
THE MASTER OF THE INN - THE - MASTER OF THE INN - BY - Robert Herrick
THE MASTER OF THE INN
II
In a quiet New England valley, a solitary doctor purchases a crumbling colonial tavern and breathes new life into its stone walls. Together with a loyal Chinese servant named Sam and a loitering but talented young architect, John Herring, he begins to reshape the place into a modest yet welcoming inn. As the seasons turn, the once‑forgotten building sprouts wings, gardens, and a marble‑lined courtyard, drawing travelers along the winding road toward the White River.
The transformation is a community effort; neighbors contribute stone, brick, and even purple slate from a nearby quarry, while the doctor's quiet determination keeps the project grounded. With each addition—Italian‑style colonnades, a gentle fountain, and terraced orchards—the inn becomes a point of quiet refuge amid the pine‑scented hills. Listeners are invited to walk its open doors, feel the summer breezes through the eaves, and glimpse the simple, steady hope that builds a home from forgotten stone.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (57K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Charlene Taylor and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Release date
2011-02-24
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1868–1938
A sharp-eyed American realist, he wrote novels about ambition, money, and the strain modern life puts on ordinary people. He also spent many years teaching literature in Chicago and briefly served in public office in the Virgin Islands.
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