title: The Whole Family: A Novel by Twelve Authors
author:  William Dean Howells 
description: "[A] fascinating experiment in American literature. . . ." <br />--Publishers Weekly
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  # The Whole Family
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ### A Novel by Twelve Authors
  
  
  This page copyright © 2002 Munsey's.
  
  
  http://www.munseys.com
  
  I. THE FATHER
  
  
  II. THE OLD-MAID AUNT
  
  
  III. THE GRANDMOTHER
  
  
  IV. THE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW
  
  
  V. THE SCHOOL-GIRL
  
  
  VI. THE SON-IN-LAW
  
  
  VII. THE MARRIED SON
  
  
  VIII. THE MARRIED DAUGHTER
  
  
  IX. THE MOTHER
  
  
  X. THE SCHOOL-BOY
  
  
  XI. PEGGY
  
  
  XII. THE FRIEND OF THE FAMILY
  
  
  
  
  
  
       
  
  
  by William Dean Howells, Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, Mary Heaton
  
  
  Vorse, Mary Stewart Cutting, Elizabeth Jordan, John Kendrick Bangs,
  
  
  Henry James, Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, Edith Wyatt, Mary Raymond Shipman
  
  
  Andrews, Alice Brown, and Henry Van Dyke
  
  
  
      
  
  
  Etext prepared by Dianne Bean, Prescott Valley, Arizona.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ### I. THE FATHER
  
  
  
  
  
    
  by William Dean Howells
  
  
    
  As soon as we heard the pleasant news—I suppose the news of an
  
  
  engagement ought always to be called pleasant—it was decided that I
  
  
  ought to speak first about 