Wives and Widows; or, The Broken Life

Name: Wives and Widows; or, The Broken Life
Author: Stephens, Ann S. (Ann Sophia)

Stephens, Ann S. (Ann Sophia)

Fiction

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file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)

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  WIVES AND WIDOWS;

  OR,

  THE BROKEN LIFE.

  BY

  MRS. ANN S. STEPHENS.

AUTHOR OF "RUBY GRAY'S STRATEGY," "FASHION AND FAMINE," "THE CURSE OF
GOLD," "THE REJECTED WIFE," "THE OLD HOMESTEAD," "THE WIFE'S SECRET,"
"MABEL'S MISTAKE," "THE GOLD BRICK," "SILENT STRUGGLES," "MARY DERWENT,"
"DOUBLY FALSE," "THE HEIRESS," "THE SOLDIER'S ORPHANS," ETC., ETC.

  When falsehood genders in a human soul,
    Blossoms may hide the reptile in his creeping,
  But every pulse will stir at his control,
    Or feel the burden of his poisonous sleeping,
  Until the tight'ning circle of his coils
  Binds down the heart, which God alone assoils.

  In honest hearts the gentle truth reposes;
    As nightingales, with rapturous music filled,
  Nestle down, softly, in the clust'ring roses,
    While the sweet night and moonlit air is thrilled
  With perfect harmonies,--truth will arise
  And send its voice, upringing, to the skies.

PHILADELPHIA:
T. B. PETERSON & BROTHERS;
306 CHESTNUT STREET.

  TO

  MISS ELIZA S. ORMSBEE,

  OF

  PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND,

  THIS BOOK IS

  MOST AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED.

  ANN S. STEPHENS.

  ST. CLOUD HOTEL, NEW YORK,
  NOVEMBER, 1869.

CONTENTS.

  CHAPTER                                                         PAGE

      I. LEAVING MY HOME                                            25

     II. MY NEW HOME                                                31

    III. A NEW LIFE                                                 35

     IV. THREATENED WITH SEPARATION                                 40

      V. AFTER THE WEDDING                                          48

     VI. TELLING HOW LOTTIE INTRODUCED HERSELF                      53

    VII. OUT IN THE WORLD                                           59

   VIII. OUR GUEST                                                  63

     IX. FANCIES AND PREMONITIONS                                   70

      X. NEW VISITORS                                               76

     XI. THE BASKET OF FRUIT                                        81

    XII. BREAKFAST WITH OUR GUEST                                   86

   XIII. JESSIE LEE AND HER MOTHER                                  88

    XIV. INTRUSIVE KINDNESS                                         92

     XV. THE TRAIL OF THE SERPENT                                   97

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Wives and Widows; or, The Broken Life

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