RUTH HALL:
A
DOMESTIC TALE
OF
THE PRESENT TIME.

BY
FANNY FERN.

NEW YORK:
PUBLISHED BY MASON BROTHERS.
1855.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1854,

BY MASON BROTHERS,

In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court for the Southern District
of New York.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[iii]

PREFACE.

TO THE READER.

I present you with my first continuous story.I do not dignify it by the name of “A novel.”I am aware that it is entirely at variance withall set rules for novel-writing. There is no intricateplot; there are no startling developments,no hair-breadth escapes. I have compressedinto one volume what I might have expanded intotwo or three. I have avoided long introductionsand descriptions, and have entered unceremoniouslyand unannounced, into people’s houses,without stopping to ring the bell. Whether youwill fancy this primitive mode of calling, whetheryou will like the company to which it introducesyou, or—whether you will like the book at all, I[iv]cannot tell. Still, I cherish the hope that, somewherein the length and breadth of the land, itmay fan into a flame, in some tried heart, thefading embers of hope, well-nigh extinguished bywintry fortune and summer friends.

FANNY FERN.

[v]

CONTENTS.