Another novel by Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller has been added to Project Gutenberg using scans from our Digital Library and the volunteer labor of the Distributed Proofreaders project. The story, Love Conquers Pride; or, Where Peace Dwelt, was first serialized as Pansy Laurens, the Belle of Richmond in the New York Fireside Companion from 1888 to 1889. It tells the tale of a young tobacco factory worker who falls in love while visiting her aunt and uncle on a summer break and suffers many of the usual story paper tragedies as a consequence.

These story paper melodramas tend to be fairly predictable based upon the societal expectations of their time — their plots are generally designed to reinforce cultural norms and demonstrate dire punishment for “bad” behaviors. This one is a little bit different — some of the situations Pansy finds herself in are more morally ambiguous than usual, and while the plot ultimately resolves itself in a fairly “safe” way, it takes some extra twists and turns to get there. The book also distinguishes itself by having several characters who are rather more tolerant and forgiving than is typical of the genre — it almost reads like a “what if?” exercise in how one of these plots might unfold if the plot didn’t hinge primarily on a series of miscommunications and misunderstandings.

If you want to give it a try, the entire book can be read online or downloaded in popular eBook formats through Project Gutenberg.