"Elsie Dinsmore" - After her mother's death, Elsie an 8 years-old child must come to terms with the world around her, her over-protective father and her firm belief in God. It is a moving story of a young girl's dilemma between her love for her father and her God. "Mildred Keith" - A story of a family who have placed their trust in God in times of difficulty. Ella Clinton, or By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them: Ella Clinton, a bubbly little girl, wants to help others, but things don't often go as planned. An amusing tale of an innocent child. "Edith's Sacrifice" - Like Elsie, Edith is a woman of few words and prefers to bear everything in her stride stoically. However, fate has something else in store for her when she meets Mr. Randolph, a widower with a daughter named Lulu. "Signing the Contract and What it Cost" - A young woman gives up her little daughter to a childless couple thinking she is going to die soon. But did she make a right decision? "The Thorn in the Nest" - Family secrets and unsolved mysteries threaten the loving relationship of Kenneth Clendenin - a doctor in Ohio. In spite of his intention of marrying his beloved, Kenneth cannot commit to her and the skeletons-in-his-closet keep growing bigger. "The Tragedy of Wild River Valley" - The war changes a lot of people but those who bow thorns have to reap their deeds. Set against the background of the civil war, the novel tells a story of all wars and what happens to people when the much-needed peace follows after the war. Martha Finley (1828-1909) was a teacher and author of numerous works.Finley's books represent the psychological conflict between individuals and their societies which lend a deeper sociological insight to her works.