My brother's friend

"My brother's friend" by Eglanton Thorne is a novel written in the late 19th century. It follows Dorothy Carmichael as she comes home from school to a beloved but precarious household: her poised sister Mabel weds ambitious mill-owner Howard Steinthorpe, her brilliant brother Edmund shows worrying fragility, and their father’s tanning business falters. Amid shifting fortunes and small‑town society, Dorothy’s distrust of Steinthorpe contrasts with the quiet steadiness of Edmund’s Cambridge friend, Ralph Dugdale, pointing toward a tender coming‑of‑age and a test of loyalty and class expectations. The opening of the story traces Dorothy’s return from school and her sharp contrast with elegant Mabel, her deep attachment to her clever brother Edmund, and the homely life in their Burford house beside the family tan‑yard. A wealthy neighbor, Howard Steinthorpe of the Towers, becomes a frequent presence, loans money to their anxious father, wins Mabel’s hand, and replaces long‑time servant Salome after Mabel asserts control of the household. Dorothy, impulsive and candid, dislikes Steinthorpe and clings to Edmund, whose cough unsettles her even as his friend Ralph Dugdale arrives with warmth and reassurance. After Mabel’s grand yet joyless (to Dorothy) wedding and Edmund’s departure, money worries deepen, a servant is let go, and the section closes with their father collapsing in his office and a village doctor cautioning that strain and business trouble are taking a toll.

My brother's friend, by Eglanton Thorne. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #77999.