Sweet Ermengarde by H P Lovecraft

Summary

In 'Sweet Mingard,' a country girl is pursued by two suitors: the wealthy but sinister Squire Hardman, who covets her family's gold-rich farm, and Jack Manley, her childhood sweetheart. Amidst abductions, betrayals, and a journey to the city, Mingard's fortunes change when she's adopted by a wealthy woman and discovers the truth about her past, leading to a dramatic confrontation with the villain and a surprising resolution.

Takeaways

• 👨‍🌾 The story revolves around a farmer's daughter, Irmingard Stubbs, who is sought after by two suitors.
• 💰 Squire Hardman, one of the suitors, is rich and discovers a gold vein on the Stubbs' farm, which fuels his desire to marry Irmingard.
• ❤️ Jack Manley, the other suitor, is poor but is in love with Irmingard and promises to make his fortune in the city to save her and her family.
• 😈 Squire Hardman's villainy is revealed as he kidnaps Irmingard and tries to force her to marry him to claim the farm.
• 🚂 Irmingard escapes with the help of a stranger, Alon Regal Jones, but later discovers his infidelity and pushes him out of a train.
• 🏙️ In the city, Irmingard struggles to find work and ends up homeless, reflecting the harsh reality for country girls in the city.
• 👜 Irmingard finds a wealthy patroness in Mrs. Van Ity, who adopts her after she returns a lost purse.
• 💸 Irmingard learns about the gold on her family's farm from Alon, who she later reconciles with, and decides to help her family.
• 🏡 Irmingard returns to her family with enough money to pay off the mortgage and save their farm from Squire Hardman.
• 🤵‍♂️ Jack Manley returns with a bride of his own, Bridget Goldstein, and asks Squire Hardman for a loan to start a new life on the farm.
• 👶 A surprising twist occurs when Mrs. Van Ity recognizes Irmingard's mother, Hannah Stubbs, as the nurse who stole her baby 28 years ago, suggesting a deeper connection between them.

Q & A

What is the name of the protagonist in the story?

The protagonist's name is Irmingard Stubbs, though she was originally named Ethel Armagard.

Why did Irmingard's father persuade her to change her name?

He persuaded her to drop the prenomen 'Ethel' after the passage of the 18th amendment because it reminded him of 'ethyl alcohol', which made him thirsty.

What is the primary occupation of Irmingard's father?

Her father, Hyam Stubbs, is a poor but honest farmer and a bootlegger in Hogden, Vermont.

What is the main conflict in the story?

The main conflict revolves around Squire Hardman's desire to marry Irmingard for her father's farm, which he believes contains a vein of gold, and Jack Manley's love for her.

How does Squire Hardman plan to force Irmingard to marry him?

Squire Hardman threatens to foreclose the mortgage on her family's farm if Irmingard does not agree to marry him.

What does Jack Manley do when he learns about Squire Hardman's intentions?

Jack Manley decides to go to the city to make a fortune so that he can save the farm and marry Irmingard.

How does Irmingard end up in the city?

Irmingard is tricked by Alon Reginal Jones into eloping with him to the city, but after discovering his infidelity, she pushes him out of the train window and is left alone.

What happens to Irmingard after she is left alone in the city?

Irmingard struggles to find work and ends up sleeping on park benches and eating from the bread line until she is adopted by a wealthy woman named Miss Vanitty.

How does Irmingard resolve the conflict with Squire Hardman?

Irmingard returns to the farm with a large sum of money to pay off the mortgage and foil Squire Hardman's plans.

What is the final twist in the story involving Miss Vanitty?

The final twist is that Miss Vanitty recognizes Hannah Stubbs as the nurse who stole her baby 28 years ago, revealing that Irmingard is actually her long-lost daughter.

How does the story conclude?

The story concludes with Irmingard choosing to marry Squire Hardman for his wealth and the gold he discovered, despite her previous refusals.

Outlines

00:00

🌾 Introduction to the Story

The story is set in the public domain and introduces the characters and setting. It tells of a simple country girl named Irmingard Stubs, who is the daughter of a poor but honest farmer and bootlegger in Vermont. Her name was originally Ethel Armagard, but her father convinced her to change it due to the association with ethyl alcohol. She is described as being quite beautiful and sought after by two suitors: the wealthy and elderly Squire Hardman, who has discovered a gold vein on her father's land, and Jack Manley, a handsome young man with whom she shares a mutual affection. The story sets up the conflict between the two suitors and the potential danger to Irmingard's future.

05:02

💔 Complications Arise

The story continues with Squire Hardman's villainous plan to force Irmingard's hand in marriage by threatening to foreclose on her family's farm. Despite her parents' concern that her affections may be elsewhere, Hardman is determined to make her his wife. Meanwhile, Jack Manley, the young lover, vows to protect Irmingard and save the farm by going to the city to make his fortune. The narrative also describes how Hardman kidnaps Irmingard and holds her captive, further complicating the situation and heightening the tension in the story.

10:04

🚂 City Adventures and Betrayal

Irmingard is tricked by a sophisticated city man, Alon Reginal Jones, who persuades her to elope with him. However, she discovers a love letter from another woman in his pocket and, in a fit of anger, pushes him out of a moving train. Left alone in the city, she struggles to survive and find work, eventually being taken in by a wealthy woman who mistakes her for her long-lost daughter. This section of the story explores Irmingard's resilience and the unexpected turns her life takes as she navigates the challenges of city life.

15:06

🏡 Resolution and Reunions

The story concludes with a series of surprising revelations and reunions. Irmingard returns to her family's farm with enough money to save it from foreclosure, thanks to the gold discovered on their land. Squire Hardman is outwitted and defeated, and Jack Manley returns with a new bride, revealing that he was unable to pay off the mortgage as he had hoped. The story also introduces a twist when Miss Vanitty, the wealthy woman who took Irmingard in, recognizes her as her long-lost daughter, leading to an emotional reunion. The narrative ends with Irmingard securing her future and the future of her family.

Keywords

💡LibriVox

LibriVox is a platform that offers free public domain audiobooks read by volunteers from around the world. In the context of the video script, it is mentioned as the source of the recording, indicating that the story is in the public domain and freely available for listening.

💡Bootlegger

A bootlegger is someone who illegally sells or transports alcoholic beverages, especially during times of prohibition. In the script, Hyam Stubs is described as a 'poor but honest farmer Bootlegger,' suggesting he is involved in the illegal production and sale of alcohol, which is a central plot point as his alcohol contains 'methyl or wood alcohol' instead of 'ethyl alcohol.'

💡Amoeba

An amoeba is a single-celled organism, part of the protozoan family, often used metaphorically to describe someone or something that is simple or unsophisticated. In the script, the name 'Ard' is a play on words, originally 'Ethel Armagard,' but changed to 'Irmagard' to avoid the association with 'ethyl alcohol,' reflecting the bootlegging theme and the rural, unsophisticated setting.

💡Mendacious

Mendacious means being untruthful or tending to tell lies. In the script, it is used to describe the villagers' disbelief of Irmgard's claimed age, suggesting a theme of deception and the lengths people will go to maintain a certain image or avoid the truth.

💡Squire

A squire is a title for a man of rank below a knight, often associated with landownership and wealth. Squire Hardman in the script is a wealthy and villainous character who seeks to marry Irmgard for her father's land, illustrating themes of power, greed, and manipulation.

💡Mortgage

A mortgage is a loan secured by real estate, with the land or property used as collateral. In the script, Squire Hardman threatens to foreclose on the Stubs' mortgage, which is a source of tension and conflict, highlighting the vulnerability of the family and the squire's ruthlessness.

💡Villain

A villain is a character in a story who does evil deeds or acts as an antagonist. Squire Hardman is referred to as the 'villain' in the script, emphasizing his role as the primary source of conflict and the force that drives the plot forward.

💡Eloping

Eloping refers to running away with a lover to get married secretly, often against others' wishes. In the script, Irmgard is persuaded to elope with Alon Reginal Jones, which leads to a series of unfortunate events and illustrates themes of love, betrayal, and the consequences of impulsive actions.

💡Cabaret

A cabaret is a form of entertainment featuring music, song, dance, and sometimes comedy, often in a nightclub setting. In the script, Irmgard is offered a job as a dishwasher in a 'fashionable and depraved Cabaret,' reflecting her struggles and the moral dilemmas she faces in the city.

💡Fate

Fate refers to events that are believed to be predetermined and outside human control. The script's ending, where Miss Vanitty recognizes Irmgard as her long-lost daughter, is described as 'Fate,' suggesting that despite the chaos and misadventures, a higher power or destiny is at play.

💡Prosperity

Prosperity means the state of being successful, thriving, or flourishing, often in a financial sense. In the script, Irmgard's return with a 'colossal roll of bills' symbolizes prosperity and is a turning point in the story, resolving the family's financial troubles and the conflict with Squire Hardman.

Highlights

Introduction of the story 'Sweet Mingard' by H.P. Lovecraft, published in 1917.

Irmingard Stubbs, a rustic maid, is the daughter of a poor but honest farmer and bootlegger in Vermont.

Her father persuades her to change her name from Ethel Armagard to drop the association with ethyl alcohol.

Irmingard is sought after by two suitors, Squire Hardman and Jack Manley, each with their own intentions.

Squire Hardman discovers a vein of gold on the Stubbs' farm and plots to marry Irmingard for her family's wealth.

Jack Manley, the other suitor, is shy but eventually confesses his love to Irmingard.

Irmingard and Jack plan to marry, despite Squire Hardman's sinister designs.

Squire Hardman, in his villainy, kidnaps Irmingard and holds her captive to force her into marriage.

Irmingard remains steadfast in her refusal to marry Squire Hardman.

Squire Hardman, realizing the futility of his pursuit of Irmingard, decides to foreclose on the farm instead.

Irmingard escapes and returns home, only to find her family facing the loss of their home.

A city man, Alon Reginal Jones, deceives Irmingard and convinces her to elope with him.

Irmingard discovers Alon's infidelity and pushes him out of a train window, deciding to return home.

Alone in the city, Irmingard struggles to find work and ends up living on park benches.

Irmingard is adopted by a wealthy woman, Mrs. Vanitty, after returning a lost purse.

Irmingard returns to her hometown with enough money to save the farm from foreclosure.

Jack Manley returns, having failed to make his fortune, but is reunited with Irmingard.

Mrs. Vanitty recognizes Irmingard as her long-lost daughter, Mod, and the story concludes with a twist of fate.

Irmingard chooses wealth and security over love, marrying Squire Hardman to secure the gold.

Transcripts

this is a LibriVox recording all

LibriVox recordings are in the public

domain for more information or for how

you can participate please visit

librivox.org sweet

mingard by HP Lovecraft published

1917 read by Seth Woodworth audio

production AJ major sweet Ard or the

heart of a Country Girl by Percy simple

chapter one a simple rustic maid

irmingard stubs was the beest blonde

daughter of hyam stubs a poor but honest

farmer Bootlegger of hogden

Vermont her name was originally Ethel

armagard but her father persuaded her to

drop the prenomen after the passage of

the 18th amendment avering that it made

him thirsty by reminding him of ethyl

alcohol

c2h5 his own products contained mostly

methyl or wood alcohol

ch3oh irmagard confessed to 16 Summers

and branded as mendacious all reports to

the fact that she was 30 she had large

black eyes a prominent Roman nose light

hair which was never dark at the roots

except when the local drugstore was

short on supplies and a beautiful but

inexpensive complexion she was about 5'

3.33 in tall weighed

11547 lb on her father's copy scales

also of them and was adjudged most

Lovely by all the village swains who

admired her father's farm and liked his

liquid

crops iring guard's hand was sought in

matrimony by Two arit Lovers Squire

Hardman who had a mortgage on his old

home was very rich and elderly he was

dark and cruy handsome and always rode

horseback and carried a riding crop long

had he sought the radiant iring guard

and now his ardor was fanned to a fever

Heat by secret known to him alone for

upon the humble acers of farmer stubs he

discovered a vein of Rich gold aha said

he I will win the Maiden air her parent

knows of his unexpected wealth and join

to my fortune a greater Fortune

still and so he began to call twice a

week instead of once as before but alas

for the Sinister Designs of a villain

Squire Hardman was not the only Suitor

for the fair one close by The Village

dwelt another the Handsome Jack Manley

whose curly yellow hair had won the

sweet ard's affection when both were

toddling youngsters at the Village

School Jack had long been too bashful to

declare his p passion but one day while

strolling along a Shady Lane by The Old

Mill with herard he found the courage to

utter which was within his

heart oh light of my life said he my

soul is so overburdened that I must

speak Ard my ideal he pronounced it

ideal life has become an empty thing

without you beloved of my spirit Behold

our supplicant kneeling in the dust

before thee Ard oh Ard raise me to a

heaven of joy and say that you will

someday be mine it is true that I am

poor but have I not Youth and strength

to fight my way to fame this can I only

do for you dear Ethel pardon me Ard my

only my most precious but here he paused

to wipe his eyes and mop his brow and

the fair

responded Jack my angel at last I mean

this is so unexpected and quite

unprecedented I had never dream that you

entertain Sentiments of affection and

connection with one so lovely as farmer

stub's child for I am still but a child

such is your natural nobility that I

feared I mean thought that you would be

blind to such slight charms as I possess

that you would seek your fortune in the

great City where meeting and weding one

of those moely damsels whose Splendor we

observe in fashion books but Jack since

it is really I who you adore let us wave

all needless circum looc Jack my darling

my heart has long been susceptible to

your manly Graces I cherish an affection

for thee consider me thy own own and be

sure to buy the ring at perin's hardware

store where they have the nice initation

diamonds in the

window Ard my love Jack my precious my

darling my own my God

curtain chapter 2 and the villain still

pursued

her but these tender passages sacred

though their fervor did not pass

unobserved by profane eyes for crouched

in the bushes and gritting his teeth was

his dastardly Squire Hardman when the

lovers had finally strolled away he

leapt out into the lane viciously

twirling his mustache and riding crop

and kicking an unquestionably innocent

cat who is also out

strolling curses he cried Hardman not

the cat I am foiled in my plot to get

the farm and the girl but Jack Manley

shall never succeed I am a man of power

and we shall

see thereupon he repaired to the humble

stubs Cottage where he found the fond

father in The Still Cellar washing

bottles under the supervision of the

gentle wife and mother Hannah stubs

coming directly to the point the villain

spoke Pharma stubs I cherish a tender

affection for of long standing for your

lovely Offspring Ethel mingard I am

consumed with love and wish her hand in

matrimony always a man of few words I

shall not descend euphemism give me the

girl I will foreclose the morge and take

the old

home but sir pleaded the distracted Subs

while his stricken spouse merely

glowered I'm sure the child's affection

are elsewhere

placed she must be mine sternly snapped

the Sinister Squire I will make her love

me None Shall resist my will either she

must become my wife or the Old Homestead

goes and with the sneer and flick of his

writing crop Squire Hardman strowed out

into the night scarce had he departed

when there entered by the back door the

radiant lovers eager to tell the senior

stubes of their new fond happiness

imagine the universal consternation

which rained when all was known tears

flowed like white ale till suddenly Jack

remembers that he was the hero and

raised his head declaiming an

appropriately verile accents never shall

the fair Ard be offered up to this Beast

as a sacrifice while I live I shall

protect her she is mine mine mine and

then some fear not dear father and

mother to be I will defend you all you

shall have the Old Farm still adverb uh

not noun although Jack was by no means

out of sympathy for stub's kind of form

produce and I shall lead to the altar

the beus armagard loveliest of her sex

to predition with the cruel Squire in

his ill-gotten gold the right shall

always win and the hero is always in the

right I will go to the great City and

there make a fortune to save you all a

The Mortgage fall due farewell my love I

leave you now in tears but I shall

return to pay off the mortgage and claim

you as my bride Jack my protector hery

My Sweet Roll

dearest darling don't forget the ring at

Perkins oh ah

curtain chapter 3 a dastardly

act by the resourceful Squire Hardman

was not so easily to be foiled close by

The Village lay a disreputable

settlement of unkempt Shacks populated

by a shiftless scum who lived by

thieving and other odd jobs here the

devilish villain secured two accomplices

ill-favored fellows who are very clearly

no gentlemen and in the night the evil

three broke into stub's Cottage and

adopted the or Ard taking her to a

wretched Hub in the settlement and

placing her there under the charge of

Mother Maria a hideous old hag farmer

stubs was quite distracted and would

have advertised in the papers if the

cost had been less than a scent a word

for each insertion herard was firm and

never wavered in refusal to Wed the

villain aha my proud Beauty quoth he I

have ye in my power and sooner or later

I will break that will of thine

meanwhile think of your poor old father

and mother as turned out of Hearth and

Home and w ing us helpless Through The

Meadows oh spare them spare them said

the maiden never ha leared The

Brute and so the cruel days sped on

while all in ignorance Young Jack Manley

was seeking fame and fortune in the

great

City chapter four subtle

villainy one day as Squire Hardman sat

in the front parar of his expensive and

placial home indulging in his favorite

pastime of nashing his teeth and

swishing his writing crop a great

thought came to him and he cursed aloud

at the Statue of Satan on the onx

mantlepiece fool that I am he cried why

would I ever waste all this trouble on

the girl when I can get the farm by

simply foreclosing I never thought of

that I let the girl go take the farm and

be free to read some Fair City made like

the leading lady of the burlesque Troop

that played last week at Town Hall and

so he went down to the settlement

apologized to Ard let her go home and

went home himself to plot new crimes and

invent new modes of

villainy the days war on and the subses

grew very sad over the coming loss of

their home and still but nobody seemed

to be able to do anything about it one

day a party of hunters from the city

chaned to stray over the Old Farm and

one of them found Gold hiding his

Discovery from his companions he fed

rattlesnake bite and went to the stub's

cottage for Aid of the usual kind herard

opened the door and saw him he also saw

her and in that moment resolved the

winner and the gold for my old mother's

sake I must he cried loudly to himself

no rice is too

great chapter 5 the city

chap algon Reginal Jones was a polished

man of the world from the great City and

in his sophisticated hands our poor

little Ard was as a mere child one could

almost believe that 16-year-old stuff

algae was a fast worker and never crude

he could have taught Hardman a thing or

two about finesse and

shrieking thus only a week after his

Advent to the stubs Family Circle where

he lurked like a vile serpent that he

was he had persuaded the heroin to elope

it was in the night that she went

leaving a note to her parents sniffing

the familiar mash the last time and

kissing the cat goodbye touching stuff

on the train alanon became sleepy and

slumped down in his seat allowing a

paper to fall out of his pocket by

accident Ard taking advantage of her

supposed position as bride-elect picked

up the folded sheet and read its

perfumed expanse when low she almost

fainted it was a love letter from a

another

woman perfidious deceiver she whispered

to the sleeping alganon so this is all

that you were boasted Fidelity amounts

to I'm done with you for all

eternity so saying she pushed him out

the window and settled down for a much

needed

rest chapter 6 alone in the great City

when the noisy train pulled out into the

dark station at the city poor helpless

mingard was all alone without money to

get back to hogden oh why she SED

innocent regret didn't I take his

pocketbook before I pushed him out oh

well I should worry he told me all about

this city so I can easily earn enough to

get home if not pay off the mortgage but

alas for our little heroin work is not

easy for a greenhorn to secure so for a

week she was forced to sleep on park

benches and obtain food from the bread

line once a wly and wicked person

perceiving her helplessness offered her

position as a dishwasher in a

fashionable and depraved Cabaret but our

heroin was true to her rustic ideals and

refused to work in such a gilded and

glittering PR of frivolity especially

since she was only offered $3 a week

with meals but no

boor she tried to look up Jack Manley

her onetime lover but he was nowhere to

be found per chance too he would not

have known her for in her poverty she

had perforce become a brunette again and

Jack had not beheld her in such stes

since school

days one day she found a neat but costly

purse in the dark and after seeing there

was not much in it took it to the rich

lady whose card proclaimed her ownership

delighted beyond words at her honesty of

this forlorn Wai the aristocratic M van

ity adopted irmingard to replace the

little one who had been stolen from her

so many years ago how like my precious

mod she sighed as she watched the fair

brunette return to

blondness and so several weeks passed

with the old folks at home tearing their

hair and the wicked Squire Hardman

chuckling

devilishly chapter 7 Happ ever

afterward one day the wealthy ays Ard s

vany hired a new second assistant

chauffeur struck by something familiar

in his face she looked again and gasped

low it was none other than the

perfidious Alon Regal Jones whom she had

pushed from a car window on that fateful

day he had survived this much was almost

immediately evident also he had wed the

other woman who had run away with his

Milkman and all the money in the house

now holy humbled he asked forgiveness of

our heroin and confided to her the whole

tale of the gold of her father's Farm

moved beyond words she raised his salary

a dollar a month and resolved to gratify

at last that always unquenchable anxiety

to relieve the worry of the old folks so

one bright day mingard motored back to

hogden and arrived at the farm just as

Squire Hardman was foreclosing the

mortgage and ordering the old folks out

stay villain she cried flashing a

colossal roll of bills you are foiled at

last here is your money now go and never

darken our humble door again Then

followed a joyous reunion whilst The

Squire twisted his mustache and riding

crop in bafflement and dismay but hark

what is this footsteps sound on the old

gravel walk and who should appear but

our hero Jack Manley worn and seedy but

radiant of face seeking at once the

downcast villain he said Squire lend me

a t spot will you I just come back from

the city with my beest bride the fair

Bridget Goldstein I need something to

start things off on the Old Farm then

turning to the stubes he apologized for

his inability to pay off the mortgage he

has

agreed don't mention it said mingard

Prosperity has come to us and I will

consider it sufficient payment if you

will forget forever the foolish fancies

of our

childhood all this time miss van ity had

been sitting in the motor waiting for

iring guard but as she lazily eyed the

sharp faced Hannah stubs a vague memory

startled from the back of her brain then

it all came to her and she shrieked

accusingly at the agrestic matron you

you Hanah Smith I know you now 28 years

ago when you were my baby Mod's nurse

and you stole her from the cradle where

oh where is my child then a thought came

as the lightning in a murky

Sky mingard you say she is your

daughter she is mine Fate has restored

to me my old Shield my tiny motti

mingard motti come to your mother's

loving arm

arms but herard was doing some tall

thinking how could she get away with the

16-year-old stuff has she' been stolen

28 years ago and if she was not stub's

daughter the gold would never be hers

but miss van itti was rich but Squire

Hardman was richer so approaching the

dejected villain she Afflicted upon him

the last terrible punishment Squire dear

she murmured I reconsider it all I love

you and your naive strength marry me at

once or I will have you prosecuted for

kidnapping me last year foreclose your

mortgage and enjoy with me the gold your

cleverness discovered come dear and the

poor dub did the

end