The “pattern” shows us the problem of a pure, young New England girl, _Mary Scudder_ by name, whose mind is formed by religious aspiration, of the power of which her lover has no understanding. He reveres her and she stands to him as a religion, as often happens with a sincere and questioning soul. The lover goes to sea and after a while _Mary_ hears that his ship has gone down and that he is lost. When a long time has gone by the _Minister_ wooes her and, believing that the lover is forever gone, _Mary_ consents to marry this man whom she reveres, though she does not give him the love she gave the lost lover. Shall I tell how the story comes out? I certainly will not, for that might destroy the charm that this novel will have for its reader. And the story must be read to be enjoyed. For who could give any idea of the charm of the heroine and the manliness of the lover? There are historic characters, Aaron Burr and Dr. Hopkins and President Stiles, delineated with genius. Like Shakespeare, Mrs. Stowe, while disregarding dates and sequences of events, has been loftily true to the spirit of things. One may look in this book for a true picture, if not for actual events in their exact order. The scene of “The Minister’s Wooing” was laid at Newport. Mrs. Stowe’s next New England story, “The Pearl of Orr’s Island,” gives a picture of the Maine coast, not far from Brunswick, near Harpswell, and deals with a later time. Both, however, undertake the difficult task of representing life a century or so back. Whittier called “The Pearl” the “most charming New England idyl ever written.” He liked it far better than the “Minister’s Wooing.” Its plot is simpler and there are fewer characters; but it has the clear background of a whole town with its quiet life streaked with tragedy, as life especially is along the sea coast where the waves take their annual toll regardless of human loves and ties. _Mara Lincoln_, the heroine, dies in the midst of the story, but her loyal friend, _Sally Kittridge_, takes her place in our interest; and after many sea-yarns, some ministrations by _Aunt Ruey_ and _Aunt Roxy_, typical characters of the town, a touch of far-away Gothicism in the fact that the body of a beautiful woman floated ashore tightly holding a handsome Spanish boy to her breast, and the unraveling of the puzzle about her, we are allowed a happy wedding-bell ending to the story at last.