Two weddings, Two evil outlaws, and Two more Come-By-Chance women in the family way! Cultured, elegant German twins, Ava and Ina Biermann, arrive in town to marry the Carmichaels, and Jed and Jethro couldn’t be happier. But their ma, Penny – toughest and best fighter in the history of Tent Boxing, and all ’round good ol’ gal – ain’t happy about it at all. For one thing, she figures those girls too dang pretty – and for another, their long slender musicians’ fingers look too useless to do any real work. On top of all that, Opal’s father, the horrible Otis Trigger, has found out where she is! He’s on his way to Come-By-Chance to take his revenge on his daughter, and rob the bank while he’s at it. Trigger’s found just the right man to help him too, and busted the man out of jail – all legal-like. Yes, it’s the diabolical Slim Jim Murdoch. And the evil man has had plenty of time to plot his revenge on the decent Come-By-Chance townsfolk. Trigger and Slim Jim are not about to let a pair of long-fingered musicians, the Wilkinsons, ol’ Wally Davis, the Sheriff and Opal, or the rest of the Come-By-Chance crew stand in their way! The Come-By-Chance books are jam-packed with gun-totin’ adventure, intrigue and true love, all set in 1880s frontier America. If it’s love and adventure you’re after, download “Ava & Ina” right now, set yourself down on the porch in your favorite rocker, and get to know the folks of Come-By-Chance for yourself! Come-By-Chance Brides of 1885 Book 1. Opal – The Outlaw and the Sheriff Who Loved Her Book 2. Coral – The Widow and the Man Who Loved Horses Book 3. ​Ava & Ina – The Twins and the Fist-Fightin’ Cowboys Book 4. Lillie – The Orphan and the Grief-Stricken Groomsman Book 5. Pearl – The Divorcee and the Wedding-Shy Dabster Coming Soon: Book 6. Jane – The Modern Miss and the Preacher's Mighty Conundrum

In early Victorian England, there was an intense debate about whether government involvement in the provision of popular elementary education was appropriate. Government did in the end become actively involved, first in the administration of schools and in the supervision of instruction, then in establishing and administering compulsory schooling laws. After a century of stagnation, literacy rates rose markedly. While increasing government involvement would seem to provide the most obvious explanation for this rise, David F. Mitch seeks to demonstrate that, in fact, popular demand was also an important force behind the growth in literacy. Although previous studies have looked at public policy in detail, and although a few have considered popular demand. The Rise of Popular Literacy in Victorian England is the first book to bring together a detailed examination of the two sets of factors. Mitch compares the relative importance of the rise of popular demand for literacy and the development of educational policy measures by the church and state as contributing factors that led to the rise of working class literacy during the Victorian period. He uses an economic-historical approach based on an examination of changes in the costs and benefits of acquiring literacy. Mitch considers the initial demand of the working classes for literacy and how much that demand grew. He also examines how literacy rates were influenced by the development of a national system of elementary school provision and by the establishment of compulsory schooling laws. Mitch uses quantitative methods and evidence as well as more traditional historical sources such as government reports, employment ads, and contemporary literature. An important reference is a national sample of over 8,000 marriage certificates from the mid-Victorian period that provides information on the ability of brides and grooms to sign their names. The Rise of Popular Literacy in Victorian England is a valuable text for students and scholars of British, economic, and labor history, history of literacy and education, and popular culture.