Adult Classic Around turn of 1900s Has hymn Abide With Me near beginning Coffin-maker, girl pregnant by higher class man, baby abandoned in woods

[Alena]

I read this book after I had just read Ben-Hur and it felt about the same style. I feel sure it's a classic. I went through a ton of classics lists sure I would recognize the title, but I guess not. I know for sure Abide With Me was at the beginning because I had just memorized that hymn and was surprised. I also know it was old, it had the feel of late 1800s early 1900s, and my copy was falling apart.

Everything else is disjointed in my mind. I feel like a character at the beginning was a carpenter making a coffin. I think there was a girl who abandoned her baby in the woods and someone heard it crying not realizing it was a baby at first. Maybe it was the father? I feel like a higher class man had gotten her pregnant but didn't realize it and felt really guilty when he found out. Maybe she had died? Or run away?

I'm sorry I don't have more. I barely remember it, but I very much remember enjoying it. Thanks!

[Kat]

As I Lay Dying starts with one of the characters, who is a carpenter, making a coffin for his mother. There's also an unwanted pregnancy, but no baby.

I don't think anything else fits, necessarily, but I thought I'd throw it out there just in case.

[Alena]

Kat wrote: "As I Lay Dying starts with one of the characters, who is a carpenter, making a coffin for his mother. There's also an unwanted pregnancy, but no baby.

I don't think anything else fits..."

No, but thank you! And that looks like a good book in any case!