Margaret Oliphant - The Rector: "Good works may only be beautiful sins, if they are not done in a true spirit"

Margaret Oliphant Wilson's life was marked by both literary achievement and profound personal tragedy. After publishing her first novel in 1849, she established a successful writing career, which became her sole means of support following the death of her husband from tuberculosis. Despite the loss of three children and ongoing family struggles, she continued to write prolifically, gaining a significant readership. Her later years were overshadowed by grief, culminating in the deaths of her remaining sons, leading to a decline in her health until her passing in 1897.