Effie Maurice: Or What do I Love Best

In Short

This mid-nineteenth-century juvenile fiction follows young Effie Maurice and her brother Harry as they learn moral and spiritual lessons under the guidance of their parents. Prompted by a sermon on the first commandment, Effie attempts to root out self-love and material distraction, discovering through visits to a miser, a grieving poor widow, and local acquaintances that human hearts easily drift into misplaced devotion. The book traces their childhood trials, charitable impulses, and growing maturity, lasting as a sincere example of Victorian didactic storytelling centered on Christian duty, self-examination, and familial warmth.

The Story

The narrative opens on a winter Sabbath evening when little Effie Maurice asks her mother whether children are in danger of breaking the first commandment. Guided by her mother, Effie realizes that false gods do not take only the form of wooden or stone idols, but can be money, fine clothes, or anything loved above God. The following day, New Year's, Effie and her brother Harry set out with money sent by Aunt Norton. Though tempted by a brightly lit toy shop, Effie decides to give her money to help others, while Harry suggests using their combined funds for a New Year's present for their parents.

As the children walk through the city, they distribute food to the poor and encounter various neighborhood figures, including a wealthy girl named Rosa Lynmore who impulsively gives away a silk purse filled with money to aid a destitute family. Their father, Mr Maurice, shares sobering accounts from his charitable calls, telling them of a wretched miser whose lifelong hoarding of wealth led to utter ruin and despair. These experiences prompt deep family discussions about the difference between fleeting emotional impulses and steady moral principle.

Mr Maurice takes the children to visit Mrs Gilman, a poor, grieving widow whose sickly baby is her entire world. The family provides material relief, and Mr Maurice gently encourages the widow to find comfort in scripture rather than consuming grief. Later, Effie faces a personal moral test when she delays visiting Mrs Gilman because she is engrossed in an engaging new book, leading to a sharp rebuke from her own conscience and a gentle reprimand from her mother about the importance of order, duty, and resisting self-indulgence. Mr Maurice also shares a cautionary tale about an overzealous student who sacrificed his physical health for relentless study, illustrating that neglecting the body undermines the mind's ability to do good.

The tragic illness of Mrs Gilman's baby culminates in the child's death. Funded by Rosa Lynmore's purse and supported by the Maurices, the baby is buried beside its father. This profound sorrow softens Mrs Gilman's heart, leading her to embrace religious faith and eventually join the Maurice household as a domestic servant, where she grows gray in their service. Harry matures and chooses to follow his father's medical profession rather than the ministry. Effie continues to struggle against her own heart's deceitfulness, developing into a remarkably gentle and self-sacrificing woman. Ultimately, Effie answers a higher call, leaving her beloved home to carry the Gospel to a distant land.

How It Unfolds

The first commandment opens the book as Effie discusses idolatry with her mother on a winter Sabbath evening, realizing that anything loved more than God becomes an idol.

New Year's Day shopping brings Effie and Harry to the bustling city streets, where they choose self-denial and charity over purchasing toys at Mr T.'s shop.

The miser's wretched home is described by Mr Maurice after he encounters a desperate old man whose life was ruined by the relentless accumulation of wealth.

The poor widow's grief unfolds when the children visit Mrs Gilman and her sick infant, revealing a mother consumed entirely by sorrow and earthly attachment.

The neglected duty occurs when Effie stays home to read a captivating story instead of delivering medicine to the widow, prompting deep repentance and a lesson on order.

The overzealous student is recounted by Mr Maurice as a warning about how intellectual ambition, when pursued to the neglect of physical health, destroys the power to do good.

The final separation concludes the narrative as Mrs Gilman finds peace in faith, Harry chooses his father's profession, and Effie departs for a distant missionary field.

The People

Effie Maurice is a thoughtful and sensitive young girl who earnestly desires to live a righteous life. She starts out self-confident, but through repeated failures and reflections, she learns true humility and deep self-examination, eventually dedicating her life to missionary service abroad.

Harry Maurice, Effie's older brother by two years, is cheerful, energetic, and practical. Though occasionally dazzled by attractive worldly displays like toy shops, his sound judgment and kindness guide him toward supporting his sister and eventually choosing a life of professional usefulness.

Mrs Maurice provides gentle, steady moral instruction to her children. She acts as an intellectual and spiritual anchor, helping Effie and Harry dissect their experiences, recognize impulse from principle, and avoid self-righteousness.

Mr Maurice is a dedicated father and physician whose professional and charitable rounds expose him to the harsh realities of the city. He uses real-life tragedies—such as the miser and the dying scholar—to impart vital moral lessons to his family.

Mrs Gilman is a destitute, grieving widow whose world centers entirely on her sick infant and the memory of her late husband. Blinded by her sorrow, she initially views scripture as gloomy until the Maurices' compassion helps her find spiritual refuge.

Rosa Lynmore is a generous, impulsive young girl whose gift of a silken purse to aid the poor widow teaches the Maurice children valuable lessons about charity versus hasty judgment.

In Its Own Voice

'Mother,' said little Effie Maurice, on a Sabbath evening in winter, 'Mr L---- said to-day that we are all in danger of breaking the first commandment,--do you think we are?'

Effie initiates a pivotal conversation with her mother about spiritual danger after listening to a Sunday sermon.

'When you see Mr T.'s shop--' / 'I don't want to see Mr T.'s shop, that would be going in the way of temptation.'

Harry and Effie debate whether to approach the dazzling New Year's toy displays or avoid worldly temptation altogether.

'Poverty is but a small thing, Effie, and in our land of equal laws and charitable institutions, very few suffer from absolute want, but that old man was richer (in gold and silver I mean) than I am.'

Mr Maurice introduces the wretched miser to his children to illustrate the destructive power of greed.

What It's Really About

The book explores the subtle forms that idolatry takes in daily life, arguing that the greatest spiritual dangers stem not from overt wickedness, but from misplaced affections, self-indulgence, and the unchecked pursuit of wealth or comfort. It examines the tension between impulse and true moral principle, showing that superficial acts of generosity differ fundamentally from sustained, self-denying benevolence. Beneath its plot lies the question of how a person can maintain an undivided devotion to a higher standard while navigating ordinary temptations, domestic duties, and emotional attachments. The narrative posits that true obedience requires regular self-examination, humility, and an alignment of one's daily habits with spiritual duty rather than personal gratification.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in Victorian didactic literature, historical juvenile fiction, or the evolution of domestic moral instruction will find this book a fascinating window into nineteenth-century religious culture. Reading it feels like sitting beside a quiet nineteenth-century parlor hearth, listening to earnest family conversations about ethics, charity, and spiritual duty. Modern readers must navigate period-specific religious terminology and a distinctly didactic tone that leaves little room for ambiguity, as every interaction explicitly serves a moral lesson. However, those who appreciate sincere character growth, gentle familial warmth, and a earnest exploration of conscience will find a lasting charm in Effie's lifelong quest for self-improvement.