This is a collection of four short stories by Sarah Orne Jewett.

"Aunt Cynthy Dallett" is about two friends to go to visit an elderly friend living in the mountains.

"The Only Rose" is a story about a woman who can't decide which of her three husbands' graves to place a special rose on.

"The Hilton's Holiday" is about a father who takes his two little girls for a special trip into town.

"Martha's Lady" is about a friendship that develops between a gauche young maid and a beautiful young lady.

When described like that, the stories don't sound like much. But taken all together, they present a view of a simpler, quieter kind of life, where visitors are something to be celebrated, where a letter is a real treat, where a visit into town is a big event. I got this one on audiotape, and that brought a new element to the story, as it became more storytelling, rather than just a reading. The pacing, the accents, the voices, all combined to make me really feel as if I were enjoying a quiet trip to the past. ( )