Coals of Fire by Edith Nesbit (1913)

Name: Coals of Fire
Author: Edith Nesbit

This is a heartwarming story about redemption, forgiveness, and love. The narrator, Tom Allbutt, tells the tale of his daughter Mary's tumultuous relationship with Bill Jarvis, a soldier who had wronged her in the past. The story begins with Bill's arrival on the barge where Mary lives with her father and baby. Bill is fleeing from the law after killing a man in a fight. Tom, a kind and wise old man, takes pity on Bill and advises him to turn himself in, which he eventually does. Later, when Bill is released, he returns to the barge and asks Mary to marry him, but she refuses, still hurt by his past betrayal. However, when Bill falls ill with typhoid fever, Mary's father convinces her to visit him in the hospital, where Bill begs for forgiveness and asks to marry Mary before he dies. Moved by Bill's sincerity and desperation, Mary agrees to marry him, and they are wed in a bedside ceremony. Miraculously, Bill begins to recover after the marriage, and the couple starts anew, with Bill determined to make amends for his past mistakes. The story highlights the themes of forgiveness, redemption, and the power of love to transform lives. Through Mary's father, Tom, we see the importance of kindness, compassion, and guidance in helping others find their way. The narrative also showcases the complexity of human nature,201, with its nuanced portrayal of Bill Jarvis, a flawed but ultimately redeemable character.

By Edith Nesbit · First published 1913 · Genre: Children's Literature, Fantasy, Adventure · 6,164 words

First lines

ALL my life I've lived on a barge. My father, he worked a barge from London to Tonbridge, and 'twas on a barge I first see the light when my mother's time come. I used to wish sometimes as I could 'ave lived in a cottage with a few bits of flowers in the front, but I think if I'd been put to it I should have chose the barge rather than the finest cottage ever I see. When I come to be grown up and took a husband of my own it was a bargeman I took, of course. He was a good sort always, was my Tom, though not particular about Sundays and churchgoings and such like, as my father always was. It used to be a sorrow to me in my young married days to think as Tom was so far from the Lord, and I used to pray that 'is eyes might be opened and that 'e might be led to know the truth like me, which was vanity on my part, for I've come to see since that like as not 'e was nearer the Lord nor ever I was.

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Coals of Fire is listed on Textopian as a short story by Edith Nesbit, dated 1913 CE.

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Work type: Short story
Author: Edith Nesbit
Date: 1913 CE
Language: English
Genres: Children's Literature, Fantasy, Adventure
Length: 6,164 words
Structure: 1 section, 87 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

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Genres

Children's Literature — The book is primarily targeted towards young readers, with its simple language, moral lessons, and fantastical elements.
Fantasy — The book contains elements of magic and supernatural phenomena, which are characteristic of the fantasy genre.
Adventure — The plot involves a series of exciting events and challenges that the characters must overcome, fitting the adventure genre.