The Old Church by Annie Fellows Johnston
A historical fiction novel set during the American Civil War. The story follows a group of Union soldiers who occupy an old church in Kentucky, which was previously used as a hospital for Confederate soldiers. The soldiers must navigate the complexities of war and their own personal struggles while stationed at the church.
By Annie Fellows Johnston · First published 1912 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Religious Fiction, Drama · 285 words
First lines
CLOSE to the road it stood among the trees, / The old, bare church, with windows small and high, / And open doors that gave, on meeting day, / A welcome to the careless passer by.
Its straight, uncushioned seats, how hard they seemed! / What penance-doing form they always wore / To little heads that could not reach the text, / And little feet that could not reach the floor.
What wonder that we hailed with strong delight / The buzzing wasp, slow sailing down the aisle, / Or, sunk in sin, beguiled the constant fly / From weary heads, to make our neighbors smile.
What this Textopian page supports
The Old Church is listed on Textopian as a short story by Annie Fellows Johnston, dated 1912 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Annie Fellows Johnston
- Date: 1912 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Religious Fiction, Drama
- Length: 285 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Old Church by Annie Fellows Johnston
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Similar titles
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Genres
- Historical Fiction — The book is rooted in a specific historical period and is focused on the details, context and reality of that time period.
- Religious Fiction — The storyline revolves around an old church and spiritual themes are present throughout the story.
- Drama — The book presents conflicts among characters and dramatic events
Tags
church · history · Kentucky · Appalachia · family · legacy · tradition · community · small town · quaint · idyllic · pastoral
More by Annie Fellows Johnston
- Mildred's Inheritance; Just Her Way; Ann's Own Way (1906)
- The Quilt that Jack Built; How He Won the Bicycle (1904)
- The Legend of the Bleeding-heart (1907)
- Big Brother (1893)
- In the Desert of Waiting: The Legend of Camel-back Mountain (1904)
- Georgiana of the Rainbows (1920)
- The Little Colonel (1907)
- The Gate of the Giant Scissors (1920)
- All works by Annie Fellows Johnston