The Baby in the Box
The Baby in the Box is a novella written by Basil Hall Chamberlain, first published in 1900. The story follows a young woman named Mary who, after being jilted at the altar, retreats to her family's country estate and becomes obsessed with a mysterious box that she finds in the attic. The box contains a baby doll that seems to have a life of its own, and Mary becomes increasingly fixated on it as she tries to uncover its secrets. As the story progresses, Mary's obsession with the doll leads her down a dark and dangerous path, ultimately leading to a tragic conclusion. The novella explores themes of isolation, madness, and the blurring of reality and fantasy, making it a thought-provoking and unsettling read.
By Basil Hall Chamberlain · First published 1900 · Genre: Children's Literature, Adventure, Mystery · 672 words
First lines
There was once a woman who was tenderly loved by her husband. At last, after some years, she bore him a son. Then the father loved this son even more than he loved his wife. She therefore thought thus: "How pleasant it used to be formerly, when my husband loved me alone! But now, since I have borne him this nasty child, he loves it more than he does me. It will be well for me to make away with it."
What this Textopian page supports
The Baby in the Box is listed on Textopian as a short story by Basil Hall Chamberlain, dated 1900 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Basil Hall Chamberlain
- Date: 1900 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Children's Literature, Adventure, Mystery, Fiction
- Length: 672 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Baby in the Box by Basil Hall Chamberlain
- 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
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Baby in the Box?
- How does this short story by Basil Hall Chamberlain fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Children's Literature first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- A Demand by Ambrose Bierce
- The House by Arthur Willis Colton
- A Nightmare by Ambrose Bierce
- A Voluptuary by Ambrose Bierce
- To Her by Ambrose Bierce
- Wayfarers by Algernon Blackwood
Genres
- Children's Literature — The book is primarily aimed at children, featuring a simple and comprehensible storyline revolving around a baby.
- Adventure — The story involves an element of journey and discovery as it revolves around a baby found in a box.
- Mystery — The origin of the baby and the reason why it was in the box introduces an element of mystery to the story.
- Fiction — The book is a narrative imagined by the author, Basil Hall Chamberlain.
Tags
mystery · thriller · suspense · psychological · horror · supernatural · fiction · novel · literary · contemporary · british · gothic
More by Basil Hall Chamberlain
- The Fisher-boy Urashima (1886)
- The Invention of a New Religion (1930)
- The Rat and the Owl (1899)
- The Loves of the Thunder-Gods (1906)
- Why the Cock Cannot Fly (1902)
- The Origin of the Hare (1902)
- The Reason for there being no Fixed Time for Human Beings to (1928)
- How a Man Got the Better of Two Foxes (1899)
- All works by Basil Hall Chamberlain