Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of Figures
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Thematic Connections
- Chapter One Charlotte Temple, A Tale of Truth (1791), entire work
- Chapter Two The Life of Washington; with Curious Anecdotes, Equally Honorable to Himself and Exemplary to His Young Countrymen (1800), selections
- Chapter Three American Tract Society, entire works (1825–Present)
- Chapter Four Awful Disclosures, by Maria Monk, of the Hotel Dieu Nunnery of Montreal (1836), selections
- Chapter Five The Illustrated Self- Instructor in Phrenology and Physiology (1840), selections
- Chapter Six A Treatise on Domestic Economy for the Use of Young Ladies at Home and at School (1841), selections
- Chapter Seven The Quaker City: Or, The Monks of Monk Hall A Romance of Philadelphia Life, Mystery, and Crime (1845), selections
- Chapter Eight Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie (1847), entire work
- Chapter Nine Reveries of a Bachelor: Or, A Book of the Heart (1850), selections
- Chapter Ten Uncle Tom's Cabin; Or, Life Among the Lowly (1852), selections
- Chapter Eleven Ten Nights in a Bar- Room, and What I Saw There (1854), entire work
- Chapter Twelve Malaeska; The Indian Wife of the White Hunter (1860), entire work
- Chapter Thirteen Ragged Dick; or, Street Life in New York with the Boot- Blacks (1868), entire work
- Chapter Fourteen Little Women, or, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy (1868), selections
- Chapter Fifteen The Gates Ajar (1868), entire work
- Chapter Sixteen The Luck of Roaring Camp (1868), entire work John Jenkins, Or, the Smoker Reformed (1871), entire work
- Chapter Seventeen Ben- Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1880), selections
- Chapter Eighteen The Hidden Hand: or, Capitola the Madcap (1888), selections
- Chapter Nineteen In His Steps. “What Would Jesus Do” (1896), selections
Chapter Eighteen - The Hidden Hand: or, Capitola the Madcap (1888), selections
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of Figures
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Thematic Connections
- Chapter One Charlotte Temple, A Tale of Truth (1791), entire work
- Chapter Two The Life of Washington; with Curious Anecdotes, Equally Honorable to Himself and Exemplary to His Young Countrymen (1800), selections
- Chapter Three American Tract Society, entire works (1825–Present)
- Chapter Four Awful Disclosures, by Maria Monk, of the Hotel Dieu Nunnery of Montreal (1836), selections
- Chapter Five The Illustrated Self- Instructor in Phrenology and Physiology (1840), selections
- Chapter Six A Treatise on Domestic Economy for the Use of Young Ladies at Home and at School (1841), selections
- Chapter Seven The Quaker City: Or, The Monks of Monk Hall A Romance of Philadelphia Life, Mystery, and Crime (1845), selections
- Chapter Eight Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie (1847), entire work
- Chapter Nine Reveries of a Bachelor: Or, A Book of the Heart (1850), selections
- Chapter Ten Uncle Tom's Cabin; Or, Life Among the Lowly (1852), selections
- Chapter Eleven Ten Nights in a Bar- Room, and What I Saw There (1854), entire work
- Chapter Twelve Malaeska; The Indian Wife of the White Hunter (1860), entire work
- Chapter Thirteen Ragged Dick; or, Street Life in New York with the Boot- Blacks (1868), entire work
- Chapter Fourteen Little Women, or, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy (1868), selections
- Chapter Fifteen The Gates Ajar (1868), entire work
- Chapter Sixteen The Luck of Roaring Camp (1868), entire work John Jenkins, Or, the Smoker Reformed (1871), entire work
- Chapter Seventeen Ben- Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1880), selections
- Chapter Eighteen The Hidden Hand: or, Capitola the Madcap (1888), selections
- Chapter Nineteen In His Steps. “What Would Jesus Do” (1896), selections
Summary
Chapter I
The Nocturnal Visit
*** Whence is that knocking?
How is't with me when every sound appals me?
*** I hear a knocking
In the south entry! Hark!— more knocking!
— ShakespeareHurricane Hall is a large old family mansion, built of dark, red sandstone, in one of the loneliest and wildest of the mountain regions of Virginia.
The estate is surrounded on three sides by a range of steep, gray rocks, spiked with clumps of dark evergreens, and called, from its horseshoe form, the Devil's Hoof.
On the fourth side the ground gradually descends in broken rock and barren soil to the edge of the wild mountain stream known as the Devil's Run.
When storms and floods were high, the loud roaring of the wild mountain gorges, and the terrific raging of the torrent over its rocky course, gave to this savage locality its illomened names of Devil's Hoof, Devil's Run and Hurricane Hall.
Major Ira Warfield, the lonely proprietor of the Hall, was a veteran officer, who, in disgust at what he supposed to be ill- requited services, had retired from public life to spend the evening of his vigorous age on this his patrimonial estate. Here he lived in seclusion, with his old- fashioned housekeeper, Mrs. Condiment, and his old family servants and his favorite dogs and horses. Here his mornings were usually spent in the chase, in which he excelled, and his afternoon and evenings were occupied in small convivial suppers among his few chosen companions of the chase or the bottle.
In person, Major Warfield was tall and strongly built, reminding one of some old ironlimbed Douglas of the olden time. His features were large and harsh; his complexion dark red, as that of one bronzed by long exposure and flushed with strong drink. His fierce, dark gray eyes were surmounted by thick, heavy black brows, that, when gathered into a frown, reminded one of a thunder cloud, as the flashing orbs beneath them did of lightning. His hard, harsh face was surrounded by a thick growth of iron- gray hair and beard that met beneath his chin. His usual habit was a black cloth coat, crimson vest, black leather breeches, long, black yarn stockings, fastened at the knees, and morocco slippers with silver buttons.
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- Bestsellers in Nineteenth-Century AmericaAn Anthology, pp. 995 - 1100Publisher: Anthem PressPrint publication year: 2016