light begins to glow, hinting at a strength that many overlook.
Against the backdrop of Gettysburg, the New York Draft Riots, and other pivotal 1863 events, the novel weaves historical detail with personal drama. The heroine’s path intersects with soldiers, reformers, and ordinary citizens, each encounter testing her resolve. While she never attains grand fame, her quiet courage offers a fresh perspective on the era’s moral complexities. Listeners will find a portrait of resilience that shines amid the turbulence of a nation at war.
Language
en
Duration
~15 hours (900K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2004-04-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1838–1888
Best known for blending warmhearted fiction with practical advice about country life, this 19th-century American writer reached a wide audience with novels that were both moral and deeply readable. Before turning fully to literature, he also served as a Presbyterian minister and a Civil War chaplain.
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