Chapter I: Front Matter

ROSE CLARK.

BY

FANNY FERN.

NEW YORK: PUBLISHED BY MASON BROTHERS 1856.

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1855, by MASON BROTHERS, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court, for the Southern District of New York.

STEREOTYPED BY THOMAS B. SMITH, 82 & 84 Beekman Street.

PRINTED BY JOHN A. GRAY, 97 Cliff St.

Reader!

When the frost curtains the windows, when the wind whistles fiercely at the key-hole, when the bright fire glows, and the tea-tray is removed, and father in his slippered feet lolls in his arm-chair; and mother with her nimble needle "makes auld claes look amaist as weel as new," and grandmamma draws closer to the chimney-corner, and Tommy with his plate of chestnuts nestles contentedly at her feet; then let my unpretending story be read. For such an hour, for such an audience, was it written.

Should any _dictionary on legs_ rap inopportunely at the door for admittance, send him away to the groaning shelves of some musty library, where "literature" lies embalmed, with its stony eyes, fleshless joints, and ossified heart, in faultless preservation.

Then, should the smile, and the tear, have passed round, while the candle flickers in the socket, if but one kindly voice murmur low,

"MAY GOD BLESS HER!"

it will brighten the dreams of

FANNY FERN.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I. PAGE THE ORPHAN ASYLUM--ROSE'S INTRODUCTION TO IT--MRS. MARKHAM--ROSE'S INITIATION--TIMMINS 15

CHAPTER II.

MR. BALCH. 27

CHAPTER III.

ROSE'S COMPANIONS--THE DINING-TABLE AND THE SCHOOLROOM. 30

CHAPTER IV.

AUNT DOLLY--HOW IT CAME TO PASS--TWO OLD MAIDS' OPINIONS ON LITERATURE, MEN AND MARRIAGE GENERALLY, AND ON THE BACHELORS OF DIFFTOWN PARTICULARLY. 34

CHAPTER V.

LITTLE TIBBS--AN INSTANCE OF MRS. MARKHAM'S "MOTHERLY CARE" OF THE ORPHANS. 39

CHAPTER VI.

THE FASHIONABLE UNDERTAKER. 45

CHAPTER VII.

THE INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE "INSPECT" THE ASYLUM--MR. BALCH PRIVATELY RECORDS THE VERDICT ON THE HAND OF THE MATRON. 48

CHAPTER VIII.

TIBBS' GHOST. 54

CHAPTER IX.

AUNT DOLLY REMOVES ROSE FROM THE ASYLUM--THE RIDE "HOME"--DOLLY'S IDEAS OF NATURE, SENTIMENT, AND DUTY. 57

CHAPTER X.

AUNT DOLLY REFUSES ROSE'S REQUEST TO BE SENT TO SCHOOL, AND ATTEMPTS TO CONVINCE HER THAT LYING IS THE BEST POLICY. 68

CHAPTER XI.

MR. CLIFTON, THE VILLAGE MINISTER--THE PARSONAGE. 71

CHAPTER XII.

MR. CLIFTON'S PASTORAL CALL ON DOLLY--THE CONVERSATION ABOUT ROSE. 76

CHAPTER XIII.

DEATH AT THE PARSONAGE. 82

CHAPTER XIV.

ROSE REQUESTS OF AUNT DOLLY A MEMENTO OF HER MOTHER. 86

CHAPTER XV.

ROSE IN THE MILLINER SHOP. 90

CHAPTER XVI.

MRS. CLIFTON VISITS "THE BABY'S" GRAVE--A PLEASANT SURPRISE--DOLLY'S SICKNESS--DAFFY'S SOLILOQUY. 94

CHAPTER XVII.

DOLLY CONVALESCES AND EFFERVESCES--BAKING-DAY, AND ROSE'S FIRST ATTEMPT AT COOKING--HEART'S-EASE. 101

CHAPTER XVIII.

VILLAGE GOSSIP--THE DESOLATE PARSONAGE. 109

CHAPTER XIX.

THE CHILD-MOTHER--AUNT DOLLY'S LETTER. 112

CHAPTER XX.

A GLIMPSE AT BACHELOR QUARTERS. 119

CHAPTER XXI.

ROSE'S SICK BABE--AUNT DOLLY, AS THE FASHIONABLE MRS. JOHN HOWE. 122

CHAPTER XXII.

OLD MRS. BOND'S VISIT TO THE CITY--SILENT REPROOF. 128

CHAPTER XXIII.

MR. FINELS, MRS. HOWE'S INTIMATE FRIEND--MRS. BOND'S INTERVIEW WITH ROSE. 133

CHAPTER XXIV.

A PASSAGE-AT-ARMS BETWEEN MRS. HOWE AND HER FASHIONABLE FEMALE FRIEND. 147

CHAPTER XXV.

MR. HOWE ATTEMPTS AN INDEPENDENT COURSE OF ACTION--HE REMOVES ROSE AND LITTLE CHARLEY FROM THE ATTIC TO THE BEST SPARE ROOM--MRS. HOWE "LETS HIM HEAR FROM IT." 152

CHAPTER XXVI.

ROSE MAKES AN ASTOUNDING DISCOVERY--MR. HOWE VENTURES ON A CONNUBIAL JOKE--THE RESULT OF MR. HOWE'S JOKE--ROSE AND HER SICK BABE IN THE STAGE-COACH. 158

CHAPTER XXVII.

MRS. BOND'S RECEPTION OF ROSE--THE OLD LADY'S CHRISTIAN FAITH AND PHILOSOPHY. 170

CHAPTER XXVIII.

THE WASH-ROOM--THE BRUTAL REMARK. 172

CHAPTER XXIX.

MISS BODKIN'S ACCOUNT OF THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF MRS. JOHN HOWE. 176

CHAPTER XXX.

THE FLIGHT OF ROSE, WITH LITTLE CHARLEY. 181

CHAPTER XXXI.

THE CHRISTENING, AT MRS. HOWE'S--THE SECRET WHISPER--THE DENOUEMENT. 184

CHAPTER XXXII.

ROSE AT SEA--CAPTAIN LUCAS--FRITZ--DOCTOR PERRY--THE MARRIAGE PROPOSAL. 189

CHAPTER XXXIII.

THE CAPTAIN AND DR. PERRY--ARRIVAL IN NEW ORLEANS. 198

CHAPTER XXXIV.

ROSE'S NEW HOME--THE MANIAC'S STORY--NEWS OF VINCENT. 202

CHAPTER XXXV.

MRS. HOWE THINKS IT TIME TO GO TO THE SPRINGS--MR. HOWE ATTEMPTS TO CHERISH AN OPINION OF HIS OWN--THE MAGIC WHISPER. 209

CHAPTER XXXVI.

THE MYSTERY EXPLAINED. 212

CHAPTER XXXVII.

ROSE'S ILLNESS. 215

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

THE LADY ARTIST. 218

CHAPTER XXXIX.

GERTRUDE'S STORY. 226

CHAPTER XL.

MR. AND MRS. HOWE ON THE ROAD TO THE SPRINGS--A RAILROAD ACCIDENT--THE TABLES TURNED. 256

CHAPTER XLI.

CHARLEY'S INTRODUCTION TO THE VINCENT MANSION--DOCTOR PERRY AGAIN SEEKS TO MAKE ROSE HIS WIFE--GERTRUDE'S LOCKET--THE RECOGNITION. 264

CHAPTER XLII.

MADAME VINCENT'S PRESENT TO CHARLEY. 278

CHAPTER XLIII.

JOHN AND GERTRUDE--A BIT OF WOMAN'S PHILOSOPHY. 280

CHAPTER XLIV.

ROSE PROPOSES TO TURN AUTHORESS--GERTRUDE GIVES HER SOME CHOICE SPECIMENS OF CRITICISM. 286

CHAPTER XLV.

MISS ANNE COOPER--MADAME VINCENT'S SEXAGENARIAN LOVE REMINISCENCES. 291

CHAPTER XLVI.

MADAME VINCENT'S VISIT TO ROSE. 300

CHAPTER XLVII.

MISS ANNE COOPER'S DIPLOMACY. 304

CHAPTER XLVIII.

MADAME MACQUE TURNS ROSE OUT OF DOORS. 369

CHAPTER XLIX.

CUPID IN THE KITCHEN--HIGH LIFE BELOW STAIRS. 312

CHAPTER L.

A LETTER FROM MR. FINELS. 320

CHAPTER LI.

ROSE, GERTRUDE, AND JOHN, AT NIAGARA--THE AGED COUPLE--THE HUSBAND CARRIED OVER THE FALLS, AND THE MOURNER'S STORY. 323

CHAPTER LII.

A CHAPTER ON MAN'S VANITY. 335

CHAPTER LIII.

MARKHAM FOUND OUT--BALCH REPENTANT. 340

CHAPTER LIV.

THE UNEXPECTED APPEARANCE OF MR. STAHLE, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. 344

CHAPTER LV.

ROSE'S DREAM. 349

CHAPTER LVI.

A SCENE IN MRS. HOWE'S PARLOR. 353

CHAPTER LVII.

MRS. BOND'S STRANGE VISITOR. 359

CHAPTER LVIII.

ANOTHER LETTER FROM MR. FINELS. 366

CHAPTER LIX.

A CHAPTER ON BOSTON, ITS INHABITANTS AND ENVIRONS. 368

CHAPTER LX.

JOHN'S DREAM. 376

CHAPTER LXI.

SCENE ON BOARD CAPTAIN LUCAS'S SHIP. 379

CHAPTER LXII.

GERTRUDE'S SORROWFUL DAY. 383

CHAPTER LXIII.

A THIRD LETTER FROM MR. FINELS. 385

CHAPTER LXIV.

CHARLEY'S CHILD-SORROW. 389

CHAPTER LXV.

MRS. BOND'S FUNERAL. 394

CHAPTER LXVI.

THE MEETING OF JOHN AND THE STRANGER. 379

CHAPTER LXVII.

THE STRANGER IN GERTRUDE'S STUDIO--ROSE'S PICTURE RECOGNIZED--THE MEETING. 402

CHAPTER LXVIII.

VINCENT'S STORY. 405

CHAPTER LXIX.

JOHN'S TRIUMPH. 410

CHAPTER LXX.

JOHN AND VINCENT. 412

CHAPTER LXXI.

PEACE--RETRIBUTION. 414

ROSE CLARK.