Ruth Hall, by "Fanny Fern" (NY: Mason Brothers, 1854)
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[title page]
RUTH HALL: A DOMESTIC TALE OF THE PRESENT TIME BY FANNY FERN. NEW YORK: PUBLISHED BY MASON BROTHERS 1855.
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[copyright page]
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Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1854,
BY MASON BROTHERS,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern District
of New York.
STEREOTYPED BY PRINTED BY
THOMAS B. SMITH, JOHN A. GRAY,
216 William St., N. Y. 95 & 97 Cliff St.
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[p. iii]
PREFACE.
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TO THE READER.
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TO THE READER.
I present you with my first continuous story. I do not dignify it by the name of "A novel." I am aware that it is entirely at variance with all set rules for novel-writing. There is no intricate plot; there are no startling developments, no hair-breadth escapes. I have compressed into one volume what I might have expanded into two or three. I have avoided long introductions and descriptions, and have entered unceremoniously and unannounced, into people's houses, without stopping to ring the bell. Whether you will fancy this primitive mode of calling, whether you will like the company to which it introduces you, or--whether you will like the book at all, I
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p. iv
cannot tell. Still, I cherish the hope that, somewhere in the length and breadth of the land, it may fan into a flame, in some tried heart, the fading embers of hope, well-nigh extinguished by wintry fortune and summer friends.
FANNY FERN.
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[p. v]
CONTENTS.
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THE EVE BEFORE THE BRIDAL--RUTH'S LITTLE ROOM--A
RETROSPECTIVE REVERIE... 15---+---
THE WEDDING--A GLIMPSE OF THE CHARACTER OF RUTH'S BROTHER HYACINTH... 23
THE NEW HOME--SOLILOQUY OF THE MOTHER-IN-LAW... 25
THE FIRST INTERVIEW WITH THE MOTHER-IN-LAW... 28
RUTH'S REFLECTIONS ON THE INTERVIEW... 32
A BIT OF FAMILY HISTORY... 34
THE FIRST-BORN... 39
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p. vi
FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS OF THE MOTHER-IN-LAW'S CHARACTER ... 44
RUTH'S COUNTRY HOME... 47
RUTH AND DAISY... 50
THE OLD FOLKS FOLLOW THE YOUNG COUPLE--AN ENTERTAINING DIALOGUE... 52
THE OLD LADY'S SURREPTITIOUS VISIT TO RUTH'S, AND HER ENCOUNTER WITH DINAH... 55
THE OLD LADY SEARCHES THE HOUSE--WHAT SHE FINDS... 59
THE OLD DOCTOR MEDDLES WITH HARRY'S FARMING ARRANGEMENTS ... 63
LITTLE DAISY'S REVERIE--HER STRANGE PLAYFELLOW... 65
"PAT" MUTINIES... 67
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p. vii
DAISY'S GLEE AT THE FIRST SLEIGH-RIDE... 72
DAISY'S ILLNESS-THE OLD DOCTOR REFUSES TO COME... 74
DINAH'S WARNING--HARRY GOES AGAIN FOR THE DOCTOR... 78
THE OLD DOCTOR ARRIVES TOO LATE... 81
"THE GLEN" DESERTED--THE OLD DOCTOR'S AND HIS WIFE'S VERSION OF THE CAUSE OF DAISY'S DEATH--MRS. JONES GIVES HER OPINION... 85
ANNIVERSARY OF DAISY'S DEATH--RUTH'S REVERIE--LITTLE KATY'S REQUEST... 90
HOTEL LIFE--A NEW FRIEND... 93
THE FALL OF THE LEAF--HARRY'S ILLNESS--THE LONELY WATCHER ... 97
ARRIVAL OF THE OLD DOCTOR AND HIS WIFE... 102
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p. viii
HYACINTH'S SENSIBILITIES SHOCKED... 110
MISS SKINLIN... 114
HARRY'S FUNERAL... 120
A SERVANT'S DEVOTION... 123
BICKERINGS OF THE FATHER AND FATHER-IN-LAW--DISPUTE ABOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE CHILDREN... 125
RUTH RECEIVES A VISIT FROM HER FATHER--HE INSISTS ON HER GIVING UP HER CHILDREN TO THE OLD DOCTOR--RUTH'S REFUSAL... 128
THE OLD LADY, ENRAGED, PROPOSES A COMPROMISE--MR. ELLET IS FORCED TO ACCEDE... 132
RUTH'S NEW LODGINGS--SPECULATIONS OF THE BOARDERS... 139
MR. DEVELIN'S COUNTING-HOUSE--THE OLD DOCTOR'S LETTER ... 142
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p. ix
MR DEVELIN DEMANDS HARRY'S CLOTHES OF RUTH--THE WEDDING VEST ... 148
RUTH'S APPLICATION FOR NEEDLE-WORK... 151
DISGUST OF RUTH'S FASHIONABLE FRIENDS... 155
CONVERSATION IN MRS. MILLET'S KITCHEN... 158
THE BOUQUET... 161
MRS. MILLET AND THE WOODEN MAN... 164
LITTLE KATY VISITS HER GRANDPA AND MEETS WITH A CHARACTERISTIC RECEPTION--THE STRANGE GENTLEMAN... 166
A PEEP FROM RUTH'S CHAMBER WINDOW--KATY'S RETURN... 171
BOARDING-HOUSE REVOLUTION--MRS. SKIDDY'S FLIGHT--MR. SKIDDY IN THE CAPACITY OF DRY NURSE... 176
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p. x
RUTH RESOLVES TO BECOME A TEACHER... 189
RUTH APPLIES FOR A PRIMARY SCHOOL... 191
THE EXAMINATION BY THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE... 193
MRS. SKIDDY'S UNEXPECTED RETURN... 198
SKIDDY'S INTERCEPTED HEGIRA--HIS INCARCERATION--HIS FINAL ESCAPE... 203
THE LUNATIC ASYLUM... 209
RUTH'S NEW LANDLADY... 215
THE STRANGE LODGER--RUTH RESOLVES TO RESORT TO HER PEN TO OBTAIN A SUBSISTENCE--SHE APPLIES TO HER BROTHER HYACINTH FOR ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE--HIS CHARACTERISTIC REPLY... 219
THE OLD LADY RESORTS TO STRATAGEM, AND CARRIES HER POINT ... 224
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p. xi
RUTH APPLIES FOR EMPLOYMENT AT NEWSPAPER OFFICES... 230
THE BREAD OF LIFE... 235
A CHAPTER WHICH MAY BE INSTRUCTIVE... 237
RUTH OBTAINS EMPLOYMENT--ILLNESS OF NETTIE--THE STRANGE LODGER PROVES USEFUL... 240
A PEEP INTO THE OLD DOCTOR'S COTTAGE... 245
A GLIMPSE OF COMING SUCCESS... 25[0]
LITTLE NETTIE'S SORROWS--CHEERING LETTERS... 257
KATY'S FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL--THE TOWN-PUMP CONTROVERSY-- CRUELTY OF KATY'S GRANDPARENTS... 262
MR. JOHN WALTER... 267
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p. xii
RUTH ENGAGES TO WRITE SOLELY FOR THE HOUSEHOLD MESSENGER ... 278
WHAT MR. LESCOM SAID... 282
A SHARP CORRESPONDENCE... 287
OFFERS OF MARRIAGE AND OFFERS TO PUBLISH... 292
WHAT MR. TIBBETTS SAID ABOUT RUTH'S WRITING FOR THE HOUSEHOLD MESSENGER... 298
SOLILOQUY OF A SUB-EDITOR... 302
MR. WALTER'S VISIT... 309
THE PHRENOLOGICAL EXAMINATION... 318
PUBLICATION DAY COMES AT LAST... 330
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p. xiii
MR. LEWIS ENLIGHTENED... 338
MORE LETTERS... 342
FRESHET IN THE DOCTOR'S CELLAR--"HAMS" IN DANGER OF A TOTAL WRECK--SUDDEN APPEARANCE OF RUTH--RESCUE OF LITTLE KATY... 348
ARRIVAL OF KATY WITH HER MOTHER, MR. WALTER, AND MR. GREY, AT NEW LODGINGS; DINNER AND LETTERS--CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN THE CHILDREN ... 354
THE LITTLE FAMILY ALONE AT THEIR NEW QUARTERS--NETTIE IN THE CONFESSION-BOX--KATY'S MIRTH... 367
KATY AND NETTIE COMPARE NOTES--RUTH DREAMS--MIDNIGHT CONFLAGRATION--RESCUE OF THE LITTLE FAMILY BY JOHNNY GALT... 372
TEA-TABLE TALK BETWEEN "THE WOODEN MAN" AND HIS SPOUSE--LETTER FROM "OUR JOHN"... 378
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p. xiv
CONVERSATION BETWEEN RUTH'S FATHER AND MR. JONES REGARDING RUTH'S LITERARY DEBUT... 388
INTERVIEW BETWEEN THE LITERARY BOOKSELLER AND MR. WALTER ... 391
ARRIVAL OF MR. WALTER--BANK STOCK AND BANK CERTIFICATE ... 394
THE LAST VISIT TO HARRY'S GRAVE... 398