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The Greatest Plague of Life: or, the Adventures of a Lady in Search of a Good Servant.
by Augustus Mayhew, Henry Mayhew
Chapters
21 totalTHE GREATEST PLAGUE OF LIFE:
THE GREATEST PLAGUE OF LIFE: OR The Adventures OF A LADY IN SEARCH OF A GOOD SERVANT. - INTRODUCTION I. HOW I BECAME ACQUAINTED WITH THE SUBJECT OF MY LITTLE BOOK.
INTRODUCTION II. HOW I BECAME ACQUAINTED WITH THE PUBLISHER OF MY LITTLE BOOK.
INTRODUCTION III. HOW I BECAME ACQUAINTED WITH THE ARTIST TO MY LITTLE BOOK.
CHAPTER I. MY APPEARANCE—MY STATION IN LIFE—MY FAMILY AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS.
CHAPTER II. OF MY WEDDING, AND MY GETTING “SETTLED.”
CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER V. OF THE PRETTY STATE I WAS IN INDEED AFTER MARY LEFT ME.
CHAPTER VI.
Description
A witty, self‑aware narrator opens her tale on a storm‑laden night, perched by the fire while waiting for her husband’s return from a legal matter. She muses on the “greatest plague of life” – the endless trials that women endure, from marital expectations to the perpetual search for reliable help at home. Her voice blends gentle melancholy with sharp satire, making the reader feel both sympathy for her plight and amusement at her candid observations.
Determined to ease her burdens, she embarks on a quest for a truly good servant, a search that quickly turns into a series of comic misadventures. From repurposing an old silk pelisse for her daughters to interviewing hopeful candidates, each encounter reveals the absurdities of domestic hierarchies and the fragile balance between dignity and dependence. Listeners will enjoy her lively commentary, lively characters, and the timeless humor that springs from the everyday chaos of Victorian household life.
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Language
en
Duration
~11 hours (650K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images available at The Internet Archive)
Release date
2019-10-23
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
About the authors
Augustus Mayhew
1826–1875
A lively Victorian journalist and author, he wrote sharp, comic, and observant books about everyday life in London. Much of his best-known work was created with his brother Henry Mayhew, pairing social detail with humor and popular appeal.
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Henry Mayhew
1812–1887
Best known for his vivid portrait of Victorian street life, this pioneering journalist brought the voices of working Londoners onto the page with unusual curiosity and compassion. He also helped found Punch, linking sharp social observation with wit and reform-minded energy.
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