
In a sun‑drenched corner of the country, a modest cottage hums with the easy rhythm of everyday life. Here live Mrs. Smith, her bright‑eyed daughter Josephine, and their cousin‑doctor Alexander Mack, whose steady presence has become a lifeline since the husband’s long absence. When a telegram arrives, the mother must decide whether to board a steamer for Chile that very afternoon, while Mack readies for a voyage to the Philippines, and the fragile peace of the household begins to tremble.
The house flurries into activity—brisk packing, hurried farewells, and Josephine’s innocent queries about “Chili,” which she confuses with a condiment rather than a distant land. Amid the bustle, the doctor’s calm pragmatism and Mrs. Smith’s quiet resolve reveal hidden layers of duty and affection, hinting at family secrets yet to surface. Listeners are drawn into a story where a misplaced uncle may yet reappear, reshaping loyalties and offering a chance at unexpected reunion.
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (154K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
D A Alexander, David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by the Library of Congress)
Release date
2021-03-23
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1843–1910
Best known for lively stories for girls, this American writer published dozens of books from the 1890s into the early 1900s. Her fiction often mixes adventure, family life, and young heroines finding their way in a changing world.
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