AustLit

English tale of professional competition and romance. An outstanding well-qualified female doctor in Hampshire wins the serious local doctor's patients from him by her skill, and after he has an accident one night her skill and womanliness wins his heart too - and his admission that women can be good doctors. She refuses his offer to remain true to biology. Light argument for women's complete capacity to be good doctors. (PB)

Brief admonitions to cheerfulness. (PB)

An English vicar successfully eludes marriage for years until a particularly persistent and dough complexioned spinster entraps him with a valentine locket and forged order to a jeweller and a lawyer father. Slight. (PB)

In California a Chinaman and his wife keep and raise a rich lumberman's kidnapped daughter who is left on their doorstep. In 1883, the Chinaman still hoping to make a fortune, she falls in love and marries a Saxon lumberman but they are captured, bound and nearly hung on their way home for making an inter-racial marriage. The Chinaman proves she is white but too late - she has died in her bonds. Interesting subject - white woman raised as Chinese; dress, language etc., and sanction for mixed marriage. (PB)

Humorous English tale of an engagement broken through doubles bicycle riding, inexperience, a ruptured tyre and an explosion of temper. Misadventure tale; slight. (PB)

Account of a practical joke involving the Prince of Wales, an absurd major at Court, an insulting letter, Sheridan, and a false duel. Set in 1782. Slight. (PB)

English tale of a lighthouse emptied of oil by a madman who forces his way indoors, locking up the remaining keeper when his mate goes ashore in search of fresh supplies. The keeper's struggle to free himself and determination to keep the fog-bell sounding at least, to warn ships, while the madman is shooting at him, comprise the tale. Slight. (PB)

English society tale of disillusion. The narrator borrows an acquaintance's umbrella from a restaurant during a storm and shelters a young lady with it. She contrives to keep it but the true owner spies it in her hand and demands its return. When all is revealed the lady is a thief and the umbrella holds her gains - including the narrator's watch. Slight. (PB)

Romantic tragedy of female trapeze artists in the circus. A dying woman tells her doctor her tale of love, jealousy, rivalry and murder. She and her companion trapezist both fell in love with the circus ringmaster - who favoured the dying woman's rival. One night at a special performance without a net she let her rival slip and she was killed. Three days of agony followed and she returned to the ring only to discover herself loathed by the ringmaster. She joined a travelling circus, became ill and returned to die near her old circus. Slight. (PB)

An English commercial traveller tries writing in his spare time. He loses a sheet of the tale at his lodging house when he departs hurriedly for a pleasure trip to Belfast - and is arrested soon after arrival on suspicion of murder. The lost sheet was a confession, and he had given the character's name as his own at the lodging house ... All is eventually clarified ... Light. (PB)

Thoughts of the great achievements and unhappy deaths of Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar and Bonaparte. Brief; moral downfall etc. (PB)

At a boy's boarding school, a boarder mistakes a new boy for the brother of an old chum and reveals a joke (a "daisy game") to be played on another new boy. The second new boy is reputedly vain and they propose to send him a Valentine from a village girl he thinks is keen on him. The only hitch is that the victim of the joke is actually the new boy he is talking to - and the joke is spoiled. Slight; stilted. (PB)

Two actors involved in a staged sword fight forget to put on their protective boards - unknown to each other. The audience witnesses a very authentic beating. Slight; humour. (PB)

Sinclair in his role of private detective. An old miser seeks a wife of independent means to increase his comfort without cost. His two applicants, a beautiful young dancer and singer and an old maid are met be Detective Sinclair. The miser decides to marry the young woman - and is murdered after the wedding. The old maid helps identify the wife and her former lover as the murderers. (PB)

Family romance and tragedy. Ivan Petrovich runs away from home after a serious beating from his father. His departure causes estrangement between husband and wife. Ivan returns years later with riches from Australia - but his mother fails to recognise him and nearly kills him at their inn in order to get his gold for her daughter who cannot marry the man she loves without money. She dies of shock when she discovers his identity and believes she has murdered him - but he recovers. Father alone knows the terrible truth. Familiar plot with some additions; Australian-Russian connection is new. Competent. (PB)

English family domestic sketch. A brother narrowly avoids shooting his sister when she enters his bedroom while sleepwalking in their country house. He is warned it is his sister and not a burglar when his faithful dog does not bristle at the unseen presence. Slight. (PB)

Exemplary. Advice on how to cherish and strengthen wife. (PB)

A cripple relates the cause of his disability in feeding a circus elephant a lighted cigar - and being rewarded for his "damphoolism". (PB)