Category: Free Reads

Novels and short stories you can read for free, written by Isabella Alden and other authors of her time.

New Free Read: Family Portraits (Taken Unawares)

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Have you ever listened to someone tell a seemingly ordinary story, only to realize halfway through that they’re actually revealing something profound? That’s what happens in this month’s free read. “Family Portraits (Painted Unawares)” is a short story Isabella Alden published in a Christian magazine in 1900.

The story introduces us to Mrs. Andrews, a chatty neighbor who drops by on a hot summer day to tell about her son Harlan’s brief visit home from Boston. What begins as simple rambling about the weather, dinner plans, and a fishing trip gradually reveals itself as something much deeper—a portrait of a family bound together by selfless love.

Mrs. Andrews doesn’t realize she’s painting this portrait. She’s just telling her story in her own enthusiastic way. But it isn’t long before we begin to see what she can’t: a family where people consistently choose each other’s happiness over their own desires and where love—not biology—creates the deepest bonds.

A Note on Isabella’s Craft

What’s striking about this story is Isabella’s restraint. She doesn’t preach. She doesn’t tell us what to think about Mrs. Andrews or her family. She simply lets Mrs. Andrews talk, and trusts us to see the beauty in what’s being revealed.

Isabella has a gift for finding profound spiritual truth in everyday lives. In her stories, she elevates working-class people who live out their faith in practical, unassuming ways.

Maybe that’s why, more than 120 years after she wrote it, this story still has meaning. Today we still struggle with the tension between our own desires and others’ needs. We still wrestle with complicated family relationships. We still chase after perfect holidays and celebrations, forgetting that love is what makes any day special.

This story reminds us that the best relationships are built on small, daily choices we make, like prioritizing someone else’s happiness above our own, or spending time together, even if it’s brief and imperfect. Even more importantly, it reminds us that we don’t have to be extraordinary people to create extraordinary love.

You can spend time with Mrs. Andrews and her wonderful family for free!

Click here to download “Family Portraits (Painted Unawares)” from BookFunnel.com, then read it on your computer, phone, tablet, Kindle, or other electronic reading device.

Or you can select BookFunnel’s “email” option to receive an email with a PDF version you can read, print, and share with friends.

After you read it, please share your thoughts.

What stood out to you? Did you see yourself in any of the characters? Share your reflections in the comments below!

Mr. Moody’s Bible Class Lesson 5 – The New Birth

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What does it really mean to be “born again”? In this fifth installment of Mr. Moody’s Bible Class, evangelist D.L. Moody tackles one of Christianity’s most essential — and most misunderstood — doctrines: Regeneration.

Mr. Moody teaches that forgiveness alone is not enough — God must give us an entirely new nature.

“Heaven,” he writes, “is a prepared place, for a prepared people.”

Through stories and the dramatic example of Saul’s transformation on the Damascus road, Mr. Moody explains what regeneration is, what it is not, and why it is not an arbitrary demand but an absolute necessity.

And he concludes his lesson with a question every soul must answer: “Have I been regenerated through the atonement made on my behalf?”

You can read Lesson Five for free! Click here to download a large-print pdf version you can print or share with friends.

Then, join us again on March 31, 2026 for Lesson Six of Mr. Moody’s Bible Class.

If you missed Lessons One through Four, you can find them by clicking on the Free Reads tab above.

New Free Read: “Midnight Callers”

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If Isabella Alden were alive today, there’s no doubt she would be a very tech-savvy person. From telephones to indoor plumbing, from typewriters to motor cars, she embraced new devices and technologies and incorporated them into her stories and her daily life.

In 1909 Isabella wrote a short story titled “Midnight Callers,” which was published in a Christian magazine. It’s a wonderful story about a young woman toiling in the Lord’s vineyard and wondering if her efforts make a difference.

Miss Rachel Holland is a weary Christian mission worker who can’t help questioning the impact of her tireless labor. But her world changes one night when a hopeless ruin of a man stumbles into her office, desperate for help. Will she stand by her faith and summon the energy to serve her heavenly Master yet again?

But “Midnight Callers” is also a story that shows us a snapshot of the world in which Isabella lived. Her characters in the story don’t live in a dusty old past we can’t relate to; instead, they live in a very “modern” world (by 1909 standards).

Rachel Holland, the heroine of the story, writes with a fountain pen, which was a newly popular writing instrument in 1909.

A 1910 advertisement for fountain pens.

Another character, the Rev. Dr. McKenzie, uses a telephone closet to call “Blue two double O”—a reference to an era of manual telephone exchanges and party lines.

Although fountain pens have long since been replaced by keyboards and “Blue two double O” is now a touch-key on our smart phone contact list, the core of “Midnight Callers” still has relevance for readers today.

The story reminds us that while technology may change, our human need for hope—and help from the “present Power” that never fails—is eternal.

You can read “Midnight Callers” for free!

Choose the reading option you like best:

You can read the story on your computer, phone, tablet, Kindle, or other electronic reading device. Just click here to download your preferred format from BookFunnel.com.

Or you can select BookFunnel’s “email” option to receive an email with a PDF version you can read, print, and share with friends.

You can learn more about how Isabella embraced and used new technologies and inventions in these posts:

iPhones and Isabella

A New Luxury: Indoor Baths

Typewriters and Writing Machines

New Free Read: Fishing for Phil

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Have you ever wondered if your daily witness for Christ can truly make a difference in winning a loved one’s soul? Would you be willing to compromise your principles if you thought it might be the only way to influence someone else for Christ?

These are the heart-searching questions at the center of this month’s free read, “Fishing for Phil,” by Isabella Alden. The story follows teenager Daisy Morris as she navigates the delicate balance between family loyalty and her personal devotion to God.

Daisy Morris is a young woman of firm Christian principle , but her convictions are put to the test when her beloved Aunt Mattie and cousin Blanche plead with her to attend a special play. They believe it is the only way to coax Phil away from his worldly companions and back into the church. Will Daisy yield to the pressure of those she loves , or will her quiet refusal to compromise “one inch of the way” prove to be the very witness Phil truly needs?

You can read “Fishing for Phil” for free!

Choose the reading option you like best:

You can read the story on your computer, phone, tablet, Kindle, or other electronic reading device. Just click here to download your preferred format from BookFunnel.com.

Or you can select BookFunnel’s “email” option to receive an email with a PDF version you can read, print, and share with friends.

Mr. Moody’s Bible Class: Lesson Three

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In Lesson One Mr. Moody diagnosed the disease (Understanding Sin) and in Lesson Two, named the cure (The Remedy of the Gospel). Now, in Lesson Three, Mr. Moody outlines the five essential steps of genuine repentance:

Conviction
Contrition
Confession of Sin
Conversion
Confession of Christ

Using the biblical examples of King Saul’s shallow confession, David’s broken heart, and Joseph of Arimathea’s courageous stand at Calvary, Mr. Moody explains the difference between true and counterfeit repentance.

You can read Lesson Three for free!Click here to download a large-print PDF version you can print or share with friends.

Then, join us again on January 27, 2026 for Lesson Four of Mr. Moody’s Bible Class.

If you missed Lessons One and Two, you can find them by clicking on the Free Reads tab above.

The Gift of Music

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It’s Christmas time, and shopping for the holiday is now in full swing. During Isabella’s lifetime, Christmas ads filled the issues of newspapers and magazines, tempting shoppers with bargains and gift ideas.

Among the many advertisements for books, handkerchiefs, slippers, and gloves were ads for a gift the whole family could enjoy: a piano.

The idea wasn’t as extravagant as it might sound; by the late 1890s pianos were quite affordable. Dealers and manufacturers offered consumers credit or payment plans that made purchasing a piano within the reach of families with more modest incomes.

A newspaper ad for Fischer Pianos with the headline "Standard of Highest Merit." In smaller type: "By our new method of Easy Payments every home is enabled at once to possess and enjoy a High-Grade Piano."

Families weren’t the only ones who took advantage of these arrangements. In Pansy’s Advice to Readers, Isabella wrote about a group of school girls who bought a piano for their gymnasium by raising the money themselves and making regular payments to the dealer.

Newspaper ad showing a young woman and her parents in a parlor with an upright piano. The headline reads "The Piano Problem Solved" and "Sold on Easy Payments."

Such arrangements meant pianos were no longer an article of luxury available only to the wealthy. As more families were able to purchase pianos, American social life began to change. Previously, people gathered at churches, concert halls, and other public places to enjoy music; but affordable pianos allowed people to enjoy music at home and within their own family circle.

An 1898 magazine ad for organs ($25 up) and pianos ($155 up). The headline reads "Free! Free! Save Money" and "Special Christmas Offers to Readers of The Ladies' Home Journal."

But even affordable pianos presented a challenge: someone had to learn how to play them.

Once a piano was installed in a home, there were lessons to be had and endless hours of practice in order for a player to become proficient. But in the 1890s self-playing devices came on the market that again changed how families brought music into their homes.

There were two kinds of self-playing devices: those that attached to pianos, and those that were placed inside them.

Invented in America, the pianola was a cabinet-type device that was pushed up against a piano keyboard. It depressed the piano keys with protruding felt-covered levers controlled by a perforated paper roll. A person had to be seated at the device to work the pumping pedals so air pressure created suction to rotate the roll. 

A pianola cabinet. A lid on top is open to show the perforated paper music roll. At the bottom are two foot pedals.
Pianola cabinet style in 1890.

The other type—the player-piano—operated in the same manner with a rotating perforated roll, but the device was installed within the piano itself.

Ad for a player piano with the instrument in the center of the ad, surrounded by holly. Above it is the brand name Krell. Below is "Auto-Grand, the Holiday Spirit."

According to the editor of The Piano and Organ Purchaser’s Guide for 1908, these devices “made tens of thousands of pianos eloquent with good and popular music”—pianos that formerly were silent, except when there was a dance at home, or on a Sunday, when a few hymns were played.

Illustration of a woman seated in front of a player piano with her feet on the pedals. Seated beside her is a young child. A little girl dances beside the piano.

“The present of a pianola is a present to every member of the family.” So declared a magazine advertisement in 1904 that urged consumers to consider buying a mechanical piano player for Christmas.

Photo of a Pianola cabinet with the caption "The present of a pianola is a present to every member of the family."

It wasn’t just families that could now listen to beautiful music in their homes. This ad in a 1904 issue of Booklover’s Magazine suggested a pianola cabinet player was the ideal gift for a bachelor’s home.

Illustration of a young man seated in a chair holding a pipe in his apartment. Beside him is a piano with a pianola cabinet attached. The caption reads "The Bachelor's Idea. The one finishing touch to a bachelor's apartment is furnished by a piano to be played with a Chase & Baker Piano Player."

Those self-playing piano devices opened up whole new musical worlds for people. Many who never visited the opera or a concert before became thoroughly acquainted with world-class musical and orchestral compositions.

Black and white drawing of a young woman seated at a player piano with a perforated music roll visible. A woman stands nearby who appears to be performing a song. A group of elegantly dressed people are seated listening to her.

Sales of pianolas and player pianos peaked in the mid-1920s when gramophone recordings and the arrival of radio caused their popularity to wane.

Illustration of a young woman seated at a player piano, with her feet resting on the pedal. A young man stands beside the piano, looking down at the young woman.

But while in their heyday, pianos, pianolas, and player pianos made an important mark on American culture, bringing music and joy to thousands of families. Isn’t that a wonderful gift to receive?

You can learn more about pianolas and player pianos by clicking here.

You can read Pansy’s Advice to Readers for free!

Choose the reading option you like best:

You can read the e-book on your computer, phone, tablet, Kindle, or other electronic device. Just click here to download your preferred format from BookFunnel.com.

Or you can select BookFunnel’s “My Computer” option to receive an email with a version you can read, print, and share with friends

New Free Read: His Friend

Published on by Isabella Alden2 Comments

This month’s free read is a sweet story about faith and Christmas blessings by Isabella’s sister, Marcia Livingston.

Book cover showing a small Victorian-era cottage nestled in a quiet, snowy landscape at night. Through a downstairs window can be seen a Christmas tree. In all the windows shines a warm, golden light, contrasting with the dark, cold surroundings.

Wealthy Mr. Thornton finds his greatest pleasure in carrying out the quiet, unseen work of “his Friend.” With Christmas fast approaching, he has renovated a beautiful cottage to bestow upon an as-yet-unknown person who is homeless and friendless. When his path crosses that of Lily Winthrop and her grandfather, Mr. Thornton sees a clear object for his charity. Will his act of giving remain anonymous, or will Lily and her grandfather discover the secret donor of their miraculous Christmas gift?

You can read “His Friend” for free!

Choose the reading option you like best:

You can read the story on your computer, phone, tablet, Kindle, or other electronic reading device. Just click here to download your preferred format from BookFunnel.com.

Or you can select BookFunnel’s “email” option to receive an email with a PDF version you can read, print, and share with friends.

Mr. Moody’s Bible Class: Lesson Two

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Decorative banner from the magazine that reads "MR. MOODY'S BIBLE CLASS." To the left of the text is an open Bible set against the petals of a flower. Across the top of the banner is a repeating pattern of half-circles and spires to add visual interest.

In his first lesson, evangelist D.L. Moody diagnosed humanity’s deepest problem: the universal reality of sin and its separating power. Now, in this second lesson, Mr. Moody presents the remedy: the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Through scripture and stories, including a powerful account from a Civil War hospital, Mr. Moody shows how Christ came to heal the broken-hearted, deliver captives, restore sight to the blind, and liberate the bruised. As he reminds us, “The Gospel of Jesus Christ is all that we choose to make it.”

You can read Lesson Two for free! Click here to download a PDF version you can print or share with friends.

Then, join us next month for Lesson Three of Mr. Moody’s Bible Class: “True Repentance.”

If you missed Lesson One, you can find it by clicking here.

New Free Read: The Deacon’s Songs

Published on by Isabella Alden1 Comment

Like her younger sister Isabella, Marcia Macdonald Livingston was a talented writer. Her stories always contained a message of faith and a happy ending; and she excelled at writing about the trials—small and large—that husbands and wives face together.

This month’s free read is about one of those couples who must learn to cope with an empty nest.

Mrs. Warner is in despair. After her beloved daughter marries a young pastor and moves away, the once-cheerful woman cannot muster a smile for her husband, the Deacon. It will take a lonely November evening and the comforting strains of a few old hymns for this devoted couple to rediscover their faith and their gratitude for one another.

You can read “The Deacon’s Songs” for free!

Choose the reading option you like best:

You can read the story on your computer, phone, tablet, Kindle, or other electronic reading device. Just click here to download your preferred format from BookFunnel.com.

Or you can select BookFunnel’s “email” option to receive an email with a PDF version you can read, print, and share with friends.

Mr. Moody’s Bible Class

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Isabella had a special bond with evangelist Rev. D.L. Moody. They were contemporaries who shared a common mission: bringing biblical truths to everyday Americans through accessible, compelling writing.

While Isabella wove Christian principles into her novels and short stories, Mr. Moody taught them directly through his preaching and writing.

In 1896, Mr. Moody published a twelve-part Bible study series in The Ladies’ Home Journal, a magazine that regularly published sermons, essays on religion and faith, and stories with Christian themes. He called his series, “Mr. Moody’s Bible Class.”

Decorative banner from the magazine that reads "MR. MOODY'S BIBLE CLASS." To the left of the text is an open Bible set against the petals of a flower. Across the top of the banner is a repeating pattern of half-circles and spires to add visual interest.

Each month for twelve months, Mr. Moody filled the pages of the magazine with lessons on the fundamental doctrines of Christianity, from sin and redemption to prayer and Heaven. His accessible writing style and practical approach made theological truths understandable to every-day readers, while he challenged them to examine their own faith.

Magazine announcement: Mr. Moody's Bible Class by Dwight L. Moody. The famous Northfield evangelist begins, in the November Ladies' Home Journal, a series of popular Bible studies in the form of a great National Bible Class, destined to prove the most helpful religious department ever sustained by a magazine.
From The Ladies’ Home Journal, October 1896.

“Mr. Moody’s Bible Class” is now available for a new generation. Each of his lessons has been carefully formatted for modern readers, with added reflection questions and organized Scripture references.

Magazine announcement showing a drawing of Mr. Moody sitting in a chair with his open Bible in his lap. He is surrounded by men and women, young and old, sitting and standing. Text beneath the drawing reads: "Mr. Moody's Bible Class. A New Religious Department by Dwight L. Moody."

Whether you’re studying alone, with a small group, or teaching a Sunday school class, Mr. Moody’s lessons offer rich yet practical insights into the foundations of Christian doctrine. Click on the link below to view or download the first lesson:

Lesson One: Understanding Sin

You can read more about the friendship between Isabella’s family and Mr. Moody by clicking on the links below:

Isabella’s Uncle and the Hymn that Changed America

Horatio Spafford’s Second Chapter

Marking Ester’s Bible

How to Have a Good Prayer Meeting