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The Trumpeter Swan

by Temple Bailey (1869–1953)

  • Free to read
  • 5 hours to read
  • 58 chapters
  • Reading level: 5th grade

"The Trumpeter Swan" by Temple Bailey is a novel written in the early 20th century. The narrative centers around Randolph Paine, a young soldier returning to his Virginia home after serving in World War I, and his complex feelings about reintegrating into civilian life, familial responsibilities, and blooming affections for the charming Becky Bannister. The story also touches upon themes of honor, social class disparities, and the lingering impacts of war. The opening of the book introduces the setting as Randolph embarks on a train journey back to Virginia, striking up conversations with fellow passengers. We learn about Randy’s pride in his lineage, his deep connection to his hometown, and his conflicting emotions about his mother's financial struggles while he was away. Upon his return, he encounters Becky, whose youthful exuberance and genuine affection for him stir feelings of nostalgia and possibility. Through the characters' exchanges, Bailey sets the stage for themes of love, aspirations, and the pursuit of one’s place in a world changed by war.

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  • Man-woman relationships

Read the opening

Chapter I

It had rained all night, one of the summer rains that, beginning in a thunder-storm in Washington, had continued in a steaming drizzle until morning.

There were only four passengers in the sleeper, men all of them—two in adjoining sections in the middle of the car, a third in the drawing-room, a fourth an intermittent occupant of a berth at the end. They had gone to bed unaware of the estate or circumstance of their fellow-travellers, and had waked to find the train delayed by washouts, and side-tracked until more could be learned of the condition of the road.

The man in the drawing-room shone, in the few glimpses that the others had of him, with an effulgence which was dazzling. His valet, the intermittent sleeper in the end berth, was a smug little soul, with a small nose which pointed to the stars. When the door of the compartment opened to admit breakfast there was the radiance of a brocade dressing-gown, the shine of a sleek head, the staccato of an imperious voice.

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Contents

Show all 58 chapters
  1. Chapter I
  2. Chapter II
  3. Chapter III
  4. Chapter IV
  5. Chapter V
  6. Chapter VI
  7. Chapter I
  8. Chapter II
  9. Chapter III
  10. Chapter IV
  11. Chapter V
  12. Chapter I
  13. Chapter II
  14. Chapter III
  15. Chapter IV
  16. Chapter I
  17. Chapter II
  18. Chapter III
  19. Chapter IV
  20. Chapter I
  21. Chapter II
  22. Chapter III
  23. Chapter I
  24. Chapter II
  25. Chapter III
  26. Chapter IV
  27. Chapter V
  28. Chapter I
  29. Chapter II
  30. Chapter I
  31. Chapter II
  32. Chapter III
  33. Chapter I
  34. Chapter II
  35. Chapter III
  36. Chapter IV
  37. Chapter I
  38. Chapter II
  39. Chapter III
  40. Chapter IV
  41. Chapter V
  42. Chapter I
  43. Chapter II
  44. Chapter I
  45. Chapter II
  46. Chapter III
  47. Chapter I
  48. Chapter II
  49. Chapter I
  50. Chapter II
  51. Chapter I
  52. Chapter II
  53. Chapter III
  54. Chapter IV
  55. Chapter I
  56. Chapter II
  57. Chapter III
  58. Chapter IV

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About this edition

This free edition of The Trumpeter Swan by Temple Bailey comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #18219, released 2006-04-21. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Novels, American Literature.

Other editions: eBook #17697 (most read).

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

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