Amazon.com description: Product Description: Dinah Craik was a British novelist who wrote children's books. In 1857 she wrote John Halifax, Gentleman, which is considered to be her best work. An excerpt from A Noble Life reads, "It was on a June day - ten years after that bright June day when the minister of Cairnforth had walked with such a sad heart up to Cairnforth Castle, and seen for the first time its unconscious heir - the poor little orphan baby who in such apparent mockery was called "the Earl." The woods, the hills, the loch, looked exactly the same - nature never changes. As Mr. Cardross walked up to the Castle once more, - the first time for many months, - in accordance with a request of Mr. Menteith's, who had written to say the Earl was coming home - he could hardly believe it was ten years since that sad week when the baby-heir was born, and the Countess's funeral had passed out from that now long-closed door. Mr. Cardross's step was heavier and his face sadder now than then. He who had so often sympathized with others' sorrows, had had to suffer patiently his own. From the Manse gate as from that of the Castle, the mother and mistress had been carried - never to return. A new Helen - only fifteen years old - was trying vainly to replace to father and brothers her who was - as Mr. Cardross still touchingly put it - " away." But though his grief was more than a year old, the minister mourned still. "