The Courting of Sister Wisby by Sarah Orne Jewett
"The Courting of Sister Wisby" by Sarah Orne Jewett is a short story that explores themes of marriage, community, and resilience in a rural setting. The narrative unfolds through the reflections of a female narrator who encounters her friend, Mrs. Goodsoe, while gathering medicinal herbs. Their conversation reveals the intertwined lives of local residents, including the story of Eliza Wisby and Silas Brimblecom.
Silas initially leaves his wife for a mystical figure, but after her death, he returns to his former spouse, only to face a series of relational challenges that culminate in a trial marriage with Eliza. Their evolving relationship reflects the social dynamics of their community, as well as the struggles of marriage where traditional gender roles are subverted. Eliza emerges as a strong character who navigates the complexities of her partnership with Silas, culminating in her decision to will her property to her stepdaughter, Phebe.
The story concludes with a poignant moment of planting peach pits, symbolizing growth and continuity within the community. Jewett’s narrative not only highlights individual stories but also emphasizes the importance of connection and memory in shaping lives.
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The Courting of Sister Wisby by Sarah Orne Jewett
First published: 1887
Type of plot: Regional, frame story
Time of work: The late nineteenth century
Locale: A New England village
Principal Characters:
A walking woman , the unnamed narratorMrs. Goodsoe , his storytelling friendMrs. Jerry Foss , a widow whose three children have diedJim Heron , an Irish fiddlerEliza Wisby , a well-to-do townswomanSilas Brimblecom , a back-country farmer turned deaconPhebe Brimblecom , his daughter
The Story
While walking one August day in a sunny pasture, the female narrator encounters Mrs. Goodsoe, her old friend, gathering a medicinal herb called mullein. They sit, eat some peaches the narrator has brought along, and chat. Mrs. Goodsoe needs little prompting as she reminisces garrulously. First, she mentions Mrs. Peck, a widow who had two daughters. One of them was forsaken by a "rovin'" boyfriend; the other married Jim Heron, the first Irishman ever seen in the region. Remembering Heron reminds Mrs. Goodsoe of Mrs. Jerry Foss, a hard-scrabble widow whose three children suddenly died of scarlet fever in a single horrifying week. She fell into a stony anguish until Heron was summoned. He played magically soothing music on his fiddle, and charmed the distraught mother into tears, a gentle sleep.
The narrator uproots some goldthread, a bitter herb that Mrs. Goodsoe recalls Eliza Wisby savored so often that it "puckered her disposition." Mrs. Goodsoe proceeds to tell Eliza Wisby's story. It seems that Silas Brimblecom, a back-country farmer, was easily persuaded by an itinerant preacher to leave his wife in favor of an evidently beckoning "spirit bride." Angelic enough but no housekeeper, this creature soon died. Silas returned to his flesh-and-blood wife, a forgiving homebody. Then she died. He joined the recently established Christian Baptist church, was promoted to country deacon, and came to town to attend a church assembly scheduled to last four days. As a joke, some townspeople sent him to Sister Wisby to ask her for room and board. Though well enough off and standoffish too, Eliza surprisingly accepted Silas, soon "bawled and talked" alongside him during their church meetings, and actually "went a-courtin' o' him." This led to a trial marriage in November, much to the neighbors' annoyance. The two planned to make their relationship official in the springtime. However, they did not, and Eliza ejected him in April. Cruel neighbors, mainly boys, guffawed at his retreat. Because Eliza had boarded Silas free, she decided to call him back and have him repay her by doing some garden chores. Not only did they get married, but in time Eliza welcomed Silas's pleasant daughter Phebe into their household. Silas took to drink. Eliza cared for him conscientiously but trusted him with nothing and willed most of her property to Phebe. Mrs. Goodsoe and the narrator finish their tasty peaches and, at the older woman's suggestion, plant the pits in the pasture ground where they have been talking. She says that the pits will become trees in due time and, moreover, that she would like to be buried right there herself.
Bibliography
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Cary, Richard, ed. Appreciation of Sarah Orne Jewett: Twenty-nine Interpretive Essays. Waterville, Maine: Colby College Press, 1973.
Church, Joseph. Transcendent Daughters in Jewett's "Country of the Pointed Firs." Rutherford, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1994.
Donovan, Josephine. Sarah Orne Jewett. New York: Frederick Ungar, 1980.
Howard, June, ed. New Essays on "The Country of the Pointed Firs." Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1994.
Matthiessen, F. O. Sarah Orne Jewett. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1929.
Morgan, Jeff. Sarah Orne Jewett's Feminine Pastoral Vision: "The Country of the Pointed Firs." Lewiston, N.Y.: Edwin Mellen Press, 2002.
Nagel, Gwen L., ed. Critical Essays on Sarah Orne Jewett. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1984.
Nagel, Gwen L., and James Nagel. Sarah Orne Jewett: A Reference Guide. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1978.
Renza, Louis. "A White Heron" and the Question of Minor Literature. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1984.
Roman, Margaret. Sarah Orne Jewett: Reconstructing Gender. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1992.
Sherman, Sarah Way. Sarah Orne Jewett: An American Persephone. Hanover, N.H.: University Press of New England, 1989.
Silverthorne, Elizabeth. Sarah Orne Jewett: A Writer's Life. Woodstock, N.Y.: Overlook Press, 1993.