Cover of Addie's Husband; or, Through clouds to sunshine

Addie's Husband; or, Through clouds to sunshine

  • Free to read
  • 6 hours to read
  • 31 chapters
  • Reading level: 6th grade

"Addie's Husband; or, Through Clouds to Sunshine" by Mrs. Gordon Smythies is a novel written in the late 19th century. The book opens with a focus on the Lefroy family, particularly the spirited and thoughtful Addie, who grapples with the challenges of her impoverished situation following her father's abandonment. As the family faces the harsh realities of their social decline, the story unfolds in a setting steeped in nostalgia and longing for their once-prosperous home, Nutsgrove. At the start of the novel, readers are introduced to Addie and her siblings as they banter about their futures while navigating the struggles of poverty and the responsibilities of growing up without parental guidance. The dynamic within the Lefroy family is marked by both camaraderie and the tensions of their financial troubles, culminating in a sense of impending change as they confront the loss of Nutsgrove and their childhood innocence. Addie's encounter with Tom Armstrong, the new master of their childhood home, sets the stage for a pivotal confrontation regarding her future, culminating in a marriage proposal that challenges the very essence of her identity and desires. The opening pages offer a poignant mix of humor, vulnerability, and the weight of societal expectations, inviting readers to explore a tale of resilience and hope amidst adversity.

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  • England · Social life and customs · 19th century
  • Dime novels
  • Husband and wife

Read the opening

Chapter I

"'Soldier, sailor, tinker, tailor, policeman, plowboy, gentleman—' Adelaide Lefroy, lift your lovely head, my dear; you're to marry a gentleman."

Miss Adelaide, who is absorbed in the enjoyment of a ruddy ribstone pippin, turns her blooming freckled face to the speaker, and answers pleasantly, though a little indistinctly—

"I'm to marry a gentleman, brother Hal? Well, I guess I've no particular objection! Whenever he comes, he will find me ready to do him homage, and no mistake! Can't you tell me more about him? 'A gentleman' is rather vague. Is he to be rich, poor, or something between? Am I to share his gentility in a Belgravian mansion or a suburban villa?"

"The oracle does not say. I can't tell you any more, Addie. I've come nearer the point with the others, though. Pauline is to be a soldier's bride, Goggles a policeman's!"

"Don't you believe him, Addie!" burst in Goggles, a pale delicate-looking child of twelve, with large protruding eyes and a painfully inquiring turn of mind. "He cheated horribly; he ran the policeman in before the tailor the second time, and left out the sailor."

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Contents

Show all 31 chapters
  1. Front Matter
  2. Chapter I
  3. Chapter II
  4. Chapter III
  5. Chapter IV
  6. Chapter V
  7. Chapter VI
  8. Chapter VII
  9. Chapter VIII
  10. Chapter IX
  11. Chapter X
  12. Chapter XI
  13. Chapter XII
  14. Chapter XIII
  15. Chapter XIV
  16. Chapter XV
  17. Chapter XVI
  18. Chapter XVII
  19. Chapter XVIII
  20. Chapter XIX
  21. Chapter XX
  22. Chapter XXI
  23. Chapter XXII
  24. Chapter XXIII
  25. Chapter XXIV
  26. Chapter XXV
  27. Chapter XXVI
  28. Chapter XXVII
  29. Chapter XXVIII
  30. Chapter XXIX
  31. Chapter XXX

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About this edition

This free edition of Addie's Husband; or, Through clouds to sunshine by Gordon Smythies comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #49806, released 2015-08-28. 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: Romance, Novels, British Literature.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).