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Sheer Off: A Tale

A. L. O. E.

The story revolves around Ned Franks, an one-armed sailor turned schoolmaster, and his attempts to uplift his community in the village of Colme, particularly focusing on the plight of the damned almshouses and the struggles of his neighbor, John Sands, whose wife suffers from alcoholism.

"Sheer Off: A Tale" by A. L. O. E. is a novel. The story revolves around Ned Franks, an one-armed sailor turned schoolmaster, and his attempts to uplift his community in the village of Colme, particularly focusing on the plight of the damned almshouses and the struggles of his neighbor, John Sands, whose wife suffers from alcoholism.

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Read a passage

"Why, there are the church-bells a-ringing! as if it wasn't enough to have all the school-boys going in procession with their garlands, and nosegays, and nonsense!" exclaimed Nancy Sands, the wife of the Clerk of Colme, as she stood in the shop of Ben Stone the carpenter, with her arms a-kimbo, and an expression anything but amiable upon her flushed face. "One might fancy that our new young baronet was a-coming home, or bringing a bride, or that the queen and all the royal family were a-visiting Colme, instead of this fuss being for nothing but the christening of a school-master's brat!"

"Ned Franks is a prime favorite with all the village," observed the stout, good-humored carpenter, as he went on with his occupation of planing a bit of mahogany, which his visitor wanted for a shelf in her cottage.

"A broken-down sailor, with only one arm!" exclaimed Nancy, with a snort of disdain.

"But with a good head and a better heart," observed the carpenter. "Ned Franks manages so well to keep his lads in order without thrashing them, that one arm is one too many for all that they need in that way. Not but that the wooden affair which I knocked up for him myself, with an iron hook for fingers and thumb, might serve well enough on a pinch to knock a little wit into a blockhead, if that were Ned Franks's fashion of teaching," added Ben Stone with a little chuckle.

"Teaching! he has no more learning in him than my mangle," muttered the scornful Nancy.

Contents

  1. 01I. The First-Born.
  2. 02II. The Falling Almshouses.
  3. 03III. The Curate's Visit
  4. 04IV. Joyous and Free.
  5. 05V. An Appeal.
  6. 06VI. The Return.
  7. 07VII. Brightness and Gloom.
  8. 08VIII. Pleading.
  9. 09IX. The Invitation.
  10. 10X. A Happy Home.
  11. 11XI. Temptation.
  12. 12XII. Ice Below.
  13. 13XIII. The Return Home.
  14. 14XIV. Norah's Story.
  15. 15XV. Norah's Story Continued.
  16. 16XVI. Passing Events.
  17. 17XVII. Perilous Peace.
  18. 18XVIII. Self-Reproach.
  19. 19XIX. The Test.
  20. 20XX. The Momentous Question.
  21. 21XXI. An Old Letter.
  22. 22XXII. Peace from Above.
  23. 23XXIII. The Wife's Resolve.
  24. 24XXIV. The Blind Maiden.
  25. 25XXV. Honorable Scars.
  26. 26XXVI. A Scrap of News.
  27. 27XXVII. Nancy's Return.
  28. 28XXVIII. A Search.
  29. 29XXIX. Pleasure or Principle?
  30. 30XXX. Found at Last.
  31. 31XXXI. The Baronet's Return.
  32. 32XXXII. The Bonfire.
  33. 33XXXIII. Watching for Souls.
  34. 34XXXIV. Put to the Question.
  35. 35XXXV. Village Talk.
  36. 36XXXVI. A Struggle.
  37. 37XXXVII. The Sudden Summons.
  38. 38XXXVIII. Conclusion.

About this edition

Author
A. L. O. E.
Language
English
Era
Modern (c. 1800–1945)
Reading level
Intermediate: some philosophy helps
Formats
EPUB, PDF
Length
212 pages
This edition
Modern Philosophers

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