Alice Gilbert's Confession by Hesba Stretton

Alice Windsor falls in love with Dr. Gilbert, but Dr. Gilbert confesses that his wife, Joanna, is still alive. Alice's confession is that she is "fighting forbidden love" and is being "wrecked upon that treacherous deep." The agony of sin and the need for God's forgiveness is felt by everyone. Important verses are Luke 18:13—"God be merciful to me a sinner," (NIV) also Hebrews 4:15—"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin." (NIV)

Paperback 4X6, 64 pages.ISBN 9781941281277; Pocket Moral Stories

SARAH SMITH (1832-1911) was born in Wellington, England.  She had the good fortune of being able to read books from her father's bookshop, a printer of evangelical literature. Her mother was a strong evangelical, but died when Sarah was young. In the March 19th, 1859 issue of Household Words, a publication conducted by Charles Dickens, she published her first short story called The Lucky Leg. It is an intriguing story about a man who wanted to marry a woman with a missing leg. It was more secular, but her talent was recognized. Hesba Stretton became her pen name, Stretton coming from the name of a neighboring village, and Hesba coming from the initials of her siblings. H (Hannah or some sources Harriett), E (Elizabeth), S (Sarah), B (Benjamin), and A (Annie).