12mo. 32pp, [4]. With two terminal leaves of publisher's advertisements. Uncut. Stitched, as issued. A trifle creased.

A moralistic pamphlet published by the Christian Tract Society, recounting the story of the widow Mary Riley, who, after her husband's death, becomes self-sufficient and charitable under the guidance of God, despite her own hardship. Riley, believing that 'God is the husband of the widow, and the father of the helpless orphan', becomes known for kindness towards her neighbours: assisting an orphaned young woman in finding a new job, using first-aid to rescue a drowning boy, and becoming a strong role model for her son, upon whom she impresses Christian tenets.