Nathaniel Hawthorne 
The Wives of the Dead (From: ‘The Snow Image and Other Twice-Told Tales’) 

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s hauntingly beautiful short story, ‘The Wives of The Dead’, two sisters-in-law mourn the loss of their husbands and find solace in each other’s company. Set in a small house during the rainy autumn twilight, the women are visited by friends and the minister, but yearn to be left alone. As they sit by the fireside, the sisters join hearts and weep together silently, until Mary reminds Margaret of the precepts of piety and endurance. A poignant and moving tale of grief, love, and the power of human connection, ‘The Wives of The Dead’ will stay with readers long after the last page.