Stories by American Authors (Volume 4)

In Short

Stories by American Authors (Volume 4) brings together six late nineteenth-century tales exploring artistic frustration, romantic calculation, social duty, and surreal misadventure. Across varying landscapes—from a somber Roman lodging house to a fog-shrouded Pacific coastline—the characters contend with their own limitations and the expectations of their peers. Written by notable figures of the era, the collection endures as a vivid slice of period fiction, catching the subtle shifts between old-world traditions and modern ambitions with dry wit, emotional gravity, and sharp social observation.

The Story

The volume opens with Constance Fenimore Woolson’s "Miss Grief," narrated by a prosperous, self-satisfied young American writer living comfortably in Rome. He receives an uninvited visitor, an impoverished woman named Miss Crief, who presents him with her written work. Upon reading her drama and prose, he discovers to his astonishment that she possesses a raw, luminous genius far surpassing his own, though her pieces are marred by bizarre narrative choices and an absolute lack of commercial polish. Despite his mild efforts to help her revise and sell her work, her fierce integrity and failing health prevent any worldly success. She dies in her dismal room, leaving her masterpiece in his hands. He keeps it locked away, forever humbled by the knowledge that her superior power failed while his lesser talent thrived.

H. C. Bunner’s "Love in Old Cloathes" shifts the mood to playful romance, presented as an archaically styled journal kept by an anxious suitor in modern New York. Tormented by his love for a young woman whose mother disdains him, he despairs as a rival drives her about in a dog-cart. Yet when he agrees to act as a witness for a secret wedding, a series of seaside mix-ups and beachside encounters brings him face-to-face with his beloved, transforming his self-pitying scribbles into a joyous record of unexpected reconciliation.

In N. P. Willis’s "Two Buckets in a Well," Philip Ballister returns from Paris as a cultured artist, intending to marry his childhood love, Fanny Bellairs. However, Fanny’s early memories of poverty have made her pragmatic; she quietly resolves that Philip must attain wealth before they marry, secretly orchestrating the renovation of an estate. By the time the surprise is revealed, the years of enforced separation have cooled Philip's romantic fervor, leaving both to confront the hollow outcome of their practical choices.

Mary Hallock Foote’s "Friend Barton's Concern" enters a quiet Quaker farming community where Thomas Barton feels a divine call to preach away from home, leaving his family to manage the mill. His daughter Dorothy works tirelessly alongside their neighbor, Walter Evesham. Though separated by religious differences and Dorothy's initial resentment of Walter's firm manner, a violent spring flood forces them together to save the homestead. In the aftermath, Dorothy recognizes her deep feeling for him, stepping past her rigid traditions.

J. W. De Forest’s "An Inspired Lobbyist" turns a sharp, satirical eye onto state politics, following the scheming Ananias Pullwool as he operates between two state capitals to extract thousands from a municipal treasury through shameless influence-peddling.

Finally, Noah Brooks’s "Lost in the Fog" follows a small coastal vessel blown off course into a dense bank of mist. The crew stumbles upon San Ildefonso, a pristine Spanish colonial town seemingly frozen in the eighteenth century. After eating with the bewildered inhabitants, the sailors return to San Francisco, only to find their discovery dismissed as a hoax, unable ever to relocate the vanished port.

How It Unfolds

A genius arrives in Rome A successful, vain young author receives a manuscript from an impoverished woman named Miss Crief. Reading her work, he realizes her literary talent vastly outshines his own, though it is fundamentally unmarketable.

An antique journal of love A New York gentleman records his romantic despairs in pseudo-eighteenth-century spelling as he watches his beloved ride off with a rival. A convoluted secret wedding plot unexpectedly delivers his love back into his arms at the beach.

The cold logic of separation Fanny Bellairs delays her marriage to the painter Philip Ballister until he secures a fortune. When they finally reunite at a fully renovated estate, time and worldly cynicism have extinguished the warmth of their youth.

A flood in the valley While her Quaker father prepares to travel on a religious mission, Dorothy Barton labors to maintain the farm through a disastrous rainstorm. She relies on the steadfast neighbor Walter Evesham, whose quiet devotion breaks down her reserve.

Machinations in the capital Political operative Ananias Pullwool arrives in a divided state legislature, using endless cigars, spirits, and strategic bribes to convince local councilmen to approve a hundred-thousand-dollar expenditure.

Sailing into the unknown A small trading boat drifts through a blinding Pacific fog and anchors near an unmapped Spanish mission town. Upon returning to port, the crew finds their incredible tale mocked by the local press, leaving the settlement lost forever.

The People

• The Narrator ("Miss Grief"): A prosperous, mildly vain author enjoying his modest social and literary success in Rome. His encounter with Miss Crief shatters his complacency, leaving him the custodian of a tragic, superior talent he could never match.
• Miss Crief ("Miss Grief"): An impoverished, frail writer living in a threadbare room. Proud and unyielding, she refuses to alter the eccentricities of her dramatic masterpieces to suit public taste, choosing artistic purity over survival.
• Fanny Bellairs: A practical young woman shaped by a childhood of poverty. She prioritizes financial security over immediate romance, only to realize too late that her calculations have eroded the affection she sought to preserve.
• Philip Ballister: A sensitive artist who returns from Paris refined and detached. Though he honors his engagement to Fanny, his original passion fades into polite, distant courtesy.
• Dorothy Barton: A hardworking Quaker girl who carries the burden of her father's mill. Capable and defensive, her guarded nature gradually yields to Walter Evesham's steady care during a crisis.
• Ananias Pullwool: A shameless, jovial lobbyist who views state politics as a field for easy profit, effortlessly manipulating gullible councilmen with money and rhetoric.
• Captain Booden: A gruff, plain-spoken coasting skipper whose vesselIn an era of rising literary commercialism, a anthology of six distinct 19th-century voices charts the strange, quiet, and humorous corners of American social life.

In Short

Stories by American Authors (Volume 4) gathers six distinct works of 19th-century American fiction, anchored by Constance Fenimore Woolson’s poignant lead story, "Miss Grief." Spanning high-society romance, political satire, coastal maritime mystery, and rural Quaker moral dilemmas, the collection moves through the quiet triumphs and bitter compromises of its characters. Across varied settings—from Italian art circles to foggy California waters—these narratives capture a changing nation through sharp observational detail. The anthology endures because it balances intimate psychological realism with clever social commentary, preserving a rich cross-section of early American short fiction.

The Story

The volume opens with Constance Fenimore Woolson's "Miss Grief," narrated by a prosperous, complacent young American author living in Rome. His comfortable social routine is interrupted by the persistent visits of Aaronna Crief, an impoverished, aging writer who presents him with her unproduced play, "Armor," and a prose tale. Recognizing her immense, unpolished genius, the narrator attempts to help her edit the works for publication. However, Aaronna fiercely resists cutting a bizarre, central figure from her story—a doctor who commits murder out of mercy. As her health fails, her desperate pride yields to despair. After her death, the narrator locks her brilliant, unpublishable manuscript away, keeping it as a secret monument to a superior talent silenced by a single flaw of excess, while he continues his own respectable, modest success.

In H. C. Bunner's "Love in Old Cloathes," written as an archaic journal entry, a smitten suitor despairs over his beloved while navigating summer resort life at Fire Island, ultimately helping a friend secure a secret wedding. N. P. Willis’s "Two Buckets in a Well" follows Philip Ballister, a refined painter who returns from Paris to marry his childhood love, Fanny Bellairs. Fanny has spent five years waiting for him to secure wealth, only to discover that time and worldliness have quietly cooled his original passion.

Mary Hallock Foote’s "Friend Barton’s Concern" shifts to a rural Quaker community, where the devout miller Thomas Barton feels called by the Lord to leave his farm on a religious mission. In his absence, his daughter Dorothy manages the mill, surviving a sudden spring flood alongside Walter Evesham, a worldly neighbor whose persistent courtship eventually breaks through her strict Quaker reserve.

J. W. De Forest’s "An Inspired Lobbyist" turns a sharp, satirical lens on state politics. The ruthless, smiling Ananias Pullwool arrives in the dual-capital state system to orchestrate a massive hundred-thousand-dollar city appropriation, casually corrupting lawyers, editors, and legislators along the way.

Finally, Noah Brooks’s "Lost in the Fog" offers a sea tale of the unusual. A small coastal vessel drifting through a thick Pacific mist stumbles upon San Ildefonso, a pristine Spanish mission town completely frozen in the year 1835. After dining with the isolated inhabitants, the crew sails away, only to find that the mysterious settlement has vanished entirely from the coast, leaving their reports dismissed by a skeptical public.

How It Unfolds

The literary encounter A successful young author in Rome is sought out by Aaronna Crief, an impoverished female writer who leaves a brilliant but structurally flawed drama called "Armor."

The tragic compromise Recognizing her genius, the narrator tries to guide her through revisions, but her unyielding devotion to her original vision prevents the work from ever reaching a publisher before her death.

The summer pursuit A frustrated lover keeps a mock-historical diary while tracking his beloved across New York and Fire Island, reluctantly assisting in a runaway marriage along the way.

The artist's return Philip Ballister returns from Paris to claim his betrothed, Fanny, only to find that years spent pursuing financial security have drained the romance from their impending wedding.

The flood at the mill While a Quaker patriarch departs on a spiritual calling, his daughter Dorothy stays behind to manage the family mill, drawn into an alliance with the persistent Walter Evesham when severe rains drown the valley.

The legislative heist An audacious political operator named Ananias Pullwool arrives in Fastburg, using cigars, drink, and cash to manipulate local councilmen into approving a fraudulent city treasury scheme.

The fog-bound discovery A small trading boat lost in a dense California haze drifts into an unknown cove, discovering a Spanish colonial settlement whose residents believe it is still the early nineteenth century.

The People

• The Narrator ("Miss Grief"): A fashionable, well-to-do American writer in Rome. Proud of his modest literary success, he is humbled and haunted by Aaronna Crief’s unpolished genius, ultimately becoming the silent custodian of her unpublished work.
• Aaronna Crief ("Miss Grief"): A destitute, fiercely proud writer living in a threadbare Roman lodging. She possesses immense artistic power but lacks the pragmatic discipline required for commercial publication, dying in obscurity.
• Dorothy Barton ("Friend Barton's Concern"): A capable, self-reliant Quaker woman. She manages her family's farm and mill with quiet resilience, torn between her strict religious upbringing and her growing affection for a worldly suitor.
• Walter Evesham ("Friend Barton's Concern"): An assertive, prosperous neighbor to the Bartons. He admires Dorothy's strength during the valley flood and patiently woos her despite the barriers of her faith.
• Ananias Pullwool ("An Inspired Lobbyist"): A jovial, thoroughly corrupt political fixer. He views state legislatures as untapped resources, using calculated charm and bribery to drain public treasuries.
• Captain Booden ("Lost in the Fog"): A crusty, short-tempered coastal skipper. He navigates his small vessel into a mysterious, forgotten Spanish port, only to spend the rest of his days frustrated by his inability to find it again.

In Its Own Voice

"The want of one grain made all her work void, and that one grain was given to me."

An author reflects on the haunting difference between his own modest success and a dead woman's unpublishable genius.

"It is not in man that walketh to direct his own steps, neighbor Gordon. I am getting myself in readiness to obey the Lord, whichever way He calls me."

A Quaker miller explains his sudden decision to leave his farm and trade behind for a higher calling.

"Did our galleon come from Manila?"

An isolated Spanish priest greets a crew of lost American mariners who have drifted into a long-forgotten coastal settlement.

What It's Really About

At its core, this volume explores the friction between personal integrity and the demands of a practical world. Woolson’s lead story examines the tragic price of uncompromising artistic genius, contrasting a brilliant, unmarketable manuscript with the smooth, easy success of polite literature. In the romantic selections, time and material ambition test human devotion, revealing how the search for wealth can hollow out genuine affection. The political and regional stories expose the mechanics of American life, pitting spiritual devotion and civic honesty against shameless self-interest. Across every setting, the collection asks whether individual conviction can survive intact when forced to confront social expectations, commercial pressures, or the quiet indifference of the public.

Why Read It Today

This collection offers an appealing, unpretentious doorway into late nineteenth-century American fiction. Readers who enjoy Victorian short stories, regional portraiture, or historical social commentary will appreciate the sheer variety assembled here. Woolson’s "Miss Grief" alone justifies the volume, offering a haunting, remarkably modern meditation on artistic failure and literary ambition.

The reading experience feels varied and rhythmic—moving easily from atmospheric Roman apartments to bustling New York hotels, muddy Quaker mill-streams, and foggy Pacific waterways. Modern readers should expect a few period hurdles: Bunner’s story relies on an intentionally archaic, seventeenth-century spelling style that takes a few pages to adjust to, while De Forest’s political satire assumes a familiarity with Gilded Age municipal corruption. Additionally, the dialect and racial caricatures typical of nineteenth-century popular fiction occasionally appear in the background of the maritime and regional tales. Yet for those interested in the evolution of the American short story, the volume remains a rewarding, highly readable artifact of its time.