The Worth of a Baby by Hesba Stretton

Dr. Reed who liked gardening, employed John Ledbury to tend his garden. They had an argument about plants, and John was let go. John left town to find work and his baby became sick because of the stress, poverty and unforgiving spirit of the father. This story is about how a person's stubborn pride might affect those they love.

Paperback 4X6, 38 pages. ISBN 9781941281307; 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).