The Backwoods' Bride

The Backwoods' Bride: A Romance of Squatter Life

By Mrs. M. V. Victor (Beadle and Adams Dime Novel, 1900). Harry Gardiner, a gentleman of means, arrives at a frontier camp-meeting in Michigan seeking to contact intruders on his property, particularly a man named Carter. At the gathering, he observes a revival sermon of considerable emotional power, moving the assembled squatters to tears and spiritual fervor. He encounters Susan Carter, a refined seventeen-year-old girl who maintains composure during the service despite her aunt Debby's criticism. After witnessing baptisms at the lake, Harry introduces himself to Susan's father, intending to discuss land claims. The narrative portrays frontier religious life, camp-meeting dynamics, and introduces romantic tension between the educated newcomer and the backwoods settler's daughter. The text notes the moral composition of the gathering, including reformed criminals like horse-thief Jeff Grimes.