Timothy Shay Arthur (June 6, 1809 – March 6, 1885) was a popular 19th-century American author, most famous for his temperance novel, Ten Nights in a Bar-Room and What I Saw There (1854). His novel, which demonized alcohol and the evils of over-consumption, held great sway over the American public and moved the temperance movement further ahead. He wrote a large number of short stories, which were printed in Godey's Lady's Book -- the most popular antebellum era magazine in America. His prolific stories and novels promoted the sound values, beliefs and habits of the well mannered middle-class. One of our favorites, An Angel in Disguise, is featured in our collection of 20 Great American Short Stories.
