“The descriptions of battle scenes in the war and the lurid picture of the draft riots in New York are worth reading. Nothing that Mr. Roe has ever written is so vivid and dramatic as his sketch of the three terrible days in New York when the mob ruled the city, sacked the colored orphan asylum, and spread dismay in a thousand homes. It has the quality of history also, as the author has made careful research and employs no incidents which did not really occur.” — San Francisco Chronicle

Edward Payson Roe (1838-1888) was educated at Williams College and Auburn Theological Seminary. He was chaplain of the Second New York Cavalry, U.S.V. and of Hampton Hospital during the Civil War, during which time he submitted weekly dispatches to the New York Evangelist. He served as pastor at Highland Falls, New York after the war, and in 1874 devoted himself to writing and horticulture.[Wikipedia: Edward Roe]

“Roe first turned to a literary career after the Chicago fire of 1871. Deeply moved by the tragedy, he visited Chicago and penned his first novel, Barriers Burned Away, which proved a tremendous success. Rev. Roe died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of fifty after an evening reading aloud to his family."[Monte Wilson]

His books include:

• Miss Lou (unfinished)
• A Young Girl’s Wooing
• The Earth Trembled
• A Knight of the 19th Century
• A Day of Fate
• Opening a Chestnut Burr
• Barriers Burned Away
• He Fell in Love with His Wife
• A Face Illumined
• From Jest to Earnest

Book Contents

• Preface by Lutheran Librarian
• Reviews for An Original Belle
• Preface
• 1 A Rude Awakening
• 2 A New Acquaintance
• 3 A New Friend
• 4 Woman’s Chief Right
• 5 “Be Hopeful, That I May Hope”
• 6 A Scheme Of Life
• 7 Surprises
• 8 Charmed By A Critic
• 9 A Girl’s Light Hand
• 10 Willard Merwyn
• 11 An Oath And A Glance
• 12 “A Vow”
• 13 A Siege Begun
• 14 Ominous
• 15 Scorn
• 16 Awakened At Last
• 17 Coming To The Point
• 18 A Girl’s Standard
• 19 Probation Promised
• 20 “You Think Me A Coward”
• 21 Fears And Perplexities
• 22 A Girl’s Thoughts And Impulses
• 23 “My Friendship Is Mine To Give”
• 24 A Father’s Forethought
• 25 A Chained Will
• 26 Marian’s Interpretation Of Merwyn
• 27 “De Head Linkum Man Was Cap’n Lane”
• 28 The Signal Light.
• 29 Marian Contrasts Lane And Merwyn
• 30 The North Invaded
• 31 “I’ve Lost My Chance”
• 32 Blauvelt
• 33 A Glimpse Of War
• 34 A Glimpse Of War, Continued
• 35 The Grand Assault
• 36 Blauvelt’s Search For Strahan
• 37 Strahan’s Escape
• 38 A Little Rebel
• 39 The Cure Of Captain Lane
• 40 Love’s Triumph
• 41 Sunday’s Lull And Monday’s Storm
• 42 That Worst Of Monsters, A Mob
• 43 The “Coward”
• 44 A Wife’s Embrace
• 45 The Decisive Battle
• 46 “I Have Seen That You Detest Me”
• 47 A Fair Friend And Foul Foes
• 48 Desperate Fighting
• 49 One Facing Hundreds
• 50 Zeb
• 51 A Tragedy
• 52 Mother And Son
• 53 “Missy S’wanee”

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Publication Information

• Lutheran Library edition first published: 2020
• Copyright: CC BY 4.0