Wives and Daughters is a Victorian novel by Elizabeth Gaskell, an everyday story of Molly Gibson, the daughter of a country doctor. It follows her girlhood, family ties, friendships and courtship in an English town, with a new stepmother and stepsister bringing change. The serial novel was left unfinished at the author's death.
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Text source: gutenberg.org · The work is in the public domain.
Opening of the book
Editorial Note:
Wives and Daughters was first published serially in the Cornhill
Magazine from August, 1864, to January, 1866. Elizabeth Gaskell died suddenly in November, 1865. She had completed all but the last chapter, and in that sense the book, which many consider her masterpiece, is unfinished. The editor of the Cornhill Magazine,
Frederick Greenwood, appended his comments about Mrs. Gaskell's intentions for the conclusion and about Mrs. Gaskell as a person.
Those comments are included at the end of this e-book. Wives and
Daughters was first published in book form in 1866 by Smith, Elder.
Both the Cornhill serial and the Smith, Elder first edition had eighteen full-page illustrations by George du Maurier, and those are included in this e-book. The Cornhill edition also had small illustrations at the beginning of seventeen chapters, and those too are included.
Molly's New Bonnet.
WIVES AND DAUGHTERS.
AN EVERY-DAY STORY.
BY
MRS. GASKELL.
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY GEORGE DU MAURIER.
CONTENTS I. THE DAWN OF A GALA DAY. II. A NOVICE AMONGST THE GREAT FOLK. III. MOLLY GIBSON'S CHILDHOOD. IV. MR. GIBSON'S NEIGHBOURS. V. CALF-LOVE. VI. A VISIT TO THE HAMLEYS. VII. FORESHADOWS OF LOVE PERILS. VIII. DRIFTING INTO DANGER. IX. THE WIDOWER AND THE WIDOW. X. A CRISIS. XI. MAKING FRIENDSHIP. XII. PREPARING FOR THE WEDDING. XIII. MOLLY GIBSON'S NEW FRIENDS. XIV. MOLLY FINDS HERSELF PATRONIZED. XV. THE NEW MAMMA. XVI. THE BRIDE AT HOME. XVII. TROUBLE AT HAMLEY HALL. XVIII. MR. OSBORNE'S SECRET. XIX. CYNTHIA'S ARRIVAL. XX. MRS. GIBSON'S VISITORS. XXI. THE HALF-SISTERS. XXII. THE OLD SQUIRE'S TROUBLES. XXIII. OSBORNE HAMLEY REVIEWS HIS POSITION. XXIV. MRS. GIBSON'S LITTLE DINNER.
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