A pixy in petticoats by John Trevena
"A pixy in petticoats" by John Trevena is a novel written in the early 20th century. Set on Dartmoor, it blends lyrical nature writing, village satire, and a gently comic romance as solitary scholar John Burrough is unsettled by the audacious Beatrice Pentreath and the rumor-prone moorland community. Expect flirtatious banter, excursions across bog and tor, and a wry look at love, loneliness, and respectability. The opening of the novel follows John
Burrough to a hidden riverside nook where a dainty footprint and a golden hairpin ignite his infatuation before he even meets the intruder. He soon encounters Beatrice—a quick, teasing Cornish girl—sparring lightly outside the vicarage and later walking with her as they trade jests about village gossip, painting, and his “crooked” little house. Amid vivid descriptions of the moor, a comic sketch of locals (notably Ann Cobbledick and her indolent, “scholarly” son Willum) shows how fast scandal grows. John and Beatrice share an improvised tea in a rocky “devil’s kitchen,” christen their secret retreat “Blissland,” and exchange a playful fairy-tale allegory about wealth, learning, and devotion that hints at their differences. They part with the promise of another meeting, while John returns to his cottage, torn between work and desire, confiding his turmoil to his cat. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Trevena, John, 1870-1948 |
|---|---|
| Title | A pixy in petticoats |
| Original Publication | New York: Moffat, Yard & Company, 1909. |
| Credits | an anonymous Project Gutenberg volunteer |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PR: Language and Literatures: English literature |
| Subject | Dartmoor (England) -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 77956 |
| Release Date | Feb 16, 2026 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 255 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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