Our Blogiversary celebration continues with another free read by Isabella Alden!
As missionaries, John and Mary Randall and their daughter Rachel live hard lives. So when Rev. Randall is asked to speak at a conference of churches, he welcomes the chance to make a case for more support. His only regret is that he must leave Mary and Rachel behind.
But Rev. Randall’s speech touches more than a few hearts, and one lady in particular takes steps to ensure he and his family have all the support they need.
By the early 1900s Isabella’s career as an author began to fade. After forty years of writing Christ-centered novels and countless magazine and newspaper articles, the American reading public began to label her writing style as “old-fashioned” and “narrow.”
Magazine editors cut ties with Isabella; they cancelled her regular advice columns and declined to publish her serial stories.
After her book publisher, Daniel Lothrop, died in 1892, his publishing company changed ownership, and the new owners declined to publish any more of Isabella’s novels.
But Isabella was still writing at that time, and she did her best to find a publisher willing to accept her stories. In 1911 she submitted two novels to Gorham Press in Boston, Massachusetts. The titles were:
Her Own Way
Nell Jenkins
Today, we would call Gorham Press a “vanity publisher”; meaning, they printed and distributed an author’s book at the author’s expense.
Gorham’s owner, Mr. Richard G. Badger, immediately accepted Isabella’s submissions and sent her contracts to sign.
Ultimately, Gorham published Her Own Way in 1912, according to this entry found in the Cumulative Book Index of American Literature dated 1913:
However, there’s no record to indicate Her Own Way was ever distributed to stores; nor was it ever reviewed in newspapers or Christian periodicals from that period. It’s possible Isabella paid to have a limited number of copies printed, which she distributed herself.
Fortunately for us, Nell Jenkins (the second novel Isabella submitted to Gorham) was one of the last serial stories Isabella had published in a Christian magazine. Even more fortunate, all the magazine issues survived so we can piece together the chapters and enjoy the entire story!
Rebecca Kent finds herself in a difficult situation when her best friend’s husband asks her to keep a secret. It doesn’t take long for Rebecca to realize something strange is going on, and the secret she vowed to keep could very well ruin her best friend’s marriage.
If you like a bit of mystery in your Pansy stories (as in her novels Pauline and Wanted), you’ll enjoy Nell Jenkins!
Or you can select BookFunnel’s “My Computer” option to receive an email with a version you can read, print, and share with friends.
REMEMBER: There’s still time to enter the Promises From God Giveaway drawing. Just leave a comment below or on Isabella’s Facebook page no later than 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on Thursday, September 7.
The winners will be announced on Friday, September 8. Good luck!
This post is part of our 10-Year Blogiversary Celebration! Join us tomorrow for another fabulous giveaway!
Isabella knew that non-believers sometimes judge Christians by their deeds rather than by their words, and this month’s free read illustrates that point.
Miss Fannie Fletcher has important work to do! A girl in the Sunday-school class she teaches is a new Christian, and Fannie is determined to help her grow in faith. But how can she ever hope to accomplish her dearest desire when her family makes constant demands on her time?
July’s free read is a short story Isabella wrote in 1894 about a subject she felt strongly about; namely, that Christians were never “off duty” when it came to influencing others for Christ.
Kay Morse and her friends are enjoying a perfect summer vacation together, until Kay’s conscience puts her at odds with everyone. Can she help them understand why they must follow their Christian Endeavor principles—even while they are on vacation?
This month’s free read is a short story about two teenage friends Isabella described as:
“Sensible young ladies” who were “older at fifteen than their grandmothers at the same age thought of being.”
As is always the case with Isabella’s stories, it’s thoughtfully written to illustrate what she would call a “home truth.” But the story also gives us some hints about her personal life.
For example, she fondly describes her memories of May Day celebrations as “good times” gone by.
And later in the story, one of the characters mentions her “Mental Philosophy” class at school. When Isabella wrote the story in 1896, Mental Philosophy involved the study of the consciousness, functional thought, and religion. It was the precursor of what we now call the study of psychology. With her strong background in teaching, it isn’t surprising that Isabella would weave the latest educational innovations into her story.
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When teenagers Eva and Cassie are tempted to visit the village fortune-teller, it seems like nothing more than a bit of harmless fun, until a wise friend shows them what their futures truly hold.
You can read “A Glimpse into the Future” for free!
Like everyone in her immediate and extended family, Grace Livingston Hill was a dedicated temperance worker. She was well-educated in the effects alcohol had on individuals and their families.
And because the production and sale of alcohol was unregulated at the time (and often included addictive ingredients such as cocaine, morphine, cannabis, and chloroform), she knew it was not uncommon for people to become addicted to some alcoholic beverages.
She wrote about the harm alcohol caused in a short story titled, “The Livery of Heaven.”
Mrs. Wallace is proud of her work in the temperance cause. Her latest project is raising money to build a play-ground at the Home of Inebriates’ Children. It’s a worthy cause, so when she has a chance to host a famous temperance lecturer in her very own home, she jumps at the chance, certain that his lecture will draw the support and donations she needs.
But little does Mrs. Wallace realize, a dark force is using her efforts to harm the people she loves the most.
At the core of the story is a lesson about the seemingly small and thoughtless ways Christians can cause others to stumble in their daily walk with Christ.
Magazine illustration for Grace’s story, “The Livery of Heaven.”
After a Christian magazine published the story in 1896, “The Livery of Heaven” set off a bit of a fire storm.
Join us next week to find out how some readers reacted to Grace’s story “The Livery of Heaven.”
You can read “The Livery of Heaven” for free!
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Spring is here and this month’s short free read by Marcia Livingston celebrates the change in season.
Ruth’s mite box is empty! She has only three weeks to earn the pennies needed to fill her offering box for missionary work—but how? It seems like a hopeless situation until her dear grandmother helps Ruth realize God has already provided an answer to her problem.
You can read Spring Blossoms and Tenths for free!
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Last week’s free read, The Little Red Shop, first appeared in The Pansy magazine and told the story of the Brimmer children—Jack, Cornelius and Rosalie. They started their own business to help support their mother and baby sister, and made a great success of it!
But author Margaret Sidney knew that with great success comes great responsibility—a lesson she illustrated in this week’s free read, The Old Brimmer Place.
The Brimmer family’s adventures continue as their little red shop prospers and thrives. But when Jack discovers a neighbor’s shameful secret, he, Corny, and Rosy can’t agree about what to do about it. Should they help their neighbor? Or should they ignore friends in need and simply concentrate on their business?
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Some of Isabella Alden’s most beloved stories are about resourceful young people who, with God’s help, make a better life for themselves and others.
That was the premise at the heart of her novels about the Bryant family (in Miss Dee Dunmore Bryant and Twenty MinutesLate) and in The Man of the House.
Harriet Lothrop (writing under the pen name of Margaret Sidney) used the same premise for her novels. In her best-selling series of books about the Pepper children, the five siblings—Ben, Polly, Joel, Davie, and Phronsie—comprised a poor but stalwart family struggling to stay together. And at the heart of each story was the children’s desire to help their mother, whom they affectionately called “Mamsie.”
A sketch of Margaret Sidney with her signature; from an article about the author in Good Housekeeping magazine, December 12, 1885.
Harriet once explained in an interview why there was no father in any of the stories:
“My judgment told me that I must eliminate Mr. Pepper, because the whole motif “to help mother” would be lost if the man lived. It hurt me most dreadfully. He was a most estimable man, and I loved my own father so much, it seemed the most wicked thing to do. I went around for days quite droopy and guilty.
She used the same “fatherless family” device when she later wrote stories about the Brimmer children. In this two-book series, older brothers Jack and Cornelius are determined to earn money to help their widowed mother and younger siblings. In the process, they find their principles challenged at every turn, even as they learn valuable lessons.
Tired of seeing their mother struggle to support them, brothers Jack and Cornelius—with some help from little sister Rosalie—decide to go into business, and open a little shop in the old tool shed behind their house. At first business is slow, but just as the brothers begin to doubt they will ever make the shop a success, one of their town’s most influential citizens takes notice of the boys’ efforts. Soon the brothers have more business than they can handle, and an entirely new set of problems to solve.
The Little Red Shop is a charming story written with older children and teens in mind.
You can read The Little Red Shop for free!
Choose the reading option you like best:
You can read the story on your computer, phone, tablet, Kindle, or other electronic device.
Publishing The Pansy magazine was more than just a family affair for Isabella Alden. Writers outside her family circle also contributed poems, biographies, science articles, and other content for the magazine issues. One of those contributors was Harriet Lothrop, who wrote children’s fiction under the pen name of Margaret Sidney.
Margaret Sidney about 1895, image from the New York Public Library
Harriet’s books were incredibly popular, especially the Five Little Peppers—a series she wrote about brothers and sisters in the fictional Pepper family. Daniel Lothrop, the publisher of the Pepper books, also published Isabella’s books, as well as The Pansy magazine.
Daniel Lothrop
Mr. Lothrop was immediately charmed by Harriet’s Pepper books. In fact, he was so impressed, he asked to personally meet Harriet. One thing lead to another, and they eventually married!
An 1899 cover of one of the Pepper books, The Stories Polly Pepper Told
Together they became a powerhouse in the publishing and literary communities. They purchased Wayside, the Concord, Massachusetts home that previously belonged to American author Nathaniel Hawthorne. There Harriet continued to write her stories and novels; and Daniel enjoyed his weekends there as respite from the hustle and bustle of downtown Boston where his publishing house was located.
Wayside, as it appeared in 1908.
As individuals, Isabella Alden and Harriet Lothrop could not be more different. Isabella lived a rather quiet life, supporting her husband’s ministry, raising her son, writing her books, teaching at Chautauqua, and giving talks and readings of her stories at churches across the country.
By comparison, Harriet loved a good party. She was a leading force in Concord society. When her daughter Margaret turned nine years old, Harriet, in typical style, threw an all-day celebration. She invited children and adults from around the area to join the birthday celebration.
The highlight of the event was when the children formed a circle around a large artificial rose that had been set up on the lawn. And when the rose petals parted and spread, they revealed little Margaret setting in the center of the rose. Here’s an illustration that appeared in a magazine that printed an account of the event.
Harriet was definitely an imaginative hostess, and knew how to throw a party to please children and adults!
The same was true of her stories. Although Harriet was best known for her children’s books, she also wrote novels for teens and young adults.
One such novel was How Tom and Dorothy Made and Kept a Christian Home.
Newlyweds Tom and Dorothy Foster have a bright future together, but very little money. They’ve pledged to spend their earnings for God’s good, but it seems each new day brings new temptations. Will they be able to keep the promises they made to God and to each other?
You can read How Tom and Dorothy Made and Kept a Christian Home for free!
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Isabella Alden 