There are nine clever stories in this book, seven of which are character sketches of New England life, often with women in the home as central figures, and the other two of Irish-American life.

“The real and the ideal are mingled; no story without its tone of pathos and few without their vein of humor. We find just such characters as might be met with in like places any day, and their very naturalness makes us wish that we might wander into some of her ‘country by-ways.’” (—Vassar Miscellany, Nov 1893)

============
Theodora Sarah Orne Jewett (September 3, 1849 – June 24, 1909) was an American novelist, short story writer and poet, best known for her local color works set along or near the southern coast of Maine. Jewett is recognized as an important practitioner of American literary regionalism.

============
This collection, first published in 1893, is in the public domain worldwide, because the author died more than 100 years ago, and contents were published prior to 1925.
.