Project Gutenberg 2004-04-01 Public domain in the USA. 128 Jacobs, W. W. (William Wymark) 1863 1943 Jacobs, William Wymark Davis, Stanley The vigil [Night watches, Part 8.] Produced by David Widger "The Vigil" by W. W. Jacobs is a comedic short story written in the early 20th century. Set in a domestic environment, it explores themes of courage, familial expectations, and the humorous misunderstandings that arise from them. The narrative centers around the rivalry between Mr. Farrer, a timid yet determined suitor, and the authoritative ex-sergeant-major Ward, who disapproves of Farrer’s courting of his daughter and challenges him to prove his bravery. The story unfolds as Mr. Farrer attempts to win the approval of Miss Ward’s overbearing father by daring to spend a night in a supposedly haunted cottage. The sergeant-major, hoping to expose Farrer’s cowardice, secretly follows him with a more frightening agenda, dressed in his wife's nightgown to frighten the young man. However, events take a comedic turn as Farrer, unbeknownst to the sergeant-major, encounters a series of strange occurrences that lead to escalating anxieties and misunderstandings. The climax reveals their amusing roles, ultimately highlighting the absurdity of their rivalry for the respect of one another, while also poking fun at the nature of bravado and the lengths one might go to for love. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 85.6 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Short stories Humorous stories PR Text Category: Short Stories Category: Humour Category: British Literature 47039 2025-08-05T14:11:46.022247 text/html 43537 2020-12-14T18:46:12 text/html 261677 2025-08-05T14:11:48.576213 application/epub+zip 260488 2025-08-05T14:11:47.065215 application/epub+zip 82965 2025-08-05T14:11:46.149234 application/epub+zip 294401 2025-08-05T14:11:49.695201 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 287491 2025-08-05T14:11:48.169195 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 110325 2022-09-06T19:03:31.930679 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 38439 2025-08-05T14:11:45.908268 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 18697 2024-10-28T19:13:48 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 39766 2020-12-14T18:46:12 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 19606 2025-08-05T14:11:49.855181 application/rdf+xml 18812 2025-08-05T14:11:46.967186 image/jpeg 3154 2025-08-05T14:11:46.925218 image/jpeg 248560 2020-12-14T18:46:12 application/octet-stream application/zip 15187 2020-12-14T18:46:12 application/octet-stream application/zip 249097 2025-08-05T14:11:46.034274 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia