Book excerpt: A Widow's Tale and Other Stories was originally published in 1898. It contains an introductory biography by J. M. Barrie. Stories include: A Widow's Tale, Queen Eleanor and Fair Rosamond, Madamoiselle, The Lily and the Thorn, The Strange Adventures of John Percival, The Story of a Wedding-Tour, John, The Whirl of youth and The Heirs of Kellie. Margaret Oliphant was a Scottish novelist and historical writer, who usually wrote as Mrs. Oliphant. During her career she wrote more than 120 works, including novels travelogues, histories and volumes of literary criticism. Two of her better-known fictional works are Miss Marjoribanks (1866) and Phoebe Junior (1876). Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, with a new introductory biography.