The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.
“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?
’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)
“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?
’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)
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Chapters
- Chapter 1
Chapter 1 – The Dance
39:05 - Chapter 2
Chapter 2 – The Widow Hullin’s House
41:03 - Chapter 3
Chapter 3 – The Pantechnicol
44:29 - Chapter 4
Chapter 4 – The Wrecking of a Life
36:20 - Chapter 5
Chapter 5 – The Mercantile Marine
43:05 - Chapter 6
Chapter 6 – His Burglary
39:40 - Chapter 7
Chapter 7 – The Rescuer of Dames
40:50 - Chapter 8
Chapter 8 – Raising a Wigwam
43:24 - Chapter 9
Chapter 9 – The Great Newspaper War
36:39 - Chapter 10
Chapter 10 – His Infamy
41:35 - Chapter 11
Chapter 11 – In the Alps
41:09 - Chapter 12
Chapter 12 – The Supreme Honour
31:02