Life, love and literature

Sarah Orne Jewett was an American author who wrote a collection of short stories called THE COUNTRY OF THE POINTED FIRS. She might have written more works, but I don’t recall what. One of her short stories was in a textbook that I used when I taught English in high school. It was a simple story about a young country girl who lived with an aging grandmother to help out with needed chores. Their finances were grim and often an issue! They lived deep in a wooded area where very few outside visitors ever came. One day while this young girl was taking their cow to graze, she heard  a loud whistle. She met  a young man who was definitely a stranger to this part of the world. He was friendly, not frightening at all and visited their small home. He mentioned  that he liked to study birds and has been looking for the nest of a beautiful white heron that he had heard about! He told them he would be willing to pay money to anyone who could show him the nest. Sylvia has also seen this heron and thinks she might be able to find the nest and be able to supplement their income. She says nothing about any knowledge of the bird, however. Under cover of darkness she travels to the marshy area where she suspects the nest could be. She sees an extremely tall tree, decides if she can climb it, then she might be able to see the nest in a neighboring tree. The author describes her difficult journey up the tree-the dangers, the twigs and branches scratching her arms and legs. She is probably only 9 or 10 years old, but she reaches the top and is ultimately rewarded as she sees the heron take his early morning flight from a nearby tree. She is elated and hurries down to rush to tell the stranger where the nest is. As she makes her way home, knowing the stranger will be waiting for her to reveal the heron’s secret, a real struggle takes place in her heart and mind. She knows they could use the money; she also knows that the heron will be killed and stuffed and added to the ornithologist’s collection. She has also been a little charmed by the young man’s charisma, the way young girls often can get crushes on older boys who give them attention. Plus her life is very lonely. She makes a decision before she gets home that she will not give up the location of the heron’s nest. The author wrote a hauntingly beautiful plea to the woodlands to tell their secrets to this lonely child! I don’t have the textbook so I can’t quote the passage verbatim, but it is quite poignant! One of my favorite short stories because of its heart!!