Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction; Short stories
“The intelligence of Mrs. Trevor's death has given me a great shock of
regret, and you will allow me to express my sympathy. Many men not given
to enthusiasm had told me of her face and goodness, and before I had
seen your wife I knew she was a very perfect type of womanliness The few
times I met her, Mrs. Trevor cast a certain spell over me--the nameless
grace of the former days--and I felt myself unworthy in her presence.
Once when a silly woman referred to one of the most miserable examples
of decadent fiction, your wife spoke so nobly of true literature that I
was moved to thank her, but I gathered from her face that this would not
be acceptable. It seemed to me that the mask had fallen from a beautiful
soul, and one man at least, in whom there is too little reverence, took
the shoes from off his feet. Pardon me if I have exceeded, and
“Believe me,
“Yours faithfully,
“Bernard Fynical.”
The next was from the F.R.S.
“My dear Sir,--
“It is quite wrong for me, a stranger, to intrude on your grief, but I
am compelled to tell you that an old fellow who only spoke to your wife
once, had to wipe his spectacles over the _Times_ this morning. It came
about this way. The lady I had taken in to dinner at the Browne-Smythes
gabbled about science till I lost my temper, and told her it would be a
good thing if women would keep to their own sphere. Your wife was on
the other side, and I turned to her in despair. She delighted me by
confessing utter ignorance of my subject, and then she won my heart
by some of the loveliest stories of peasant life in Devonshire I ever
heard, so full of insight and delicacy. If the parsons preached like
that I would be in church next Sunday. She put me in mind of a sister I
lost long ago--who had the same low, soft voice and honest, trusty eyes.
When she found I was a lonely man, your wife had pity on me, and asked
me to call on her. But I had to go to America, and only returned two
days ago. I intended to wish her a Happy New Year, but it's too late.
I cannot get you out of my mind, and I thought it might comfort you to
know how a fossil like myself was melted by that kind heart “Believe me,
my dear sir,
“Your obedient servant,
“Archibald Gilmore.”
The third was also from a man, but this time a lad in rooms whom Trevor
had seen at the house.
“Dear Mr. Trevor,--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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