This story is an exposition of love, marriage and honor in the early 20th century. Mr. Lindley came to the town with his wife when he was twenty seven to become a local vicar. From the very beginning of his career, he understood the fact that his parishioners were far from hostility. Mr. Lindley wasn’t able to contradict them and the family became more isolated. He had no money to feed his numerous children, who, as the narrator notices with irony “were born every year; almost mechanically”. Mrs. Lindley couldn’t stand this humiliation of being poor, her pride was broken and only a great, limitless hate remained. In the end, she felt ill, became an invalid and till the end of her life her habitant was the old couch.
As for the children, surprisingly, they grew up healthy, even pretty, but rather rigid and unwarmed. Their parents educated them at home, because the family couldn’t afford to enroll them at school and taught them to be proud of who they are. But only fates of two elder daughters are highlighted in the story. The role of other children is understatement; the author doesn’t even mention how many there were other little boys and girls, except for Mary and Louisa.
Mary and Louisa are not just sisters; they are best friends, for Louisa only her sister was her close person, and other people were strangers. Sisters worked as teachers to earn a little money for their family. But, as a family was huge, it was not enough. When a new clergyman, Mr. Massy, came, Mary understood that it was a chance for her and her family: he has enough money to provide them with what they needed. And, although he was an ugly and disgusting short man, Mary accepted his proposal and married him.
Louisa was shocked, she has lost her image of the elder sister as a strong, pure and spirit girl. But rest of the family supported Mary, because she did a huge thing – she did it for duty before her family, she was a perfect daughter. Mary was glad to do a favor for her family, but, as she found out later, the price was too high – she a tall, smart and beautiful woman had to spend the rest of her life with this ridiculous ugly little creature. For the first time Mary was afraid even to walk near him, it was a humiliation for her and when children were born, she hated them and wished she were dead rather than raise them and see her husband every day. She was miserable and ill-fated.
As for her younger sister, after having known about Mary's decision to marry Mr. Massy, Louisa gave herself a swear that she would marry only a man she loved, otherwise she would never marry at all. Her family didn’t share this gesture, because they hoped, that one day their younger daughter would marry a man with money, as Mary did. But Louisa was in love and she would never betray real feeling for money.
Her lover was Alfred Durant, the younger, and the favorite son of Mrs. Durant, who was Louisa’s friend. He was a handsome young man, who had just come back from the Navy service. His life was polarized on his mother and he has never had a relationship with women, he was even afraid of them. It was Louisa, who made the first step, and he gave her a response – he didn’t want to let her go, he also fell in love with her. The girl was over the moon, she was going to spend the rest of her life with the man she loved and nothing was going to stop her. Even the fact that her parents asked them to move out not to spoil the reputation of the family, because Alfred was just a collier, did not matter for her. She had a man of her life by her side and she knew that they would be happy.
The contrast in the fates of two sisters is the eternal question of duty and happiness. Mary fulfilled her duty as a daughter; she married a rich man, who could provide her family with what they needed. But Louisa fulfilled her duty before herself – to be happy, to live with the person, she loved.
