A New England Nun

I found Mary Freeman’s story “A New England Nun” quite interesting. I thought the characters were very practical and realistic, as the short biography of her suggested they might be. After reading that she was remembered for recording the old ways of New England villages, I started the story thinking it would be rich in scenery and other regionally inspired imagery, but in truth it did not seem to be any different than any other rural setting. I appreciate the way she took such care in the intricate details with which Louisa Ellis went about her daily routines; I could almost see her as she sat at her window, sewing her seams and watching the laborers.
Louisa Ellis had a fully established set of routines that made up her days. Her good china, her sewing- with the spools aligned just so, her neatness in gathering currants— she had a ritual of life, almost a religion of solitude that had come about in the time that she had been alone. She needed her space; she needed her things about her to be in order. The thought of Joe intruding into her neat and ordered existence seemed to be upsetting for her. The story is called “A New England Nun”, and we know a nun to be one who not only forsakes marriage, but also dedicates her life to service and devotion. In the end, we see Louisa Ellis willingly give up marriage, partly for Joe and his love for Lily, but also because she knew that she was devoted to solitude and serenity. She could only be happy and satisfied in her little house, with no one to intrude upon her, no one to interrupt her sewing and dusting.