
A young woman named Ellen finds herself the center of a bustling family meeting, where relatives debate who will take responsibility for her future. The conversation reveals a tangled web of expectations, financial worries, and the lingering shadows of a recent war, all set against the backdrop of a modest household filled with trinkets and whispered concerns. As Ellen listens from her uncomfortable seat, she grapples with the prospect of being “adopted” by a family that seems more preoccupied with their own comforts than with her well‑being.
Through witty dialogue and vivid character sketches, the story captures the everyday struggles of a girl trying to carve out her place in a world that values propriety over compassion. The narrative invites listeners to reflect on the quiet heroism of ordinary lives and the choices that shape them, all while offering a charming glimpse into a bygone era’s social dynamics.
Language
en
Duration
~6 hours (357K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.)
Release date
2018-03-12
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1856–1926
Known for warm, lively stories for young readers, this American author wrote dozens of novels, poems, and tales that stayed popular well into the Project Gutenberg era. Her work often follows girls and families through everyday adventures, travel, school life, and historical settings.
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