Philip and His Wife

Philip and His Wife
by Margaret Deland
1894

I am reading Philip and His Wife by Margaret Deland. It is set in the fictional town of Old Chester, Pennsylvania, and many of the Old Chester characters I've met in Deland's stories appear, most notably the beloved Dr. Lavendar. His brother, Joseph Lavendar, also plays a role in this story, adding a new dimension to what we know about Dr. Lavendar.

This book is a full length novel, rather than a collection of Old Chester stories. It explores the question of what to do when a marriage has gone bad. Philip has come to the realization that his marriage is not good, that his wife, Cecilia, is spoiling their daughter and inculcating in her values that Philip believes are harmful. As he thinks over what he should do, he considers the idea of joint custody of the daughter. I was not aware that joint custody was ever an option in the 19th century.

By way of comparing and contrasting bad marriages, there is a subplot involving the Todd family, where the husband, Job, is an alcoholic who sometimes beats his wife, Eliza. Eliza rationalizes staying with Job, rather than leaving him, as when he is sober he makes a good living, and it is easier to put up with the beatings than to put the law on Job and have to live without his financial contribution.

The Haunted Homestead

The Haunted Homestead
by EDEN Southworth
1860

I read The Haunted Homestead by EDEN (Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte) Southworth yesterday. Set in Virginia in an isolated location in the mountains, it begins in a very promising fashion. Southworth creates a very spooky atmosphere, one of the best I've read in a haunted house/ghost story in a very long time. I found the ending rather disappointing, however.

I've tried other books by Southworth but found them not to my taste. She was a prolific 19th century writer of romance fiction and apparently some gothic fiction as well. I'll probably try some more of her books on the strength of The Haunted Homestead.

Bookmark - The House of Mirth

Lily Bart
The House of Mirth
by Edith Wharton

American Best Sellers 1900-1922

There is a list at Project Gutenberg of American best sellers 1900-1922 with links for downloading the books in various formats. This is a wonderful resource.

New England Life

The following list is from an article in the New York Times for August 6, 1898 titled "New England Life: Twenty-five Books Giving Comprehensive Pictures of It":

• Guardian Angel, O.W. Holmes
• Elsie Venner, O.W. Holmes
• The Autocrat at the Breakfast Table, O.W. Holmes
• Professor at the Breakfast Table, O.W. Holmes
• The Poet at the Breakfast Table, O.W. Holmes
• Over the Teacups, O.W. Holmes
• The Biglow Papers, James Russell Lowell
• Captain Courageous, Rudyard Kipling
• Prudence Palfrey, Thomas Bailey Adrich
• A Singular Life, Mrs. Phelps Ward
• A Native of Winby, Miss Jewett
• The Country Doctor, Miss Jewett
• The Minister's Wooing, Mrs. Stowe
• Oldtown Folks, (no author given)
• Odd or Even, Mrs. Whitney
• John Ward, Preacher, Mrs. Deland
• Somebody's Neighbors, Mrs. Cooke
• Rowena in Boston, Miss Pool
• Danvis Folks, Rowland E. Robinson
• Two Coronets, M.A. Tincker
• Malbone, T.W. Higginson
• Dr. Breen's Practice, W.D. Howells
• The Minister's Charge, W.D. Howells
• Herman; or, Young Knighthood, S.H. Palfrey
• The Pagans, Arlo Bates

Old Chester Tales - Miss Maria

Old Chester Tales
Miss Maria - page 89
by Margaret Deland

What a delightful story! Miss Maria Welwood is a gentle soul, full of kindness and good nature. We meet more residents of Old Chester, Mrs. Barkley and her brother-in-law Mr. Ezra Barkley.

I just do not understand how these wonderful stories have been allowed to fade away from the reading public. They are every bit as wonderful as Cranford, the characters as memorable. Reading reviews in the New York Times of the books as they were published, it is clear they were enormously popular. Dr. Lavendar, the minister, was so beloved that readers wrote to Mrs. Deland asking who he was based on in real life, as they wanted to meet and consult his prototype.

What a joy to have discovered this charming series!

Bookmark - Dr. Lavendar

Dr. Lavendar
Around Old Chester
by Margaret Deland

I am greatly enjoying Margaret Deland's Old Chester stories. They are not all light hearted. In fact, The Face on the Wall was a powerful portrait of a marriage destroyed by alcoholism and gambling. It is in the volume titled Mr. Tommy Dove and Other Stories and does not take place in Old Chester, although it begins in a nearby town. I sincerely hope the Murray sisters figure in subsequent Old Chester stories. They would fit right in Cranford society, making allowances for the differences in American and English village life. Dr. Lavendar is a recurring figure in the stories. I like him as a character and look forward to getting to know him better as I read.