More than any other writer, Thomas Nelson Page created the elegiac image of the “Old South,” a garden world of noble cavaliers and faithful retainers that has left its mark on the popular imagination to this day. The popularity of these stories, told with such sincere charm and affection, helped greatly to heal the wounds of the nation, restoring to the defeated South a sense of pride in its culture, and reminding Northern audiences of the virtues of their former foes. Representing the finest of page’s writings, these evocations of both the pre-war and post-war South are told by the freed men and women who are its particular heroes.

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Reflecting the ideals of the Lost Cause literary movement—which aimed to celebrate the culture of the American South following the American Civil War—Thomas Nelson Page’s short story, “Marse Chan: The Tale of Old Virginia” paints an idyllic vision of plantation life prior to the outbreak of war. Opening with a northerner’s arrival in Virginia, the narrative is quickly taken up by the former slave Sam, whose tales glorify his former master, Tom Channing, and the once glorious and prosperous Channing Plantation. Recognized today as one of Page’s most prominent works, “Marse Chan” reflects the complex ideology of life in post-Civil War America, and conveys the chivalry and romance that Page held as essential to life in the South—and which he also believed were destroyed by the aftermath of the Civil War. HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.