Review of "In the Gloaming," by Marie Cecelia Chamberlain

Review of

In the Gloaming, by Marie Cecelia Chamberlain

Four out of five stars

 Published in 1900, this short romance/tragedy is an interesting look at the literary style of the turn of the century. The plot is that of a great romance, where a professional man in his late twenties woes a girl in her late teens, only to have her succumb to an accident.

 John Osborn is a young and talented physician just starting up his practice. He still lives with his mother, she is a widow, and they are very close. He is portrayed as a somewhat sensitive man, when he assists in a successful operation on an elderly woman he is close to, John must take some time off to recharge his energy. It is during this rest that he first sees Winifred, a girl in her late teens.

 It is very close to love at first sight and John pursues her in the manner that a gentleman of that time will court a woman that young. Most of the romance is in the mind of the reader, as there is almost nothing in the way of touching or sweet talk.

 Yet, in 1900, this was a romance novel, read by woman that needed a fantasy to liven up their lives. It is a look back to a time when life moved at the speed of horses and men asked permission to come calling on a woman.