The Warden

by Anthony Trollope

"The Warden" by Anthony Trollope is a novel published in 1855. Mr. Septimus Harding, a gentle clergyman, finds his peaceful life shattered when a young reformer questions whether his comfortable income as warden of a charitable almshouse is morally justified. As newspapers attack his character and legal battles loom, Harding must choose between defending his position and following his conscience—even as his daughter's romance becomes entangled in the controversy.