Published in 1893, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets shocked a world unprepared for its grim and starkly realistic exploration of a pretty young girl's fall on New York's Bowery, and its critical depiction of the irresponsibility of men toward women. The five other stories in this collection are tales of quiet tension and raw intensity. From the local color of small-town life to the bustle of the city to war stories imbued with an ironic view of heroism,...

A young Union soldier, Henry Fleming, tells of his feelings when he is under fire for the first time during the battle of Chancellorsville. He is overcome by fear and runs from the field. Later he returns to lead a charge that re-establishes his own reputation as well as that of his company. Maggie Johnson is the daughter of a brutal father and a drunken mother. She goes to work in a collar factory, falls in love with Pete, a bartender who is a friend...

A collection of stories from American authors of the 19th and early 20th centuries, selected for their literary importance as well as their dramatic oral qualities.