The Charles Dudley Warner Library

Charles Dudley Warner
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There is a peculiar pleasure in keeping company with a thoughtful writer, especially one who never hurries his reader nor mistakes noise for wisdom. Charles Dudley Warner possessed that rare gift. Whether wandering through a garden, journeying abroad, recalling the delights of boyhood, or casting a kindly but discerning eye upon the follies of his age, he writes with wit, grace, and quiet good sense. In this library you will find his works read in full, unabridged and unhurried, just as they were written to be enjoyed. Come for a chapter on a peaceful evening, or linger through an entire volume. You may discover that observations penned more than a century ago still bloom as freshly as a well-tended garden. If you have not yet made Mr. Warner's acquaintance, step inside. If you have, you will find an old friend waiting by the fireside.

  1. Episode 1

    The Gilded Age Preface

    In which the authors set forth their intentions and humble expectations for a tale woven from the threads of an ideal society, a world far removed from the feverish chase for wealth and the common strife of politics. With a gentle nod to the reader, they acknowledge the shared craft of their joint endeavour and the universal reach of their literary quotations, aiming to engage not a single nation but the whole wide world.

  2. Episode 2

    The Gilded Age Chapter 1

    In which the worn but hopeful Squire Hawkins contemplates the dreariness of his mountain home and decides to seek a better life by moving his family to the far-off and promising lands of Missouri, buoyed by the persuasive and unyielding excitement of an old acquaintance’s letter. The rural folk of Obedstown linger in tobacco-dryled gossip while Hawkins and his wife resolve to leave behind a place of slow decay, chasing the distant dreams of railroads, steamboats, and hidden fortunes beneath unimpressive soil.

  3. Episode 3

    The Gilded Age Chapter 2

    In which a weary traveller chance upon a humble cabin where a sorrowful child mourns the loss of his mother, and neighbourly kindness leads to the offering of a new home and comfort for the orphaned boy. Together, they honour the past with tender rituals and face the future united, their hearts quietly mended by shared compassion and hope.

  4. Episode 4

    The Gilded Age Chapter 3

    In which a motley band of children and their guardian camp by the mighty Mississippi, enchanted and somewhat awed by the river’s vast, mysterious presence as night falls. Their quiet reverie is broken by the fiery approach of a steamboat, provoking a heartfelt and solemn prayer from Uncle Dan’l, who beseeches mercy in the face of the imposing, thunderous visitor.

  5. Episode 5

    The Gilded Age Chapter 4

    In which a steamboat voyage up the Mississippi becomes an unfolding panorama of riverine nature and the spirited challenge of navigation, as pilots engage in a tense and dangerous race through the twilight and night. Amid the grandeur and adventure lie stark reminders of human frailty and misfortune, culminating in a tragic collision and a solemn inquest that leaves culpability as elusive as the flowing river itself.

  6. Episode 6

    The Gilded Age Chapter 5

    In which a family, newly acquainted with hardship and kindness, ventures inland to settle among rustic folk and cultivate a promising speculation in mules, all while cherishing the hope bound up in a stretch of Tennessee land and the bright futures of their children. Their humble log cabin and the nascent village swell with both the sounds of simple rural life and the quiet stirrings of ambition, beneath the watchful eye of a lightning rod and the hopeful gaze of those who still love their country as if it were their very soul.

  7. Episode 7

    The Gilded Age Chapter 6

    In which the ten years following many ups and downs see Judge Hawkins and his sprawling household grappling with dwindling fortunes and the prospect of parting with cherished land, whilst the younger generation faces the dawning reality of self-reliance under the weight of family honour. The tale tenderly uncovers the strains of poverty, pride, and hope that ripple through home and heart alike, setting the stage with a mix of gentle resilience and quiet apprehension.

  8. Episode 8

    The Gilded Age Chapter 7

    In which young Washington Hawkins journeys to the sprawling heart of Missouri, where he is greeted by Colonel Sellers and his lively, if somewhat impoverished, family in a modest mansion warmed more by affection than by fire. Through the Colonel’s cheerful, though fanciful, talk of grand schemes and a peculiar stove lit by candlelight, a portrait is painted of earnest hopes amid hard times and gentle domestic warmth.

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About

There is a peculiar pleasure in keeping company with a thoughtful writer, especially one who never hurries his reader nor mistakes noise for wisdom. Charles Dudley Warner possessed that rare gift. Whether wandering through a garden, journeying abroad, recalling the delights of boyhood, or casting a kindly but discerning eye upon the follies of his age, he writes with wit, grace, and quiet good sense. In this library you will find his works read in full, unabridged and unhurried, just as they were written to be enjoyed. Come for a chapter on a peaceful evening, or linger through an entire volume. You may discover that observations penned more than a century ago still bloom as freshly as a well-tended garden. If you have not yet made Mr. Warner's acquaintance, step inside. If you have, you will find an old friend waiting by the fireside.

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