The Widow's Mite by Anthony Trollope
At the rectory of Plumstock, in Cheshire, Mr. Granger the rector, his wife, and their circle debate how to relieve the suffering caused by the cotton famine. Bob and Charley, the rector's sons, argue over calculations for how much money could be raised if the country gave up its Christmas dinner; their father dismisses such schemes and instead devotes himself relentlessly to collecting alms — five-pound notes, sovereigns, shillings, and pence — for the Liverpool relief committee, undeterred by his neighbours' reluctance. Nora Field, Mrs. Granger's niece, is soon to marry Frederic F. Frew, a Pennsylvanian of strong Democratic and anti-English sentiment but genuine affection for Nora. Mrs. Granger teasingly insists that Nora, though not literally a widow, can still be one "with two mites" — meaning she can make a true sacrifice, however small, if she chooses. Nora seizes on the idea: having only her uncle's cloak and her small inheritance from a grandaunt, she wonders how she might give something that costs her real want, as the biblical widow did. Frew visits each weekend, sparring with Mr. Granger over American politics — McClellan, the Democrats, and the war — until the rector routinely escapes by fleeing the room. One evening, Nora half-jokingly proposes postponing her marriage by a year as her offering, but Frew refuses to hear of it. She then resolves instead to give up her wedding clothes — the white silk dress, veil, and bridal wreath already ordered — and donate the money, about twenty pounds, to her uncle's relief fund. She first tells her uncle, who is moved but warns her that a bridegroom has a right to expect his bride "fairly arrayed." She then confronts Frew, who is initially reluctant and offers to give her twenty pounds himself so she need not sacrifice anything of her own — an offer she refuses, insisting the mite must come from her, not him. He eventually consents, though without real enthusiasm, still privately holding forth on theories of charity and self-sufficiency that he expounds at the breakfast table until Mr. Granger again escapes. The scheme meets resistance from Mrs. Granger and the two Miss Fosters, who are to be bridesmaids and feel cheated of the usual occasion for new dresses; Bob approves, Charley mocks. Old Mr. Foster alone commends Nora's sense. Gradually the objections soften, and the Miss Fosters agree to attend in their ordinary Sunday bonnets. On the morning of 12 January, Nora is married at eight o'clock in her everyday travelling dress, with no veil, wreath, or new gloves — even Charley arrives without gloves at all. The company, wrapped in shawls and greatcoats against the cold, finds the wedding no less affectionate or complete for its plainness; by the time of the wedding breakfast, no one remembers to miss the finery. The twenty pounds saved is duly paid into Mr. Granger's hands for the relief fund. As she prepares to leave for London and then America, Nora tells her aunt she feels she has failed after all to achieve real widowhood: the sacrifice cost her nothing, since gaining Frew outweighed anything given up. Mrs. Granger reports this exchange to her husband, who reflects that perhaps the biblical widow herself lost nothing in spirit by her gift, since what is given rightly returns "with interest." Mrs. Granger answers only that she wishes her coals would come back, to which her husband suggests she may not have given them in the right spirit.
By Anthony Trollope · First published 1870 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Drama, Social Commentary · 12,287 words
First lines
"But I'm not a widow, and I haven't got two mites. "
"My dear, you are a widow, and you have got two mites. "
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The Widow's Mite is listed on Textopian as a novella by Anthony Trollope, dated 1870 CE.
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- Work type: Novella
- Author: Anthony Trollope
- Date: 1870 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Drama, Social Commentary, Classic Literature
- Length: 12,287 words
- Structure: 1 section, 276 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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Genres
- Historical Fiction — The novel is set in a historical context and is flavored by the everyday events and costumes of that period.
- Drama — The book portrays the personal lives, experiences, and emotional struggles of its characters, common aspects of drama.
- Social Commentary — The book offers criticisms and insights about the social norms and societal structures of its time.
- Classic Literature — The book is considered as one of the important works in English Literature and has stood the test of time.
Tags
charity · poverty · morality · sacrifice · faith · religion · social justice · class disparity · human nature · altruism · victimhood · redemption