A sequel to The Seaboard Parish, and following the early married life of one of the Walton daughters, this is MacDonald's third book in what is sometimes called “The Marshmallows Trilogy.” The story offers an even less dramatic plot than its prequel, demonstrating that (though he was paid a considerable sum for it in comparison to the fifty pounds or less he received for some books), his remarkable output and quality notwithstanding, not every one of MacDonald’s titles can be designated a masterpiece. Its characterization of MacDonald’s friend and patron Lady Byron, however, is noteworthy.

[Original Printings: 1872, Tinsley Bros.]