Project Gutenberg 2020-02-02 Public domain in the USA. 182 Wharton, Edith 1862 1937 Wharton, Edith Newbold Jones Olivieri, David Caswell, Edward C. 1879 1963 Caswell, E. C. (Edward C.) 24011469 The Old Maid (The 'Fifties) Book 2 of "Old New York." Produced by Chuck Greif, MWS and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) "The Old Maid (The 'Fifties)" by Edith Wharton is a novel written during the early 20th century. Set in the affluent New York society of the 1850s, it explores themes of social status, love, and the constraints placed upon women. The narrative introduces key figures, particularly Delia Ralston and her cousin Charlotte Lovell, navigating the expectations and limitations of their time, with a focus on familial relationships and the pressures to conform to societal norms. The opening of the story presents a vivid depiction of New York's upper class, particularly the Ralston family, which embodies both wealth and a strong adherence to tradition. Delia, a young matron, reflects on her marriage, her social standing, and her role within the family. Meanwhile, her cousin Charlotte is grappling with the potential for spinsterhood, made more urgent by her troubled past and a secret that complicates her relationship with societal expectations. As the two cousins interact, the narrative hints at deeper conflicts and emotional struggles, particularly surrounding love, duty, and the sacrifices women make in pursuit of both. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 81.1 (6th grade). Easy to read. en New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction Psychological fiction Single women -- Fiction Domestic fiction Cousins -- Fiction Illegitimate children -- Fiction Weddings -- Fiction Birthmothers -- Fiction PS Text Category: Novels Category: American Literature 191206 2025-07-24T09:59:23.528915 text/html 171029 2024-10-17T16:07:18 text/html 217089 2025-07-24T09:59:27.463886 application/epub+zip 217827 2025-07-24T09:59:24.432890 application/epub+zip 113831 2025-07-24T09:59:24.040908 application/epub+zip 283056 2025-07-24T09:59:29.788867 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 261454 2025-07-24T09:59:26.912868 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 157799 2022-09-27T17:13:06.450971 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 168128 2025-07-24T09:59:23.182920 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 148205 2024-10-17T16:07:18 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 18897 2025-07-24T09:59:29.954853 application/rdf+xml 14585 2025-07-24T09:59:24.140899 image/jpeg 2411 2025-07-24T09:59:24.097883 image/jpeg 202202 2025-07-24T09:59:23.553902 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 fr.wikipedia