The Gates Ajar by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward

The story revolves around a young girl named Mary Cabot who loses her brother in the American Civil War. The novel explores Mary's emotional struggle to come to terms with her loss and find solace in her faith. Through her journey, the author critiques the traditional Christian beliefs of the time, which emphasized the glory of dying for one's country, and instead presents a more compassionate and personal understanding of grief and spirituality.

By Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward · First published 1868 · Genre: Religious Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Sentimental Fiction · 16 chapters · 60,065 words

First lines

One week; only one week to-day, this twenty-first of February.

I have been sitting here in the dark and thinking about it, till it seems so horribly long and so horribly short; it has been such a week to live through, and it is such a small part of the weeks that must be lived through, that I could think no longer, but lighted my lamp and opened my desk to find something to do.

• Open reader

Similar titles

• A Mortul Prayer by James Whitcomb Riley
• The Cross by Madison Cawein
• Prayer In Time Of War by Edith Nesbit
• Taking Comfort by John Greenleaf Whittier
• Here And Hereafter by Barry Pain
• Gethsemane by Georgia Douglas Johnson

Genres

• Religious Fiction — Explores themes of faith, the afterlife, and spiritual comfort.
• Domestic Fiction — Focuses on family relationships and personal loss.
• Sentimental Fiction — Emphasizes emotional experiences and moral lessons.
• 19th Century American Literature — Reflects the literary style and cultural context of the 19th century in America.

Tags

Spirituality · Afterlife · Grief · Loss · Mourning · Death · Heaven · Christianity · Religion · Faith · Hope · Comfort

What this Textopian page supports

The Gates Ajar is listed on Textopian as a novel by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward, dated 1868 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Novel
• Author: Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward
• Date: 1868 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Religious Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Sentimental Fiction, 19th Century American Literature, Women's Literature
• Length: 60,065 words
• Structure: 16 chapters, 1,141 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for The Gates Ajar by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward
• 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

Contents

• CHAPTER I
• CHAPTER II
• CHAPTER III
• CHAPTER IV
• CHAPTER V
• CHAPTER VI
• CHAPTER VII
• CHAPTER VIII
• CHAPTER IX
• CHAPTER X
• CHAPTER XI
• CHAPTER XII
• CHAPTER XIII
• CHAPTER XIV
• CHAPTER XV
• CHAPTER XVI

More by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward

• A Lost Hero (1893)
• The Supply at Saint Agatha's (1896)
• The Whole Family (1908)
• Men, Women, and Ghosts (1892)
• Gypsy Breynton (1867)
• Gypsy's Cousin Joy (1876)
• The Gates Between (1887)
• Avery (1878)
• All works by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward