Nelly's dark days: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
Nelly's dark days: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
Nelly's dark days is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Stretton, Hesba (1832–1911).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
Nelly's dark days by Hesba Stretton is a Victorian-era temperance novella written in the late 19th century. It follows a poor Liverpool family undone by a father’s alcoholism and explores the social lure of drink, the suffering it causes, and the hope of redemption through faith, community support, and total abstinence. The story centers on Nelly, her drunkard father John Rodney, her ailing mother, and Bessie Dingle, a loyal street-girl he once rescued. After scenes of neglect—locking Nelly out at night, pawning her cherished doll, and even stealing violets from his dead wife’s hands—Rodney reforms briefly, then relapses. Tragedy strikes when Nelly’s dress catches fire; believing she has died, Rodney tries to end his life and is taken to the infirmary. In a workhouse he awakens to remorse and faith, later hears a temperance lecture by Mr. Radford, signs the pledge, and returns to the countryside. There he finds Bessie caring for his mother and, to his astonishment, Nelly alive though crippled. Welcomed home, Rodney vows—strengthened by love, conscience, and reliance on God—to remain sober and rebuild a humble, hopeful life.
Book and edition facts
- Title: Nelly's dark days
- Author credits: Stretton, Hesba (1832–1911)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Alcoholics -- Juvenile fiction
- Alcoholism -- Juvenile fiction
- Children -- Juvenile fiction
- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction
- Families -- Juvenile fiction
- Temperance -- Juvenile fiction
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Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.
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