Winter Evening Tales

Winter Evening Tales

The Project Gutenberg eBook, Winter Evening Tales, by Amelia Edith
Huddleston Barr
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Title: Winter Evening Tales "Cash," a Problem of Profit and Loss;
Franz Müller's Wife; The Voice at Midnight; Six and Half-a-Dozen;
The Story of David Morrison; Tom Duffan's Daughter; The Harvest of
the Wind; The Seven Wise Men of Preston; Margaret Sinclair's Silent
Money; Just What He Deserved; An Only Offer; Two Fair Deceivers;
The Two Mr. Smiths; The Story of Mary Neil; The Heiress of Kurston
Chace; Only This Once; Petralto's Love Story
Author: Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr

Release Date: July 6, 2005 [eBook #16222]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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EVENING TALES***
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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

[Illustration]

PREFACE.
In these "Winter Evening Tales," Mrs. Barr has spread before her
readers a feast that will afford the rarest enjoyment for many a leisure
hour. There are few writers of the present day whose genius has such a
luminous quality, and the spell of whose fancy carries us along so
delightfully on its magic current. In these "Tales"--each a perfect gem
of romance, in an artistic setting--the author has touched many phases
of human nature. Some of the stories in the collection sparkle with the
spirit of mirth; others give glimpses of the sadder side of life.
Throughout all, there are found that broad sympathy and intense
humanity that characterize every page that comes from her pen. Her
men and women are creatures of real flesh and blood, not
deftly-handled puppets; they move, act and speak spontaneously, with
the full vigor of life and the strong purpose of persons who are
participating in a real drama, and not a make-believe.
Mrs. Barr has the rare gift of writing from heart to heart. She

unconsciously infuses into her readers a liberal share of the enthusiasm
that moves the people of her creative imagination. One cannot read any
of her books without feeling more than a spectator's interest; we are, for
the moment, actual sharers in the joys and the sorrows, the misfortunes
and the triumphs of the men and women to whom she introduces us.
Our sympathy, our love, our admiration, are kindled by their noble and
attractive qualities; our mirth is excited by the absurd and incongruous
aspects of some characters, and our hearts are thrilled by the frequent
revelation of such goodness and true human feeling as can only come
from pure and noble souls.
In these "Tales," as in many of her other works, humble life has held a
strong attraction for Mrs. Barr's pen. Her mind and heart naturally turn
in this direction; and although her wonderful talent, within its wide
range, deals with all stations and conditions of life, she has but little
relish for the gilded artificialities of society, and a strong love for those
whose condition makes life for them something real and earnest and
definite of purpose. For this reason, among many others, the Christian
people of America have a hearty admiration for Mrs. Barr and her work,
knowing it to be not only of surpassing human interest, but spiritually
helpful and inspiring, with an influence that makes for morality and
good living, in the highest sense in which a Christian understands the
term.
G.H. SANDISON.
_New York, 1896._

CONTENTS.
"Cash;" a Problem of Profit and Loss Franz Müller's Wife The Voice at
Midnight Six and Half-a-Dozen The Story of David Morrison Tom
Duffan's Daughter The Harvest of the Wind The Seven Wise Men of
Preston Margaret Sinclair's Silent Money Just What He Deserved An
Only Offer Two Fair Deceivers The Two Mr. Smiths The Story of
Mary Neil The Heiress of Kurston Chace Only This Once Petralto's

Love Story

Winter Evening Tales.

CASH.
A PROBLEM OF PROFIT AND LOSS, WORKED BY DAVID
LOCKERBY.

PART I.
"Gold may be dear bought."
A narrow street with dreadful "wynds" and "vennels" running back
from it was the High street of Glasgow at the time my story opens. And
yet, though dirty, noisy and overcrowded with sin and suffering, a
flavor of old time royalty and romance lingered amid its vulgar
surroundings; and midway of its squalid length a quaint brown frontage
kept behind it noble halls of