AustLit

A Methodist preacher, John Duncan, first turns the other cheek to a bully then pounds the Old Testament law into him ... (PB).

Seaside romance as two sisters, the dazzling Augusta and the loving Violet, caring for their invalid father meet the Ogilby cousins. Violet loves the plain gentle Mr Ogilby - and gains riches too. Augusta finds her mistake, breaks her engagement and marries wealth. Sententious: true woman's love. (PB).

A mother is comforted for the loss of her child by a heavenly vision showing that her child was safer in innocence in heaven than he would be on earth, and that her living family needed her on earth. Sentimental. (PB).

A lady's companion becomes engaged to her mistress's heir, and their love is tested by the threat to disinherit him. Thin. (PB).

A child's request to an aeronaut to fly with him so she can see her recently dead mother. Moral: appreciate the small things. (PB).

A tale of two students at a German university, one of whom swaps their souls between their respective bodies by mesmerism so that he might gain a woman's love in the other's guise. Revenge is planned ... An unlikely tkae spoiled by a 'dream' ending. (PB).

A US river schooner captain's humourous revenge on a useless 'greenhorn' supposedly working his passage. (PB).

The orphaned daughter of an English curate loses her position as governess to an invalid girl in Victoria when the latter's wealthy parents discover that their son loves her. A change in circumstances and the invalid's schemes restores their relationship. Sketchy romance amidst Victoria's nouveau riche - pretentions exposed but fairly pedestrianly. (PB).

The return of a prodigal sister to the house of her rich merchant father is assisted by her sister's pleas for his forgiveness. She dies some months after in her father's arms, leaving an inheritance to her newly married sister from her deceased husband's brother's estate. Overly neat. (PB).

Origin of this expression is an encounter between a circus elephant and a farm bull in 1831. (PB).

A beautiful older sister cedes her fiancee to her frail younger sister when their true love for each other is revealed. Set in England; narrated by their governess. Nobly sentimental. (PB).

An English officer on the Isle of Man is thought eccentric, and then a coward for refusing to risk his health in a hunt. He saves a damsel from a sinking steamer saving also his reputation and finding romance. Predictable. (PB).

An Irish janitor in a New York apartment house is convinced that a tennant, a French artist, has murdered a woman but the police discover the cause of his mistake ... Thin. (PB).

A Canadian governess solves the murder of a child at an Australian country station by his own mother - uncovering her pupil's murdered mother at the same time. [Confusing.] (PB)

Brief anecdote of Czar Alexander of Russia in 1813-1814 and the double toll a pretty charity collector extracts from him. (PB).

Dramatic narrative of Napoleon's defense of the National Convention from insurgents in October 1795. (PB).

Humourous anecdote of a delivery boy and the deaf mother-in-law of a client. Brief. (PB).

Anecdote of the origins of Grey's Hospital in Southwark, England, in 'a woman's carpice', i.e. a servant-girl about to marry her wealthy employer makes a small order which annoys him so he dismisses her and leaves his money to found the hospital! (PB)

Instructions on mistrust, sensitivity etc.' recipe for the miseries. (PB)