Nickols Powers is in love with the beautiful Charlotte and desperate to marry her. Charlotte however, is independent and reluctant to accept his religious views as a good wife should. However, she may still be convinced by the charismatic preacher building a new church in her own backyard
Written at the height of George MacDonald's literary career, the story centers around the life of a simple merchant's daughter. Mary Marston's unswerving commitment to love, God, and others is contrasted with a backdrop of an array of characters and a complex and sometimes mysterious plot. It is a story of a woman who loves a man, and teaches him to change. Not out of his love for her, but simply because it was the right thing to do. MacDonald allows the characters a range from delightful to devious. As such, they were intended to serve as models. His message is that all eventually must stand before God.
Authored by Isabella M. Alden under the pen name "Pansy." Fourth in the Chautauqua Girls series. Alfred Ried (brother of Ester Ried from that series) wants to help the hundreds of poor street boys in his city to come to faith and improve their conditions, but is discouraged and overwhelmed with the task.
After leaving home in search of work, Donal Grant accepts a position as tutor to a young boy who lives in a sprawling castle, which also houses an eccentric old man, a beautiful and troubled young woman, and an ancient family legend of a secret room hidden somewhere within the castle. This is the sequel to "Sir Gibbie" by the same author, but is quite capable of standing as a complete and compelling story in its own right.
In this sequel to "The Daisy Chain," new joys and challenges meet the May family in a new season of life. The older children are at work in their various callings, a foreign grandson enlivens the old family home, and the younger children are now growing up and finding their paths in life. Ethel continues to be the anchor of the home and right hand to their doctor-father, while new friends end up deeply impacting their lives, their faith, and their hearts. Make sure to start with "The Daisy Chain" to fully appreciate this book!
"Rotha is a poor American girl who has to see both her parents die. All that time, she is comforted by an English friend of the family, Mr. Digby-Southwode. Mr. Digby-Southwode thinks he does the right thing by committing Rotha to the care of her wealthy aunt, a woman who wronged her mother and robbed her of her rightful fortune, while he returns to England to nurse his dying father. Would the wealthy aunt treat Rotha as she treated her mother or is there a chance for redemption? And would Mr. Digby-Southwode ever return to America and see Rotha again? The book is very modern in tone.
Teddy loves to tell the story of how his father heroically died on the battlefield and guards his button jealously. But this brings contention and strife when a new girl comes to town. Teddy begins to learn what it means to be a soldier under Christ, his Captain.
Teddy loves to tell the story of how his father heroically died on the battlefield and guards his button jealously. But this brings contention and strife when a new girl comes to town. Teddy begins to learn what it means to be a soldier under Christ, his Captain.
Teddy is a little boy who cares about his father's button more than anything in the world. He wants to be in the Queen's army when he grows up, but his pastor tells him how he can be a soldier in God's army while he is still young. Teddy has many ups and downs as he tries to be a good soldier for his Captain, Jesus Christ.
Anna is the daughter of a clergyman in a small town in Vermont. She is very happy with her lot. But when she goes to nurse a woman in the big city, she starts to discover the world. She sees new places, meets new people, and falls in love. This will test all the resolutions she once held dear.
Hosea is a commander in Pharaoh's army... and a Hebrew. As he returns home from war, he finds that there has been a great pestilence in Egypt and his people are being blamed for it. Hosea receives a message from his father to follow his people to Succoth, but he is hesitant to give up his position in the army. Someone else also sends a message, containing a new name for him from God. There is much intrigue in this retelling of the Exodus, both among the Hebrews and in the court of Pharaoh.
The arrival of a new schoolteacher causes quite a stir in the small New England town of Pattaquasset, not the least of it in the house of Mrs. Derrick and her daughter, where the young man boards. Mr. Linden's idea of teaching stretches far beyond the dusty walls of his classroom, and he is not slow in finding much work to be done for his Master. The schoolboys are soon captivated by their new teacher, and Miss Faith Derrick quickly joins the ranks of his eager pupils.But Mr. Linden is not the only man in Pattaquasset who is attracted to the bright young woman, and his rivals have no intention of letting him carry the field unopposed. When perplexities and dangers begin to multiply, will Faith have the strength to stay true to her heart--and to her newfound Lord?
There are many romantic tales about a handsome and rich man falling in love with a beautiful lower class woman over the objections of his family. Remember Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy? however, it takes more than a good woman to secure a man's happiness. He has to have mental strength. It is not certain that our hero, Tom, has that. Lois is a great woman. However, according to his sister, she is a "nobody." Does money and position control everything? Certainly not. Good people deserve to be happy. But only those who have enough strength to secure their happiness, on their own terms. A secondary plot involves Philip, another man who loves Lois, who discovers the love of God and becomes a better man. Not for the woman he loves, but for himself. Want to know if Tom overcomes his family's objections and married the love of his life? Want to read a lively book with an unforgettable and enchanting writing style? If you do, read the book.
This novel, like two other novels that Harper serialized in The Christian Recorder, sets forth the principles which make for a meaningful, moral life. In Trial and Triumph, we follow Annette Harcourt through trials and tribulations, which test her resolve, but because she clings to her values, she does after much struggle achieve success and as a further reward also love. (N.B. There are some missing portions of the text.)
A Carmelite convent in Kentucky in the nineteenth century. A beautiful immature nun. A handsome immature visitor. A chance meeting. Whither? One might want to compare this story (1890) with an earlier one with a similar theme by the same author, The White Cowl (1888). ( david wales)
Agatha, Gwen, Clare and Elfie have always been told that they will inherit their aunt's house. But when their aunt dies, she leaves it all to their intolerable cousin James. What will they do? Will the verses Nannie gives them prove true?
This is a collection of 4 stories by Leo Tolstoy, all dealing with the question asked in the title of the first story: What Does Man Live By. What is the purpose of life? How are we expected to live with others? What is all of this about anyway? And the answer to that question by the way is answered in a style that is uniquely and perfectly Tolstoy's. But these are not essays, but well written stories that tell about real people as they live real lives. The first story is broken into two parts and but is is read by the same person. Also the last story, How Much Land Does A Man Need has been broken into two sections for easier reading and it is also read by the same person for continuity and ease of understanding. The two stories in the middle, are much shorter but just as fascinating. Tolstoy was a deeply spiritual man and he always brought out the spiritual side of all the myriad questions he dealt with.
This is a collection of short stories written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Dostoevsky), who is arguably better-known for his lengthy, contemplative novels. Several of his trademark philosophical, political and religious themes are interwoven throughout these short stories, for example: "Dream of a Ridiculous Man" critiques European nihilism; "The Crocodile" has notes of Russian political commentary; and "Bobok" is critically acclaimed as top-rate Menippean satire. Dostoevsky also provides a Christmas story ("The Heavenly Christmas Tree") with a biting social commentary.
Ben-Hur is a story of two very different heroes. Judah Ben-Hur, a prince of Jerusalem, is involved in an accident to the Roman procurator which is taken to be intentional. He is seized and sent to the fleet as a galley-slave, while his family is imprisoned and the family goods confiscated. When Ben-Hur saves the fleet captain from drowning after his ship is sunk in a fight with pirates, that officer adopts him as son and heir. With Roman training, Ben-Hur distinguishes himself in the arena and the palistrae and appears to be on the way to high military command.With the help of a faithful family retainer and a generous Arab sheik, Ben-Hur is enabled to take part in a widely touted chariot race, where one of the other charioteers is the boyhood friend who connived to punish him for the accident and split his estate. That rival is crippled, financially and bodily, in a no-holds-barred race (memorable from the 1959 movie with Charlton Heston).Ben-Hur turns his attention to the prophesied King of the Jews, when through the sheik he meets Balthasar, one of the Three Wise Men, and hears of the child born years ago. Will Ben-Hur be the general who brings victories to the King, and finally liberates Israel from the oppressive Roman yoke? In his quest for the answer, Ben-Hur seeks out the Nazarene, now rumored to be The Messiah.THAT hero needs no introduction.Curious about the lack of kingly trappings and ambitions about this man, Ben-Hur begins to suspect that his kingdom is not of this world. And with him, we receive a gut-wrenching eye-witness view of Jesus’ arrest, humiliation, and crucifixion.
In this dramatic reading of the classic epic Ben Hur, rediscover the wonder of three wise men who travel through the wilderness together. Thirty years later, Judah ben Hur accidentally looses a tile upon the head of the Roman governor and is sentenced to the galleys for life. When he escapes, he is caught up in his thirst for revenge against his accuser, Messala, and his search for the Messiah of his people, the King who is to come. As Judah learns more about this King, however, he begins to realize that the kingdom he is searching for may not be found in what he can see and the revenge he is seeking may not be found in the way that he expects
“Mr. Benson sees the world, four or five generations hence, free at last from all minor quarrels, and ranged against itself in two camps, Humanitarianism for those who believe in no divinity but that of man, Catholicism for those who believe in no divinity but that of God.”
This apocalyptic novel from the early 1900's is sometimes deemed one of the first modern dystopias.
This poem celebrates Christmas by exploring the mystery of Christ's mission on earth: his death, resurrection, and second coming as judge of all human souls. Sir Gawain is cast in the role of Everyman. At the feast of the New Year, an unarmed green giant rides his green horse into the banqueting hall of King Arthur and challenges any member of the assembled company to behead him with a huge axe and then to submit to the same treatment from his victim the next year. Gawain volunteers to prevent Arthur from accepting this challenge, fairly confident that the challenger will be unfit to return the blow. However, when the green knight rides out of the hall carrying his severed head, Gawain must wait a year under what amounts to a sentence of death. At the end of this period his quest for the green knight leads him first through perilous adventures comparable to the life-threatening dangers confronting all mortals in their earthly sojourn and then, when his travels are at an end, through a series of temptations that represent allegorically the spiritual challenges determining not the time of death but the fortunes of the soul after death. The spot where Gawain then meets his foe closely resembles a graveyard superintended by the green knight, now converted, in effect, from a victim into a judge, as Christ was murdered by mankind but survived to be our judge at the end of time. A couple early footnotes may help in appreciating two details in the conclusion of the tale: First, Catholics believe that to perform the sacrament of Confession while intending to commit another sin deprives the priest's absolution of effect. Second, it was generally believed, in the Middle Ages and even today, that evil spirits cannot cross running water. This belief appears in "Tam o’Shanter," "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," and The Lord of the Rings.
In His Steps takes place in the railroad town of Raymond. The main character is the Rev. Henry Maxwell, pastor of the First Church of Raymond, who challenges his congregation to not do anything for a whole year without first asking: “What Would Jesus Do?” (taken from Wikipedia)
After a strange event at the Raymond First Church, Reverend Henry Maxwell asks his congregation a startling question: Will they pledge to try and do only what Jesus would for an entire year? Even more important, however is the question: Who will follow through the whole way?
Seventeenth-century Puritan theologian John Bunyan wrote The Life and Death of Mr. Badman as a companion piece to The Pilgrim’s Progress, the literary work for which Bunyan is best remembered. Although both works are Christian allegories that provide the reader with moral and spiritual instruction, The Pilgrim’s Progress accomplishes this goal primarily via the positive example of the protagonist, while The Life and Death of Mr. Badman does the opposite; Pilgrim is ultimately destined for heaven, while Mr. Badman is destined for hell.
The two works also differ in their format. Pilgrim’s story is presented as a dream sequence, while Mr. Badman’s story is instead told via a dialogue between two other characters: Mr. Wiseman, who relates Mr. Badman’s narrative and draws life lessons from it, and Mr. Attentive, who asks prompting questions and makes comments on the tale he hears. Throughout the story, Bunyan details a variety of Mr. Badman’s sins including lying, swearing, and Sabbath-breaking.
Despite its length, the original text was one continuous narrative without chapter breaks. This LibriVox production is presented as dialogue by two readers and divided into smaller parts for convenience.
An unscrupulous baronet is left a widower and couldn't care less what happens to his ugly newborn heir. But when an icy stepmother moves in and the child is stolen away by his loving nurse, what can unfold but a riveting account of the years of mystery, drama, love and lessons for which MacDonald's writings are known.
A compelling love triangle. Marcia is young & sweet. Her older sister Kate is vain & selfish. Marcia deeply admires the man that Kate is to marry: handsome & respected David Spafford. But on the eve of the wedding, Kate elopes with another man. Marcia is there when the note is found...the note that effectively breaks David's heart. Out of pity for his situation, Marcia offers to take Kate's place, in order to save David from humiliation. She grows in love for him, all the while aware that he's still grieving for his lost Kate. What will happen when Kate returns, fully intending to get David back? Will Marcia have the strength to fight for the man she now loves?
Marcellus, a Roman centurion, is instructed to eradicate the Christians from the catacombs. When he goes to investigate, he discovers the truth about their beliefs and 'Him Who loved us.' As persecution sweeps across Rome, will Marcellus be the next one in danger?
Republished in modern times as "The Curate's Awakening". A young man (Thomas Wingfold) "enters the church" through no real faith and only for want of something to do. After an encounter with a brash young atheist, he is thrown into an emotional, spiritual, and vocational crisis. Through his own doubts and through developing clarity gained from the counsel of a singular friend, he begins a slow journey toward faith, or - as he would put it - "a lovely hope."
The book starts with a young heroine telling her story of coping with a debilitating illness that includes depression and thoughts of suicide. Her doctor is unable to help her and sends her off on a holiday where she meets a mystical character by the name of Raffaello Cellini, an Italian artist. Cellini offers her a strange potion which immediately puts her into a tranquil slumber, in which she experiences divine visions. This is the beginning of her journey to health, both spiritual and physical.
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Callista, A Tale of the Third Century, was written by John Henry Newman, who was a scholarly and personable Anglican theologian who became a Catholic priest and cardinal, bringing a good number of Protestant friends along with him into the Roman faith. He wrote Callista as the fruit of a challenge (dare we say “bet”?) with Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman that each man would write a novel about the early church. Wiseman wrote Fabiola and Newman wrote Callista, publishing it in 1855. The title character is a beautiful and talented, but unhappy Greek woman living in pagan Roman North Africa in the third century. She is wooed by a lonely young Christian man, for whom she shows little interest, though she deeply desires to know more about his Christian faith. However, the third century was a dangerous time for Christians, with the onset of persecution under the Emperor Decius. The colorful cast of characters react to the persecution in different ways, but some are put to the ultimate test of whether they will maintain their faith at the price of torture and painful death. Cardinal Newman's writing style is often lively, and occasionally humorous, especially in his conversations. But there is no denying that modern readers may find parts of it quite wordy, particularly in the descriptions of geography (beware Chapter 1!). Most readers are likely to find themselves caring very much about the characters, and cheering for their victories, in addition to learning quite a bit about 3rd century history along the way.
M R James was a well regarded English scholar who studied the medieval period (he also wrote great ghost stories!). Apocryphal books are ancient literatures about biblical events and characters but these books are not included in the Bible. (Some books regarded as apocryphal by Protestant tradition are included in Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox Bibles.) They are sources of stories and legends that were elaborated about the beloved biblical narratives. The Preface contains a good explanation of apocryphal literature. In this 1913 book Dr. James has collected and edited eight of those legends. He intended his book for a youth audience but more mature readers will find the stories no less interesting.
In a former book, called "Lord of the World," I attempted to sketch the kind of developments a hundred years hence which, I thought, might reasonably be expected if the present lines of what is called "modern thought" were only prolonged far enough; and I was informed repeatedly that the effect of the book was exceedingly depressing and discouraging to optimistic Christians. In the present book I am attempting -- also in parable form -- not in the least to withdraw anything that I said in the former, but to follow up the other lines instead, and to sketch -- again in parable -- the kind of developments, about sixty years hence which, I think, may reasonably be expected should the opposite process begin, and ancient thought (which has stood the test of centuries, and is, in a very remarkable manner, being "rediscovered" by persons even more modern than modernists) be prolonged instead.
We are told occasionally by moralists that we live in very critical times, by which they mean that they are not sure whether their own side will win or not. In that sense no times can ever be critical to Catholics, since Catholics are never in any kind of doubt as to whether or no their side will win. But from another point of view every period is a critical period, since every period has within itself the conflict of two irreconcilable forces. It has been for the sake of tracing out the kind of effects that, it seemed to me, each side would experience in turn, should the other, at any rate for a while, become dominant, that I have written these two books. (From the preface of The Dawn of All)
This is the third book of the 'Marshmallow' trilogy. It is a fictional autobiography written by Ethelwyn Percivale, or 'Wynnie'. Her father is a clergyman, Mr. Walton, whose history has already been told in "A Quiet Neighborhood", the first of the three books. Wynnie has a happy childhood and falls in love with a struggling artist. It is about Wynnie and her family, and her little circle of old and new friends. We learn much about the poor of society of that time. This book is set in the real, every-day world, and our narrator is serious when she calls her life ''quiet and ordinary''. Though there are some exciting incidents, visits made, and long conversations about God. This book is a delightful read.
Cameron, a young man from Edinburgh, is a university student who is a rising star on the football team. When the big day comes and he nearly fails his team, he doubts he'll ever be good for anything ever again. Things soon take a turn downward and Cameron is forced to face the fact that his only option may be leaving all he's ever known and going to Canada for a new start
Two farmer's sons and a cotter's daughter, though on different rungs of the social scale, formed a close bond in childhood as they learned together how to follow Jesus. When adults, their lives are bound up in unusual ways with those of their landlord, his daughter, and her cousin. How will the Laird's secret affect them all?
One of MacDonald's shorter and lesser-known novels, "The Elect Lady" yet contains wonderfully endearing characters, plot twists, love, and life lessons. As always, read with discernment as MacDonald's controversial (sometimes unbiblical) beliefs are presented.
This delightful story begins in a little town called Marshmallows, where a young man, the new vicar, Harry Walton, has just arrived. As he begins his work Harry realizes that everything is not quite 'right' in his little parish and it all seems to center around Oldcastle Hall. As he wins the affection of the people secrets begin to unfold, and Harry Walton attempts to free them from guilt of the past, help them overcome pride and while he is at it, he falls in love with a woman whose past is the most mysterious yet, and whose tyrannical mother is the mistress of Oldcastle Hall.
This Is a wonderful, heartwarming romance and a unique mystery, told from the viewpoint of the young vicar.
After the Civil War, Elsie and her family return to their home in the South, dealing with the upheaval that the Reconstruction Era brought during the years after the war.
The story takes place in the fictional city of Western City circa 1920. It begins with a man named Billy who is attacked by a mob of ex-servicemen outside a theater after watching a German film. Billy stumbles into a church to escape the mob and is visited by Carpenter, that is Jesus, who walks out of the stained glass window of the church. Carpenter is shocked and appalled by his observations of greed, selfishness, lust, sorrow, and the ultimate division between rich and poor. The story then roughly follows the ministry of Jesus.
Sarojini Naidu was a remarkable woman. Known as the Nightingale of India, she started writing at the age of thirteen and throughout her life composed several volumes of poetry, writing many poems which are still famous to this day.
As well as being a poet, Naidu was an activist and politician, campaigning for Indian independence and became the first Indian woman to attain the post of President of the Indian National Congress.
This volume contains the beautiful 'Indian Love-Song', as well as many other moving verses. All of them give insight into the heart and mind of this hugely important and influential woman.The poems are split into three categories: Folk Songs, Songs for Music and Poems.
A collection of short stories, highlighting some of the best and worst characteristics we women are capable of in our Christianity and in our home life.
Sir Hugh Seymour Walpole, CBE (1884 – 1941) was an English novelist. He was the son of an Anglican clergyman, intended for a career in the church but drawn instead to writing. Among those who encouraged him were the authors Henry James and Arnold Bennett. His skill at scene-setting, vivid plots, and high profile as a lecturer brought him a large readership in the United Kingdom and North America. He was a best-selling author in the 1920s and 1930s, but has been largely neglected since his death.... One of Walpole's major novels of the early post-war period was The Cathedral, which unlike much of his fiction was not dashed off but worked on across four years, beginning in 1918. The story of an arrogant 19th-century archdeacon in conflict with other clergy and laity was certain to bring comparisons with Trollope's Barchester Towers (The Manchester Guardian?'s review was headed "Polchester Towers"), but unlike the earlier work, The Cathedral is wholly uncomic.... The reviewer Ivor Brown commented that Walpole had earlier charmed many with his cheerful tales of Mayfair, but that in this novel he showed a greater side to his art: "This is a book with little happiness about it, but its stark strength is undeniable. The Cathedral is realism, profound in its philosophy and delicate in its thread." The Illustrated London News said, "No former novelist has seized quite so powerfully upon the cathedral fabric and made it a living character in the drama, an obsessing individuality at once benign and forbidding. ...The Cathedral is a great book." The Jubilee which plays an important part in the story is the national celebration in 1897 of Queen Victoria's sixty years on the throne. Summary by Wikipedia and david wales
Mildred returns home from visiting her mother's relatives. She continues to grow in wisdom and beauty and receives many proposals of marriage. She is an ever-increasing blessing to her family and community. In-laws are added to the family, and they enjoy a visit from Horace Dinsmore and his daughter Elsie.
This historical novel is set in the 1100s in France and Jerusalem, following the First Crusade. Part of the story of Guy of Lusignan (a real historical character) is told through the eyes of his fictional sister, Elaine.
Guy travels to the Holy Land to reclaim it from the Saracens. Elaine follows afterward, finding upon arrival that her brother has fallen in love with Sybil, the sister of the leper king of Jerusalem. Queen Sybilla, a real historical character, is surrounded by political intrigue as she prepares to ascend the throne, which threatens her upcoming marriage to Guy of Lusignan.
The story, however, is not primarily about the history of the period, but about the spiritual journey of Elaine to repentance and saving faith in the era of the medieval Church. How will Elaine's frail peace of mind, which depends on earthly things, cope with the looming storms on the horizon?
A wealthy London business man takes a room in a poor part of the city.
He is depressed and has decided to take his life by going the next day to purchase a hand gun he had seen in a pawnshop window. The morning comes with one of those 'memorable fogs' and the adventure he has in it alters his decisions and ultimately his life.
This is Second book of Three series. All the same characters from the first book, just with a few new friends and family members. The Pastor moves up by the Sea and starts preaching at the Parish there. He and his wife have two daughters by now, who he loves so much. One of his daughters is ill, so they go to the Sea thinking the fresh air air will improve her health. While they are there, they meet an Artist whose gentlemanly ways, and strong personality wins the family's hearts, especially one of the daughter's heart. They have many adventures in the Parish. Filled with many heartwarming moments, and daring adventure.
This is a gentle Christmas story, whose message is that if we didn't already have Christmas, we'd find a way to invent it. It's hard times in Old Trail Town as the Season of Giving approaches. The factory that employs most of the town is closed and not likely to re-open, and town merchants fear that people will try to shop on credit. Unwilling to carry the debt, the merchants work out a scheme to get everybody in town to agree not to have Christmas that year. What happens next proves that Christmas can't be banned from the hearts of those who truly believe in it.
Mr. Trevor inherits a piece of land in the country called Myst Court, and plans to move there with his three children: Emmie, Bruce, and Vibert. But rumor says that a room in the house that is haunted. Bruce and Mr. Trevor tell Emmie there are no ghosts, but Emmie can't help but be afraid--or can she? Summary by Esther ben Simonides
Minnie, who lives in the South, does not know she is a mulatto. She is sent to the North after her mother's death, and there she marries Louis, who is ironically also of mixed parentage. The story revolves around their discoveries and how they deal with their true identities. (N.B. There are some missing portions of the text.)
In order to recover her health, Mildred Keith goes to visit her mother's extended family, the Dinsmores, in the South. Mildred makes new friends while at Roselands, learns important lessons and grows in her faith in Christ.