Through the Ivory Gate

Through the Ivory Gate

Through the Ivory Gate is a novel by Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews, published in 1922. It tells the story of a young woman, Mary, who is sent to a convent school in France to be educated. Mary is a bright and inquisitive student, and she quickly learns the language and customs of the country. She also makes friends with the other students, and they share their secrets and dreams. Mary's life is changed when she meets a handsome young man, Pierre, who is a student at the school. Pierre is from a wealthy family, and he and Mary fall in love. However, their relationship is forbidden by the school's strict rules, and Mary must make a difficult decision. Will she stay at the school and follow the rules, or will she follow her heart and leave the school to be with Pierre? Through the Ivory Gate is a romantic story of love, friendship, and courage. It is a timeless tale of a young woman's journey to find her own path in life.

By Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews · First published 1936 · Genre: Romance, Historical Fiction, Fantasy · 9,141 words

First lines

Breeze filtered through shuffling leafage, the June morning sunlight came in at the open window by the boy's bed, under the green shades, across the shadowy, white room, and danced a noiseless dance of youth and freshness and springtime against the wall opposite. The boy's head stirred on his pillow. He spoke a quick word from out of his dream. "The key?" he said inquiringly, and the sound of his own voice awoke him. Dark, drowsy eyes opened, and he stared half-seeing, at the picture that hung facing him. Was it the play of mischievous sunlight, was it the dream that still held his brain? He knew the picture line by line, and there was no such figure in it. It was a large photograph of Fairfield, the southern home of his mother's people, and the boy remembered it always hanging there, opposite his bed, the first sight to meet his eyes every morning since his babyhood. So he was certain there was no figure in it, more than all one so remarkable as this strapping little chap in his queer clothes, his dress of conspicuous plaid with large black velvet squares sewed on it, who stood now in front of the old manor house. Could it be only a dream? Could it be that a little ghost, wandering childlike in dim, heavenly fields, had joined the gay troop of his boyish visions and slipped in with them through the ivory gate of pleasant dreams? The boy put his fists to his eyes and rubbed them and looked again. The little fellow was still there, standing with sturdy legs wide apart as if owning the scene; he laughed as he held toward the boy a key--a small key tied with a scarlet ribbon. There was no doubt in the boy's mind that the key was for him, and out of the dim world of sleep he stretched his young arm for it; to reach it he sat up in bed. Then he was awake and knew himself alone in the peace of his own little room, and laughed shamefacedly at the reality of the vision which had followed him from dreamland into the very boundaries of consciousness, which held him even now with gentle tenacity, which drew him back through the day, from his studies, from his play, into the strong current of its fascination.

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Through the Ivory Gate is listed on Textopian as a novel by Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews, dated 1936 CE.

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historical fiction · adventure · mystery · romance · fantasy · coming of age · self-discovery · family dynamics · cultural exploration · female protagonist · 19th century · literary classic

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