02424cam a22003133u 450000100060000000300070000600500170001300600020003000700050003200800410003704000110007804100170008905000070010610000230011324500290013626400510016530000470021633600260026333700260028933800360031550000310035150800260038252014860040853400450189465300350193965300500197470000430202485600430206720381UtSlPG20260610133454.0mcr n260607r2007||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d  aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aPR1 aBedford, H. Louisa14aThe Village by the River 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2007  a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats  atextbtxt2rdacontent  acomputerbc2rdamedia  aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier  aRelease date is 2007-01-16  aProduced by Al Haines  a"The Village by the River" by H. Louisa Bedford is a novel written in the late 19th century. The story takes place in the village of Rudham, which is defined by the dynamics among its villagers following the death of their squire, Mr. Lessing. The narrative introduces central characters such as Paul Lessing, who unexpectedly inherits the estate, and the local blacksmith, Allison, who discusses the implications of this transition with fellow villagers. The novel explores themes of social change, ownership, and community relationships, alongside the interactions that unfold as Paul navigates his new role in the village.  At the start of the novel, the action kicks off with villagers discussing the grand funeral of their recently deceased squire, Mr. Lessing, and speculating about the new owner of the estate. Among the characters, blacksmith Allison leads the conversation, hinting at the arrival of Paul Lessing, who, unbeknownst to them at this stage, is both a relative of the old squire and a potential threat to their old ways through his differing views, possibly leaning towards socialism. Paul enters Rudham after returning from a trip abroad, only to discover the intricacies of village life and the expectations that accompany his new status as squire. Meanwhile, hints of budding relationships, such as that between Paul and the local rector, Mr. Curzon, are established against this backdrop of tension and change. (This is an automatically generated summary.)  nOriginal publication data not identified  aVillages -- England -- Fiction  aEngland -- Social life and customs -- Fiction1 aStacey, W. S.q(Walter S.),d1846-192940uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20381