In a picturesque village, Anna Voss, the most beautiful girl, is set to marry Joseph Arler, a ranger. Despite her outward joy, Anna harbors a deep fear of motherhood and the responsibilities it entails. Seeking a solution, she consults a witch, who tells her she is destined to have seven children. To avoid this fate, Anna casts away seven pips, each representing a child's soul, into a mill-stream. Overcome by remorse, she attempts to retrieve the last pip but is rescued from drowning by Joseph. Their marriage begins happily, but Anna's discontent grows as Joseph spends long hours away. She neglects household duties and resents his affection for village children, particularly a crippled boy he often entertains. Joseph expresses a desire for children, but Anna dismisses the idea. Tragedy strikes when Joseph is killed by smugglers, leaving Anna to confront her indifference towards him. In her grief, she realizes the depth of her love for him and the consequences of her actions. That night, Anna experiences a vision where she sees the children she could have had, each representing a lost opportunity due to her earlier choices. She witnesses their lives and the joy they could have brought her, but each vision fades with the realization that they do not exist because she rejected them. The visions culminate in a scene where she sees her son, who has become a successful architect, but he too is not real, as she cast away his soul. Desperate, Anna seeks refuge in the church, where she encounters a priest who condemns her for her choices. The congregation, filled with her potential descendants, reinforces her despair. Ultimately, Anna is left alone, haunted by her decisions and the life she could have had. Years later, a traveler observes an elderly Anna, now known as the "Mother of Pansies," as she mournfully drops pansies into the stream, symbolizing her lost children. The villagers recount her tragic story, revealing her enduring sorrow and the irreversible nature of her choices. Anna's tale serves as a poignant reminder of the consequences of rejecting life's blessings and the weight of remorse.
By Sabine Baring-Gould · First published 1890 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Tragedy, Fantasy