James Jenkins the Miser (1822)
Anonymous
Edited by James D. Jenkins
The first ever reprinting of this rare tale, originally published in The Marvellous Magazine, a short-lived Dublin-based periodical. This reprinting marks something of an historical event, as it is likely the first time that a real-life miser has edited a book about a fictional miser bearing the same name.
The story follows James Jenkins, "who cared for nobody, and nobody cared about him". Jenkins lives in a hovel and is believed to be in league with demons. Owing to his loathsome appearance and his perceived supernatural abilities, the local villagers keep a safe distance, with the exception of the horrid witch Mother Folliott, who relentlessly taunts him.
One day the horrible Jenkins loses a coin, which he chases down a pit, where he discovers an ancient tomb, filled with treasure. But his cruelty and lust for gold will lead to a terrible fate (and a wonderful moral lesson for 19th and 21st century readers).
Bearing a similarity to other Gothic tales, such as The Witch of Ravensworth, James Jenkins the Miser is an interesting example of the type of Gothicized fiction that proliferated in magazines, even after the supposed decline of the Gothic novel in the early 1820s. This edition is newly typeset in an 18th century font, complete with long 's' and other fun, archaic typographical features to enhance the modern reading experience.
