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Elsie VennerOliver Wendell Holmes

Elsie Venner

by OpenStories

Original author: Oliver Wendell Holmes

CompletedPublished Updated

"Elsie Venner" by Oliver Wendell Holmes is a novel published in 1861. It tells the story of a mysterious young woman marked by an unusual prenatal event: her mother's rattlesnake bite during pregnancy. When teacher Bernard Langdon arrives at her school, he becomes drawn to Elsie despite sensing something unsettling about her. The novel explores profound questions about human nature, inherited traits, and moral responsibility through this strange tale of a girl caught between human and serpent worlds.

Elsie Venner, by Oliver Wendell Holmes. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #2696.

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  • 34chapters
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34 Chapters

  1. 1.Preface863 words
  2. 2.Preface: To the New Edition319 words
  3. 3.Chapter I: The Brahmin Caste of New England1,503 words
  4. 4.Chapter II: The Student and His Certificate4,207 words
  5. 5.Chapter III: Mr. Bernard Tries His Hand5,491 words
  6. 6.Chapter IV: The Moth Flies Into the Candle3,233 words
  7. 7.Chapter V: An Old-Fashioned Descriptive Chapter4,228 words
  8. 8.Chapter VI: The Sunbeam and the Shadow3,274 words
  9. 9.Chapter VII: The Event of the Season10,527 words
  10. 10.Chapter VIII: The Morning After4,431 words
  11. 11.Chapter IX: THE DOCTOR ORDERS THE BEST SULKY. (With a Digression on1,276 words
  12. 12.Chapter X: The Doctor Calls on Elsie Venner2,625 words
  13. 13.Chapter XI: Cousin Richard's Visit4,342 words
  14. 14.Chapter XII: THE APOLLINEAN INSTITUTE. (With Extracts from the “Report3,620 words
  15. 15.Chapter XIII: Curiosity4,425 words
  16. 16.Chapter XIV: Family Secrets3,311 words
  17. 17.Chapter XV: Physiological4,471 words
  1. 18.Chapter XVI: Epistolary4,083 words
  2. 19.Chapter XVII: Old Sophy Calls on the Reverend Doctor5,240 words
  3. 20.Chapter XVIII: The Reverend Doctor Calls on Brother Fairweather2,396 words
  4. 21.Chapter XIX: The Spider on His Thread3,776 words
  5. 22.Chapter XX: From Without and From Within3,538 words
  6. 23.Chapter XXI: The Widow Rowens Gives a Tea-Party8,019 words
  7. 24.Chapter XXII: Why Doctors Differ4,737 words
  8. 25.Chapter XXIII: The Wild Huntsman4,106 words
  9. 26.Chapter XXIV: On His Tracks3,547 words
  10. 27.Chapter XXV: The Perilous Hour7,138 words
  11. 28.Chapter XXVI: The News Reaches the Dudley Mansion5,466 words
  12. 29.Chapter XXVII: A Soul in Distress2,906 words
  13. 30.Chapter XXVIII: The Secret Is Whispered7,584 words
  14. 31.Chapter XXIX: The White Ash3,035 words
  15. 32.Chapter XXX: The Golden Cord Is Loosed4,480 words
  16. 33.Chapter XXXI: Mr. Silas Peckham Renders His Account4,692 words
  17. 34.Chapter XXXII: Conclusion1,386 words