Title: The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today
Author: Mark Twain
Charles Dudley Warner
Release date: June 21, 2004 [eBook #3178]
Most recently updated: January 27, 2021
Language: English
Credits: Produced by David Widger
CHAPTER I.
Squire Hawkins and His Tennessee Land—He
Decides to Remove to Missouri
CHAPTER II.
He Meets With and Adopts the Boy Clay
CHAPTER
III
Uncle Daniel’s Apparition and PrayeR
CHAPTER
IV
The Steamboat Explosion
CHAPTER V
Adoption of the Little Girl Laura—Arrival at Missouri—Reception
by Colonel Beriah Sellers
CHAPTER VI
Trouble and Darkness in the Hawkins Family—Proposed Sale of the
Tennessee Land
CHAPTER VII
Colonel
Sellers at Home—His Wonderful Clock and Cure for Rheumatism
CHAPTER VIII
Colonel Sellers Makes Known His
Magnificent Speculation Schemes and Astonishes Washington Hawkins
CHAPTER IX
Death of Judge Hawkins
CHAPTER X
Laura Hawkins Discovers a Mystery in
Her Parentage and Grows Morbid Under the Village Gossip
CHAPTER XI
A Dinner with Col Sellers—Wonderful
Effects of Raw Turnips
CHAPTER XII
Philip Sterling and Henry Brierly—Arrangements to Go West as
Engineers
CHAPTER XIII
Rail—Road
Contractors and Party Traveling—Philip and Harry form the
Acquaintance of Col Sellers
CHAPTER XIV
Ruth Bolton and Her Parents
CHAPTER XV
Visitors of the Boltons—Mr Bigler “Sees the Legislature”—Ruth
Bolton Commences Medical Studies
CHAPTER XVI
The Engineers Detained at St Louis—Off for Camp—Reception by
Jeff
CHAPTER XVII
The Engineer Corps
Arrive at Stone’s Landing
CHAPTER XVIII
Laura and Her Marriage to Colonel Selby—Deserted and Returns to
Hawkeye
CHAPTER XIX
Harry Brierly
Infatuated With Laura and Proposes She Visit Washington
CHAPTER XX
Senator Abner Dilwortliy Visits Hawkeye—Addresses
the People and Makes the Acquaintance of Laura 186
CHAPTER XXI
Ruth Bolton at Fallkill Seminary—The
Montagues—Ruth Becomes Quite Gay—Alice Montague
CHAPTER XXII
Philip and Harry Visit Fallkill—Harry
Does the Agreeable to Ruth
CHAPTER XXIII
Harry at Washington Lobbying For An Appropriation For Stone’s Landing
—Philip in New York Studying Engineering
CHAPTER
XXIV
Washington and Its Sights—The Appropriation Bill
Reported From the Committee and Passed
CHAPTER
XXV
Energetic Movements at Stone’s Landing—Everything
Booming—A Grand Smash Up
CHAPTER XXVI
The Boltons—Ruth at Home—Visitors and Speculations
CHAPTER XXVII
Col Sellers Comforts His Wife With
His Views on the Prospects
CHAPTER XXVIII
Visit to Headquarters in Wall Street—How Appropriations Are Obtained
and Their Cost
CHAPTER XXIX
Philip’s
Experience With the Rail—Road Conductor—Surveys His Mining
Property
CHAPTER XXX
Laura and Col
Sellers Go To Washington On Invitation of Senator Dilworthy
CHAPTER XXXI
Philip and Harry at the Boltons’—Philip
Seriously Injured—Ruth’s First Case of Surgery
CHAPTER XXXII
Laura Becomes a Famous Belle at
Washington
CHAPTER XXXIII
Society in
Washington—The Antiques, the Parvenus, and the Middle Aristocracy
CHAPTER XXXIV
Grand Scheme For Disposing of
the Tennessee Land—Laura and Washington Hawkins Enjoying the
Reputation of Being Millionaires
CHAPTER XXXV
About Senators—Their Privileges and Habits
CHAPTER
XXXVI
An Hour in a Book Store
CHAPTER
XXXVII
Representative Buckstone and Laura’s Strategic Coquetry
CHAPTER XXXVIII
Reception Day in Washington—Laura
Again Meets Col. Selby and the Effect Upon Her
CHAPTER
XXXIX
Col. Selby Visits Laura and Effects a Reconciliation
CHAPTER XL
Col. Sellers’ Career in
Washington—Laura’s Intimacy With Col. Selby is Talked About
CHAPTER XLI
Harry Brierly Becomes Entirely
Infatuated With Laura—Declares His Love and Gets Laughed At
CHAPTER XLII
How The Hon Mr Trollop Was
Induced to Vote For Laura’s Bill
CHAPTER XLIII
Progress of the Bill in the House
CHAPTER XLIV
Philip in Washington—Visits Laura
CHAPTER
XLV
The Passage of the Bill in the House of Representatives
CHAPTER XLVI
Disappearance of Laura, and
Murder of Col. Selby in New York
CHAPTER XLVII
Laura in the Tombs and Her Visitors
CHAPTER
XLVIII
Mr Bolton Says Yes Again—Philip Returns to the Mines
CHAPTER XLIX
The Coal Vein Found and Lost
Again—Philip and the Boltons—Elated and Then Cruelly
Disappointed 443
CHAPTER L
Philip
Visits Fallkill and Proposes Studying Law With Mr Montague—The
Squire Invests in the Mine—Ruth Declares Her Love for Philip
CHAPTER LI
Col Sellers Enlightens
Washington Hawkins on the Customs of Congress
CHAPTER
LII
How Senator Dilworthy Advanced Washington’s Interests
CHAPTER LIII
Senator Dilworthy Goes West to
See About His Re—election—He Becomes a Shining Light
CHAPTER LIV
The Trial of Laura for Murder
CHAPTER LV
The Trial Continued—Evidence
of Harry Brierly
CHAPTER LVI
The Trial
Continued—Col Sellers on the Stand and Takes Advantage of the
Situation
CHAPTER LVII
The Momentous
Day—Startling News—Dilworthy Denounced as a Briber and
Defeated—The Bill Lost in the Senate
CHAPTER
LVIII
Verdict, Not Guilty !—Laura Free and Receives
Propositions to Lecture—Philip back at the Mines
CHAPTER LIX
The Investigation of the Dilworthy
Bribery Case and Its Results
CHAPTER LX
Laura Decides on her Course—Attempts to Lecture and Fails—Found
Dead in her Chair
CHAPTER LXI
Col
Sellers and Washington Hawkins Review the Situation and Leave Washington
CHAPTER LXII
Philip Discouraged—One
More Effort—Finds Coal at Last
CHAPTER
LXIII
Philip Leaves Ilium to see Ruth—Ruth Convalescent—Alice
APPENDIX
FRONTPIECE COL.
SELLERS FEEDING HIS FAMILY ON EXPECTATIONS
1. CONTEMPLATION
2. THE
SQUIRE’s HOUSE
S. THE U. S. MAIL
4. OBEDSTOWN MALES
5. HURRYING
6. THE
SQUIRE’S KITCHEN
7. "FOR GOODNESS
SAKE SI"
8. THE LAST COG WHEEL
9. GONE UP
10. TAIL PIECE
11. THE
ORPHANS LAST GIFT
12. MRS HAWKINS
AND CLAY AT THE GRAVE OF HIS MOTHER
13. "CHILDREN, DAR’S SUMFIN’ A COMIN
14. "HEAH I IS, LORD, HEAH I IS!”
15. TAIL PIECE
16. NOT
ENCOURAGED
17. SHE’S GAINING
18. "BY THE MARK TWAIN!”
19. FAST TOGETHER
20. ONE
OF THE VICTIMS
21. THE PROCESSION—FORWARD
MARCH!
22. THE HAPPY WIFE
23. LAURA
24. READY TO SELL
25. STOCK
RISING
26. A FAMILY COUNCIL
27. TAIL PIECE
28. ATTEMPTED CORNER IN SPECIE
29. A BRILLIANT IDEA
30. BIG
THINGS SHOWN UP
31. COL. SELLERS
BLOWING BUBBLES FOR WASHINGTON
32. GEN
BOSWELL’S OFFICE
33. TAIL PIECE
34. CONSOLATION
35. THE DYING FATHER
36. TAIL
PIECE
37. LAURA SEEKING POR
EVIDENCES OF HER BIRTH
38. EVER
TRUE
39. A HEALTHY MEAL
40. PHILIP AT THE THEATRE
41. WHAT PHILIP LEARNED AT COLLEGE
42. THE DELEGATE’S INTERESTING GAME
43. THE PERSON OF IMPORTANCE
44. "NOT THAT"
45. RUTH’S
MOTHER MAKES ENQUIRIES
46. THE
LETTER
47. CARING FOR THE POOR
48. ANATOMICAL INVESTIGATIONS
49. RUTH LOOKING AT THE “NEW ONE” BY CANDLE LIGHT
60. "ONLY FOR YOU, BRIERLY"
51. AN ACCLIMATED MAN
51. NO
THANKS! GOOD BYE!
52. "BRESS YOU,
CHILE, YOU DAR NOW"
53. CAMP LIFE
54. STRAIGHT FROM THE SHOULDER
55. JEFF THOMPSON AS A NIGHTINGALE
56. BOUND FOR STONE’S LANDING
57. STONE’S LANDING
58. WAITING
FOR A RAILROAD
59. "IT AIN’T
THERE"
60. TAIL PIECE
61. CAPTURE OF WASHINGTON
62. LAURA SWOONED
63. TAILPIECE
64. NOT EASILY REFERRED
65. ORDER, GENTLEMEN
66. THE
SENATOR’S WALK
67. RESIDENCE OF
SQUIRE MONTAGUE
68. INSIDE THE
MANSION
69. RUTH DISSIPATING
70. TAIL PIECE
71. ANTICIPATION
72. REALITY
73. PHILIP HEARS HARRY ENTERTAINING RUTH
74. AN ENTERTAINING FELLOW
75. HARRY EXPLAINS BEFORE SENATE COMMITTEE
76. PHILIP STUDYING
77. "KEEP
OUT OF HERE, SIR!”
78. AN OLD
ONE
79. A PROMENADE OUTFIT
80. REARED BY A GRATEFUL COUNTRY
81. BENEFIT OF POLITICAL INFLUENCE
82. TAIL PIECE
83. VISIONS OF A HAPPY MAN
84. EXODUS OF THE NATIVES
85. HARRY BRIERLY FLIES FROM THE MOB
86. ENJOYING THE BONFIRE
87. BROTHER PLUM
88. RUTH
AT HOME
89. MAP OF THE SALT LICK
BRANCH OF THE PACIFIC R. R.
90. RESULT
OF A STRAIGHT LINE
91. AT
HEADQUARTERS
92. TOUCHING A WEAK
SPOT
93. CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEE,
$10,000,
94. MALE LOBBYIST,
$3,000 255
95. FEMALE LOBBYIST,
$3,000
96. HIGH MORAL SENATOR,
$3,000
97. COUNTRY MEMBER, $500
98. DOCUMENTARY PROOF
99. COLONEL SELLERS DESPONDENT
100. TAIL PIECE
101. THE
MONARCH OF ALL HE SURVEYS
102. PHILIP
THRUST FROM THE R. R. CAR
103. THE
JUSTICE
104. "MINE INN"
105. A PLEASING LANDLORD
106. PHILIP HIRED THREE WOODSMEN
107. TAIL PIECE
108. TAIL
PIECE
109. BRO. BALAAM
110. THE FIRE PANIC
111. RUTH ASSISTS IN DRESSING PHILIP’S ARM
112. THE FIRST RECEPTION
113. VANITY COLLAPSED
114. THE
ATTACHES OF THE ANTIQUES
115. HON.
OLIVER HIGGINS
116. PAT O’RILEY
AND THE “OULD WOMAN"
117. HON. P.
OREILLE AND LADY
118. AN
UNMISTAKABLE POTATO MOUTH
119. THE
THREE PATIENTS
120. TAIL PIECE
121. DELIBERATE PERSECUTION
122. "IT IS ONLY ME"
123. "ALL
CONGRESSMEN DO THAT"
124. A TRICK
WORTH KNOWING
125. COL. SELLERS
ENLIGHTENING THE BOHEMIANS
126. LAURA
IN THE BOOK STORE
127. VERY
AGREEABLE
128. PLAYING TO WIN
129. SHE SAID “PARDON"
130. "IT’S HE! IT’S HE!”
131. REFLECTION
132. ONCE
MORE FACE TO FACE
133. COL. SELBY
KNEELS AND KISSES HER HAND
134. JOLLY
GOOD COMPANY
135. SUPPER OR
BREAKFAST?
136. TAIL PIECE
137. A LADY-KILLER TAMED
138. CONSUMING LOVE
139. A
CONVERT TO WOMEN’S RIGHTS
140. OPENING
NEGOTIATIONS
141. NOT JUST YET
142. WELL POSTED
143. MR. TROLLOP THINKS IT OVER
144. DILWORTHY GIVES LAURA HIS BLESSING
145. UNNECESSARY PRECAUTION
146. WHERE THE PROTECTION IS NEEDED
147. AN OBJECT OF SYMPATHY
148. CHILDREN OF HOPE
149. THE
EDITOR
150. PHILIP LEAVING LAURA
151. CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE
152. THE HOUSE
153. COL SELLERS ASLEEP IN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
154. A HEARTY SHAKE
155. SENATOR DILWORTHY TRANQUIL
156. "SHE AIN’T DAH, SAR"
157. AS THE WITNESSES DESCRIBED IT
158. THE LEARNED DOCTORS
159. IMPORTANT BUSINESS
160. COL. SELLERS AND WASHINGTON IN LAURA’S CELL
161. PROMISED PATRONAGE
162. NO LOVE LIKE A MOTHER’S
163. CLEANED OUT BUT NOT CRUSHED
164. THE LANDLORD TAKING LESSONS
165. TAILPIECE
166. "WE’VE
STRUCK IT"
167. THE MINE AT ILIUM
168. THE HERMIT
169. TAIL PIECE
110. ONE
CHANCE OPEN
171. WHAT HE EXPECTED
TO BE
172. ALAS! POOR ALICE
173. HOW HE WAS DRAWN IN
174. EVERYTHING
175. TAIL
PIECE
176. "COME NOW, LETS CHEER
UP"
177. A SHINING EXAMPLE
178. THE SEWING SOCIETY DODGE
179. DILWORTHY ADDRESSES A SUNDAY SCHOOL
180. TAIL PIECE
181. THE JUDGE
182. LAURA
ON TRIAL
183. MICHAEL LANIGAN
184. PATRICK COUGHLIN
185. ETHAN DOBB
186. MR
HICKS
187. SEARCH FOR A FATHER
158. TAKING ADVANTAGE OF A LULL
189. TERM EXPIRED
190. RE-ELECTED
191. THE
“FAITHFUL OLD HAND"
192. A FIRE
BRAND
193. TAIL PIECE
194. COL. SELLERS AND WASHINGTON RETURN HOME
AFTER THE VOTE
195. A COURT-IN
SCENE
196. POPULAR ENDORSEMENT
197. ONE OF THE INSULTED MEMBERS
195. TOUCHED BY THE SIRUGGLES OF THE POOR
199. MR NOBLE ASKS QUESTIONS
200. THE WORN OUT STYLE OF SENATOR
201. THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE
202. THE LAST LINK BROKEN
203. THE TERRIBLE ORDEAL
204. RETROSPECTION
205. GOOD-BYE
TO WASHINGTON
206. TAIL PIECE
207. THE PARTING BLAST OFFERED
208. THE LAST BLAST
209. STRUCK IT AT LAST
210. THE RICH PROPRIETOR
211. THE SICK CHAMBER
212. ALICE
June 18—. Squire Hawkins sat upon the pyramid of large blocks, called the “stile,” in front of his house, contemplating the morning.
The locality was Obedstown, East Tennessee. You would not know that Obedstown stood on the top of a mountain, for there was nothing about the landscape to indicate it—but it did: a mountain that stretched abroad over whole counties, and rose very gradually. The district was called the “Knobs of East Tennessee,” and had a reputation like Nazareth, as far as turning out any good thing was concerned.
The Squire’s house was a double log cabin, in a state of decay; two or three gaunt hounds lay asleep about the threshold, and lifted their heads sadly whenever Mrs. Hawkins or the children stepped in and out over their bodies. Rubbish was scattered about the grassless yard; a bench stood near the door with a tin wash basin on it and a pail of water and a gourd; a cat had begun to drink from the pail, but the exertion was overtaxing her energies, and she had stopped to rest. There was an ash-hopper by the fence, and an iron pot, for soft-soap-boiling, near it.
This dwelling constituted one-fifteenth of Obedstown; the other fourteen houses were scattered about among the tall pine trees and among the corn-fields in such a way that a man might stand in the midst of the city and not know but that he was in the country if he only depended on his eyes for information.
“Squire” Hawkins got his title from being postmaster of Obedstown—not that the title properly belonged to the office, but because in those regions the chief citizens always must have titles of some sort, and so the usual courtesy had been extended to Hawkins. The mail was monthly, and sometimes amounted to as much as three or four letters at a single delivery. Even a rush like this did not fill up the postmaster’s whole month, though, and therefore he “kept store” in the intervals.
The Squire was contemplating the morning. It was balmy and tranquil, the vagrant breezes were laden with the odor of flowers, the murmur of bees was in the air, there was everywhere that suggestion of repose that summer woodlands bring to the senses, and the vague, pleasurable melancholy that such a time and such surroundings inspire.