E-text prepared by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe, Louise Pryor,
and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
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WINTER EVENING TALES.
BY
AMELIA E. BARR,
Author of "A Bow of Orange Ribbon,""Jan Vedder's Wife,"
"Friend Olivia," etc., etc.
PUBLISHED BY
THE CHRISTIAN HERALD
Louis Klopsch, Proprietor,
BIBLE HOUSE, NEW YORK.
1896
PREFACE.
In these "Winter Evening Tales," Mrs. Barr has spread before her readersa feast that will afford the rarest enjoyment for many a leisure hour.There are few writers of the present day whose genius has such aluminous quality, and the spell of whose fancy carries us along sodelightfully on its magic current. In these "Tales"—each a perfect gemof romance, in an artistic setting—the author has touched many phasesof human nature. Some of the stories in the collection sparkle with thespirit of mirth; others give glimpses of the sadder side of life.Throughout all, there are found that broad sympathy and intense humanitythat characterize every page that comes from her pen. Her men and womenare creatures of real flesh and blood, not deftly-handled puppets; theymove, act and speak spontaneously, with the full vigor of life and thestrong purpose of persons who are participating in a real drama, and nota make-believe.
Mrs. Barr has the rare gift of writing from heart to heart. Sheunconsciously infuses into her readers a liberal share of the enthusiasmthat moves the people of her creative imagination. One cannot read anyof her books without feeling more than a spectator's interest; we are,for the moment, actual sharers in the joys and the sorrows, themisfortunes and the triumphs of the men and women to whom she introducesus. Our sympathy, our love, our admiration, are kindled by their nobleand attractive qualities; our mirth is excited by the absurd andincongruous aspects of some characters, and our hearts are thrilled bythe frequent revelation of such goodness and true human feeling as canonly come from pure and noble souls.
In these "Tales," as in many of her other works, humble life has held astrong attraction for Mrs. Barr's pen. Her mind and heart naturally turnin this direction; and although her wonderful talent, within its widerange, deals with all stations and conditions of life, she has butlittle relish for the gilded artificialities of society, and a stronglove for those whose condition makes life for them something real andearnest and definite of purpose. For this reason, among many others, theChristian people of America have a hearty admiration for Mrs. Barr andher work, knowing it to be not only of surpassing human interest, butspiritually helpful and inspiring, with an influence that makes formorality and good living, in the highest sense in which a Christianunderstands the term.
G.H. Sandison.
New York, 1896.