Featured

The breath of slander — Background and Themes

(0 User reviews) 674

In Category - Exploration Survival Adventure Tales

Authors: Allen, Ida Reade Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2025 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Dime novels; Romance fiction Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

Edition facts

Words 80,150

Reading time 349 min

Text sections 36

For The breath of slander — Background and Themes, the stored edition analysis reports 80,150 words, 5 hr 49 min estimated reading time, and 36 detected text sections.

The text analysis averages about 15.5 words per sentence, while the detected sections provide another way to judge how the source is divided.

Project Gutenberg metadata also associates the work with “Dime novels,” connecting these edition facts with the source record’s subject description.

Source: Project Gutenberg record #76289

Ida Reade Allen's 1899 dime novel uses a mountain storm, a country doctor's quiet refusal, and a New York wedding to track how slander tests virtue across class and setting.

Editorial Edition Score 4.9/5

★★★★★ ★★★★★

Calculated from edition completeness, EPUB availability, text structure and catalogue metadata. Not a user rating.

How this score is calculated

Description quality20 pts
Title & short description10 pts
Source metadata20 pts
Text length15 pts
Chapters / structure15 pts
EPUB file integrity20 pts

Total of 100 points, scaled to a 2.5-5.0 range. Editions with an empty description or a missing EPUB file are not scored.

Edition quality

File: pg76289

Read the Text

CHAPTER I. A MOUNTAIN STORM. CHAPTER II. A MOUNTAIN MAIDEN. CHAPTER III. IN THE WAY OF HISTORY. CHAPTER IV. LETTIE ALLAN. CHAPTER V. THE STRANGER’S CONVALESCENCE. CHAPTER VI. CLINTON’S STORY. CHAPTER VII. “I HAVE LOST HER!” CHAPTER VIII. NORINE’S WEDDING. CHAPTER IX. MIXED HAPPINESS. CHAPTER X. UNMIXED MISERY. CHAPTER XI. NORINE’S POSITION. CHAPTER XII. CONWAY’S VISITOR. CHAPTER XIII. A RISING YOUNG MAN. CHAPTER XIV. ELWELL’S DIVORCE. CHAPTER XV. FANNY MORAIN. CHAPTER XVI. AUNT MARY’S ANSWER. CHAPTER XVII. A VIGOROUS ASSAULT. CHAPTER XVIII. A SUCCESSFUL SPECULATION. CHAPTER XIX. A CHANGE OF BASE. CHAPTER XX. THE MEETING. CHAPTER XXI. CONTENTMENT. CHAPTER XXII. AN UNWELCOME VISITOR. CHAPTER XXIII. PETER SHOWS HIS HAND. CHAPTER XXIV. IN THE SUMMER TIME. CHAPTER XXV. ELWELL’S POPULARITY. CHAPTER XXVI. A BOMB. CHAPTER XXVII. “OUR CONGRESSMAN-ELECT.” CHAPTER XXVIII. OLD FRIENDS. CHAPTER XXIX. CLOSING IN. CHAPTER XXX. HOW ELWELL ESCAPED. CHAPTER XXXI. THE TWO WIDOWS. CHAPTER XXXII. NORINE’S CHRISTMAS PRESENT.

Carefully Selected Love Stories

There is such a profusion of good books in this list, that it is an impossibility to urge you to select any particular title or author’s work. All that we can say is that any line that contains the complete works of Mrs. Georgie Sheldon, Charles Garvice, Mrs. Harriet Lewis, May Agnes Fleming, Wenona Gilman, Mrs. Alex McVeigh Miller, and other writers of the same type, is worthy of your attention, especially when the price has been set at 15 cents the volume.

These books range from 256 to 320 pages. They are printed from good type, and are readable from start to finish.

If you are looking for clean-cut, honest value, then we state most emphatically that you will find it in this line.

_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_

1--Queen Bess By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon 2--Ruby’s Reward By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon 7--Two Keys By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon 9--The Virginia Heiress By May Agnes Fleming 12--Edrie’s Legacy By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon 17--Leslie’s Loyalty By Charles Garvice (His Love So True) 22--Elaine By Charles Garvice 24--A Wasted Love By Charles Garvice (On Love’s Altar) 41--Her Heart’s Desire By Charles Garvice (An Innocent Girl) 44--That Dowdy By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon 50--Her Ransom By Charles Garvice (Paid For) 55--Thrice Wedded By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon 66--Witch Hazel By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon 70--Sydney By Charles Garvice (A Wilful Young Woman) 73--The Marquis By Charles Garvice 77--Tina By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon 79--Out of the Past By Charles Garvice (Marjorie) 84--Imogene By Charles Garvice (Dumaresq’s Temptation) 85--Lorrie; or, Hollow Gold By Charles Garvice 88--Virgie’s Inheritance By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon 95--A Wilful Maid By Charles Garvice (Philippa) 98--Claire By Charles Garvice (The Mistress of Court Regna) 99--Audrey’s Recompense By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon 102--Sweet Cymbeline By Charles Garvice (Bellmaire) 109--Signa’s Sweetheart By Charles Garvice (Lord Delamere’s Bride) 111--Faithful Shirley By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon 117--She Loved Him By Charles Garvice 119--’Twixt Smile and Tear By Charles Garvice (Dulcie) 122--Grazia’s Mistake By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon 130--A Passion Flower By Charles Garvice (Madge) 133--Max By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon 136--The Unseen Bridegroom By May Agnes Fleming 138--A Fatal Wooing By Laura Jean Libbey 141--Lady Evelyn By May Agnes Fleming 144--Dorothy’s Jewels By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon 146--Magdalen’s Vow By May Agnes Fleming 151--The Heiress of Glen Gower By May Agnes Fleming 155--Nameless Dell By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon 157--Who Wins By May Agnes Fleming 166--The Masked Bridal By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon 168--Thrice Lost, Thrice Won By May Agnes Fleming 174--His Guardian Angel By Charles Garvice 177--A True Aristocrat By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon 181--The Baronet’s Bride By May Agnes Fleming 188--Dorothy Arnold’s Escape By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon 199--Geoffrey’s Victory By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon 203--Only One Love By Charles Garvice 210--Wild Oats By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon 213--The Heiress of Egremont By Mrs. Harriet Lewis 215--Only a Girl’s Love By Charles Garvice 219--Lost: A Pearle By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon 222--The Lily of Mordaunt By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon 223--Leola Dale’s Fortune By Charles Garvice 231--The Earl’s Heir By Charles Garvice (Lady Norah) 233--Nora By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon 236--Her Humble Lover By Charles Garvice (The Usurper; or, The Gipsy Peer) 242--A Wounded Heart By Charles Garvice (Sweet as a Rose) 244--A Hoiden’s Conquest By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon

The Breath of Slander;

BY IDA READE ALLEN AUTHOR OF “The Man and His Millions,” “A Forced Promise,” “Told in the Twilight,” “From Tears to Smiles.”

STREET & SMITH CORPORATION PUBLISHERS 79-89 Seventh Avenue, New York

The Breath of Slander

(Printed in the United States of America)

THE BREATH OF SLANDER.

Continue Reading →

Ida Reade Allen's 1899 dime novel opens with a mountain storm that strands a stranger, immediately linking natural violence with social peril. The early chapters introduce a country doctor, Lester Conway, who declines a friend's offer to move to the city, saying his talents are 'best adapted to the dull routine of a country physician.' This refusal, and his quiet kiss goodbye to Norine, establishes a pattern of self-denial that the plot will test. The excerpts show a world where money arrives unexpectedly—Jim and Norine inherit from an aunt—and where characters measure worth by how they use fortune. Allen writes in brisk, declarative sentences, with dialogue that often carries moral weight: Jim insists he must 'pay at least a part of the debt we owe you,' while Conway demurs. The novel's title promises that slander will strike, and the early scenes set up a community where reputation is fragile and virtue must be demonstrated through action, not merely claimed.

A Mountain Storm and a Maiden's Introduction

The first chapter, 'A Mountain Storm,' uses weather as both setting and symbol. The stranger's arrival during a storm creates immediate tension, and the second chapter, 'A Mountain Maiden,' introduces a female character whose virtue will be tested. Allen does not linger on description; she moves quickly to dialogue and action. The mountain setting is not merely picturesque—it isolates characters and forces them to rely on each other. The table of contents shows a clear arc: from storm to convalescence, then to wedding and its aftermath. Readers should note how the opening chapters establish a moral geography where the mountain represents simplicity and the city represents temptation. The storm itself is a device that brings together characters who will later be separated by slander.

Conway's Contentment and the City's Allure

In the excerpt from Chapter XIX, Lester Conway refuses Jim's offer to move to New York, saying he is 'content to stay where I am.' This refusal is central to his character: he is a man who chooses duty over ambition. Jim argues that Conway's 'field of labor would become more extended' in the city, but Conway insists his heart is not in it. The dialogue reveals a tension between worldly success and personal integrity. Norine, meanwhile, is 'very quiet and subdued' at leaving her old home, and her request for a farewell kiss—'You will kiss me good-by, won't you?'—is both tender and ambiguous. Allen uses these moments to show that virtue is not passive; it requires conscious choice. The journey to New York is described as something to be 'learned by experience,' hinting that the characters will be tested by unfamiliar social codes.

The Wedding and the Threat of Slander

Chapter XX, 'The Meeting,' introduces Miss Lettie Allan as an attendant at Jim's wedding, and Jim is 'far from being pleased' with her influence. The title of the novel, The Breath of Slander, suggests that gossip will become a weapon. The excerpts do not reveal the slander itself, but the structure points to a crisis: the wedding is followed by chapters titled 'Mixed Happiness' and 'Unmixed Misery.' Readers should watch for how Allen uses secondary characters like Lettie to advance the plot. The novel's subtitle, 'Virtue Triumphs,' assures a happy ending, but the path there involves public accusation and private doubt. The dime novel format means the story moves quickly, with each chapter advancing the conflict. The excerpts show that Allen trusts her readers to infer motives from action and dialogue rather than lengthy explanation.

Money, Duty, and the Way of the World

Throughout the excerpts, characters debate the proper use of wealth. Jim believes money should 'do some good to others,' while Conway accepts poverty as his lot. Allen does not romanticize poverty; she presents it as a condition that limits choice. Norine's inheritance is a plot mechanism that enables the move to New York, where slander can flourish. The novel's moral framework is clear: virtue is tested by prosperity as much as by adversity. The phrase 'the way of the world' appears twice, once spoken by Conway and once in the chapter title 'In the Way of History.' This repetition suggests that Allen is interested in how social conventions shape individual fate. Readers should note that the novel was published in 1899, a time when dime novels were popular entertainment, and its moral lessons were part of the genre's appeal.

As you read The Breath of Slander, pay attention to how Allen uses setting—the mountain, the city, the domestic interior—to mirror her characters' inner states. The novel's pace is brisk, with each chapter advancing the plot through dialogue and decisive action. The excerpts suggest that slander is not a single event but a process that unfolds through small betrayals and misunderstandings. Trust the author to reward your attention to detail: every storm, every kiss, every refusal to move to the city is a piece of a larger pattern. The novel rewards a first reading that stays alert to the moral weight of ordinary choices.

That storm in Allen’s book—how it strips a reputation down to what’s actually true—stayed with me for weeks. It felt like sitting alone in a quiet room, watching gossip lose its power. The same patient unraveling lives in The White Knight: Tirant Lo Blanc — Reading Notes, though its world is older and wider. Something about how honor survives, not loudly, but stubbornly, lingers long after the page turns.