Fardorougha, The Miser The Works of William Carleton, Volume One

"Fardorougha, The Miser" by William Carleton is a story from the 1800s that follows Fardorougha Donovan, a very cheap man whose life takes a turn when he and his wife have a baby after waiting a long time. The story looks at how much Fardorougha loves money, but also how much he loves his family, and how tough it is to balance wanting wealth with showing affection, especially as we see the Donovan family deal with each other and their neighbors. The book starts with Fardorougha and his wife, Honora, excited about their soon-to-arrive baby, and someone is going to help Honora deliver the baby, showing how Fardorougha is torn between his money problems and the happiness of becoming a dad. The arguments show how Honora is happy and waiting, while Fardorougha is worried about spending money, which starts a deeper look at how Fardorougha's love for money affects his personality and how he relates to his family.