Ely's Automatic Housemaid by Elizabeth W. Bellamy
QR code
"Ely's Automatic Housemaid" by Elizabeth W. Bellamy is a satirical science fiction story written in the late 19th century. The narrative centers around the character Harrison Ely, a mechanical genius who invents an automatic household servant designed to relieve families of domestic burdens. The book explores themes of modernity and the sometimes absurd consequences of technological advancements. The plot follows the protagonist who, frustrated by a series of incompetent cooks and housemaids,
decides to invest in Ely's invention. Upon receiving two mechanical servants, dubbed “Juliana” and “Bridget,” the family eagerly sets them to work, only to find themselves dealing with unexpected chaos as the machines malfunction. As the automatons engage in unpredictable antics, such as fighting over a broom and refusing to follow tasks correctly, the narrative humorously examines human reliance on machines and the notion of progress in domestic life. Ultimately, the story raises questions about the potential pitfalls of technology, while underscoring the importance of human oversight in managing devices meant to enhance daily living. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Download for free
For your e-reader or reading app — Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Calibre etc.
Kindle → Use Send-to-Kindle
Kobo, Nook etc → Transfer via USB
Phone, tablet or computer → Open in a reading app
Other formats & older devices
There may be more files related to this item.
About this eBook
| Author | Bellamy, Elizabeth W. (Elizabeth Whitfield), 1837-1900 |
|---|---|
| Title | Ely's Automatic Housemaid |
| Series Title | Produced from The Black Cat magazine, December, 1899 |
| Credits |
Produced by Tim Lindell, David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 68.7 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Housekeeping -- Fiction |
| Subject | Robots -- Fiction |
| Subject | Inventions -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 59486 |
| Release Date | May 12, 2019 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 353 downloads in the last 30 days. |
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!