When the British are forced to leave Massachusetts during the revolution, the last Governor leaves it in the care of Esther Dudley, who vows to remain the last loyalist in the lost colony, and to welcome the King's representatives when they come back. She remains for years, ignored or feared (for reputed magic powers) by the neighbors, entertaining the children with stories of the old days. Her sad death comes when she welcomes a governor but the wrong one: he is actually an elected US official.
Borderline speculative elements: the narrator reports a rumor that Esther Dudley can summon the spirits of the dead, without giving credence to it.
First published in The Democratic Review, January 1839.
First published in The Democratic Review, January 1839.
| Date | Publication | Publisher | Type | Page | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1842 | Twice-Told Tales | James Munroe | Collection | |23 | |
| 1897 |
|
Twice-Told Tales | Maynard, Merrill, & Co. | Collection | |7 |
| 1907 |
|
Twice-Told Tales | Houghton Mifflin | Collection | 328 |
| 1937 |
|
The Complete Novels and Selected Tales of Nathaniel Hawthorne | Modern Library | Omnibus | 980 |
| 1962 |
|
Hawthorne's Short Stories | Dodd, Mead & Co. | Collection | |11 |
| 1965 |
|
Twice-Told Tales | Airmont Books | Collection | 172 |
| 1982 |
|
Tales and Sketches | The Library of America | Omnibus | 667 |
| October 1989 |
|
Twice-Told Tales | Reader's Digest | Collection | 194 |
| 2001 |
|
Twice-Told Tales | Modern Library | Collection | 225 |
| October 2004 | Twice-Told Tales | Project Gutenberg | Collection | 281 | |
| 2007 | Tales and Sketches | The Library of America | Omnibus | |667 | |
| August 2010 |
|
Twice-Told Tales | Gray Rabbit Publications | Collection | 185 |