The Laughing Mill, and Other Stories

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hawthorne, Julian, 1846-1934

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The Laughing Mill, and Other Stories" by Julian Hawthorne is a collection of supernatural tales written in the late 19th century. The opening of one story transports the reader to a tranquil farmhouse by the sea where a sailor, Jack Poyntz, shares his life with his daughter Agatha and someone who appears to be the story's narrator. The narrative hints at intertwining themes of mystery and the supernatural, particularly through a pearl-shell necklace worn by Agatha, which may be linked to the narrator's family heritage and a long-lost heirloom. At the start of the tale, the narrator reflects on a summer afternoon spent at the Poyntz farmhouse, vividly describing the idyllic setting and characters. Jack Poyntz, a jovial old mariner, enjoys a peaceful moment with his daughter Agatha and the narrator after dinner. The conversation hints at local legends involving the "Devil's Ribs," a dangerous reef nearby, which leads to discussions about shipwrecks and Agatha's peculiar pearl-shell necklace. The narrator feels drawn to Agatha, intrigued not only by her beauty but by the necklace that resembles a family heirloom. As more secrets and stories unfold, notably concerning the mysterious past surrounding the necklace and the ghostly "Laughing Mill," the opening prepares the reader for a blend of romance and supernatural intrigue. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Contents:

The laughing mill

Calbot's rival

Mrs. Gainsborough's diamonds

The Christmas guest: a myth.

Credits:

E-text prepared by sp1nd, eagkw, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive (http://archive.org)

Notes:

Reading ease score: 77.7 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.

Release date is 2012-12-10