The first edition of this book is dated 1869. The edition used is dated 1869. The publisher was Anson D F Randolph and Co, 770 Broadway, Cor 9th St, N.Y. The number of pages is 575.

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General information

The set of page scans that was used to create this version of the book was as dirty as it is possible to be, while still making it just about possible to do the OCR and subsequent editing. This latter was very hard work. The scans came from the Canadiana Online collection. No doubt there is a reason for this lack of quality. But there was a reason for persevering with the editing process, endless as it seemed to be for several weeks, and that was that I do believe this book to be very great literature, even though it has not hitherto been recognised as such by the world in general.

To be truthful, the book’s first quarter, and perhaps the last quarter, are more dramatic than the two middle quarters. But it is all well worth reading and thinking about, for there are many things in the book that we should all think deeply about, living as we do in a very different world than the one that surrounded the author and her fictional characters almost a hundred and fifty years ago. That the author had very great skill is undoubted, and can be seen from her other works.

I hope you will read it and see if you agree with me that the hard work involved on bringing this book to the web has been worthwhile. NH.

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Contents

Chapter I.
The longest day in all the year was slowly closing over the little village of Clayton.

Chapter II.
“It’s a’ ye ken! Gotten ower it, indeed!” and Janet turned her back on her visitor, and went muttering about her gloomy kitchen: “The minister no’ being one to speak his sorrow to the newsmongering folk that frequent your house, they say he has gotten ower it, do they? It’s a’ they ken!“

Chapter III.
The time came when the decision could no longer be delayed. The minister was away from home, and before his return it would be made known formally to his people that he was to leave them, and after that the sooner his departure took place it would be the better for all concerned, and so Janet must brace herself for the task.

Chapter IV.
It was worship time, and the bairns had gathered round the table with their books, to wait for their father’s coming.

Chapter V.
They found themselves on board the “Steadfast” at last. The day of sailing was bright and beautiful, a perfect day for the sea, or the land either; but the wind rose in the night and the rain came on, and a very dreary morning broke on them as the last glimpse of land was fading in the distance.

Chapter VI.
“But where’s the town?“

Chapter VII.
The next week was a busy one to all. Mr. Elliott, during that time, took up his residence at Judge Merle’s, only making daily visits to the little brown house behind the elms where Janet and the bairns were putting things to rights.

Chapter VIII.
From the time of their arrival, the minister and his family excited great curiosity and interest among the good people of Merleville.

Chapter IX.
Other favourites of Mrs. Nasmyth’s were Mr. Snow and the schoolmaster, and the secret of her interest in them was their interest in the bairns, and their visits were made as often to the kitchen as to the study.

Chapter X.
“I like the wood fires,” said Graeme. “They are far clearer than the peat fires at home.

Chapter XI.
“Miss Graeme,” said Janet, softly opening the study-door, and looking in.

Chapter XII.
The time of settlement came at last. The members of the church and congregation were requested to bring to Deacon Sterne and his coadjutors an account of money and produce already paid by each, and also a statement of the sum they intended to subscribe for the minister’s support during the ensuing half year.

Chapter XIII.
Spring came and went. The lads distinguished themselves both for the quantity and quality of their sugar, and highly enjoyed the work besides.

Chapter XIV.
Even in quiet country places, there are changes many and varied wrought by the coming and going of seven years, and Merleville has had its share of these since the time the minister’s children looked upon the pleasant place with the wondering eyes of strangers.

Chapter XV.
The Indian-summer-time was come again. The gorgeous glory of the autumn was gone, but so, for one day, at least, was its dreariness.

Chapter XVI.
The rest of the bairns received the tidings of the change that was going to take place among them, in a very different way from Graeme.

Chapter XVII.
They all went away—the lads and Emily, and quietness fell on those that remained.

Chapter XVIII.
No. None knew so well as Graeme that her sister was passing away from among them; but even she did not dream how near the time was come.

Chapter XIX.
That night, Graeme slept the dreamless sleep of utter exhaustion, and the next day, whenever her father or Mrs. Snow stole in to look at her, she slept or seemed to sleep still.

Chapter XX.
It was a very changed life that opened before the bairns when Arthur took them home with him to Montreal.

Chapter XXI.
“It is just three years to-night since we came to M. Did you remember it, Arthur?” said Graeme, looking up from her work.

Chapter XXII.
The shining boots crashed the gravel, and the white dress gleamed through the darkness, some time after the young men were seated in Mr. Elphinstone’s handsome drawing-room.

Chapter XXIII.
Whether Nelly lost her patience next morning or not, history does not record; but it is a fact that breakfast was late, and late as it was, Rosie did not make her appearance at it.

Chapter XXIV.
Graeme’s first judgment of Allan Ruthven, had been, “how these ten years have changed him;” but she quite forgot the first judgment when she came to see him more, and meeting his kind eyes and listening to his kind voice, in the days that followed she said to herself, “he is the same, the very same.

Chapter XXV.
Graeme did go to Mrs. Roxbury’s party, and it happened in this way.

Chapter XXVI.
The next few days were weary ones to all. Will had reached that stage of convalescence in which it was not easy to resign himself to utter idleness, and yet he had not strength to be able to occupy himself long without fatigue; and in the effort to amuse and interest him, Graeme’s spirits flagged sadly.

Chapter XXVII.
The brilliant sunlight of a September morning was shining full into the little breakfast-room, where Graeme sat at the head of the table, awaiting the coming of the rest.

Chapter XXVIII.
Arthur Elliott was a young man of good intellect and superior acquirements, and he had ever been supposed to possess an average amount of penetration, and of that invaluable quality not always found in connection with superior intellect—common sense.

Chapter XXIX.
“Are you quite sure that you are glad, Graeme.“

Chapter XXX.
Graeme was not at peace with herself and had not been so for a long time, and to-night she was angry with herself for having spoiled Will’s pleasure, by letting him see that she was ill at ease.

Chapter XXXI.
They came at last. Arthur and Will met them on the other side of the river, and Graeme and Rose would fain have done the same, but because of falling rain, and because of other reasons, it was thought not best for them to go.

Chapter XXXII.
In the mean time very quiet and pleasant days were passing over those who were at home.

Chapter XXXIII.
“Who is is Mr. Green, anyhow?“

Chapter XXXIV.
Why Mrs. Grove thought Mr. Green might need an opening for anything he had to say to Mr. Snow did not appear, as he did not avail himself of it.

Chapter XXXV.
“It is a wonder to me, Miss Graeme,” said Mrs. Snow, after one of their long talks about old times—“it is a wonder to me, that minding Merleville and all your friends there as well as you do, you should never have thought it worth your while to come back and see us.

Chapter XXXVI.
The only event of importance that occurred before Mrs. Snow went away, was the return of Nelly.

Chapter XXXVII.
If, on the night of the day when Janet went away, Graeme could have had a glimpse of her outward life for the next two years, she might have shrunk, dismayed, from the way that lay before her.

Chapter XXXVIII.
So Rose came home at last. Not just the Rose who had left them, now more than two years ago, even in the eyes of her sister.

Chapter XXXIX.
Graeme had rejoiced over her sister’s return, “heart-free and fancy-free,” rather more than was reasonable, seeing that the danger to her freedom of heart and fancy was as great at home as elsewhere, and, indeed, inevitable anywhere, and, under certain circumstances, desirable, as well.

Chapter XL.
Graeme awoke in the morning to wonder at all the doubts and anxieties that had filled her mind in the darkness; for she was aroused by baby kisses on her lips, and opened her eyes to see her sister Rose, with her nephew in her arms, and her face as bright as the May morning, smiling down upon her.

Chapter XLI.
September was nearly over; there were tokens of the coming Autumn on the hills and valleys of Merleville, but the day was like a day in the prime of summer, and the air that came in through the open windows of the south room fell on Mrs. Snow’s pale cheeks as mild and balmy as a breeze of June.

Chapter XLII.
“I want to know! Now do tell; if there ain’t mother standing at the gate, and opening it for us, too,” exclaimed Mr. Snow, in astonishment and delight.

Chapter XLIII.
“Eh, bairns! is it no’ a bonny day!” said Mrs. Snow, breaking into Scotch, as she was rather apt to do when she was speaking to the sisters, or when a little moved.

Chapter XLIV.
The pleasant autumn days had come round again, and Mr. and Mrs. Snow were sitting, as they often sat now, alone in the south room together.

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