In her short story “The Penningtons’ Girl,” L.M. Montgomery follows a young gentleman, Winslow, who must reckon with his love for a hired maid, Nelly. With such class differences, Montgomery questions whether Winslow cares only for Nelly’s appearances and possessions, or for her soul and personality.
The House Across the River
After suffering from a fever, the gentleman Winslow moves to the country to live with his friends, the Beckwiths, while he recovers his strength. One day, while living out his prescribed country living, Winslow visits the Penningtons, whose house he regularly visits, since it’s across the river from the Beckwiths. He approaches the kitchen and finds himself face to face with a beautiful young woman, whom, he concludes, is Mrs. Pennington’s new maid.He asks her for a drink of water and then asks if he may rest a while before he leaves. She kindly assents, but, when she brings apples out to peel, Winslow finds that she is far different from all of Mrs. Pennington’s other hired maids. This maid, named Nelly, doesn’t jest or play with Winslow, but conveys a general disregard for his presence.
