Life's Little Ironies
by Thomas Hardy
Life's Little Ironies (1894), which includes, A Few Crusty Characters is a set of tales with some colloquial sketches, set in Essex, England. It's one of Hardy's lesser known works, but a gem. Portrait of Thomas Hardy by William Strang, 1893.
For Conscience' Sake - Chapter I
For Conscience' Sake - Chapter II
For Conscience' Sake - Chapter III
A Tragedy of Two Ambitions - Chapter I
A Tragedy of Two Ambitions - Chapter II
A Tragedy of Two Ambitions - Chapter III
A Tragedy of Two Ambitions - Chapter IV
A Tragedy of Two Ambitions - Chapter V
On the Western Circuit - Chapter I
On the Western Circuit - Chapter II
On the Western Circuit - Chapter III
On the Western Circuit - Chapter IV
On the Western Circuit - Chapter V
On the Western Circuit - Chapter VI
To Please His Wife - Chapter I
To Please His Wife - Chapter II
To Please His Wife - Chapter III
The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion - Chapter I
The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion - Chapter II
The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion - Chapter III
The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion - Chapter IV
The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion - Chapter V
A Tradition of Eighteen Hundred and Four