Finished the first story. Return to the Lucy Barton story. MC has his barn burn down. He loses everything and becomes school janitor. Meets up with young Barton girl, befriends her (sort of). Now she is a successful author, though back then she was a battered child. MC goes out to visit her brother. He learns that perhaps the elder Barton burned down his barn, killed his cows, etc. out of spite for having been caught masturbating, and also out of PTSS from WWII concentration camps. MC has never told anyone that he felt God spoke to him on the night of the fire, telling him to value his family and people over all. Now he tells Barton this . . . and is immediately doubted. O'Henry ending, almost. For years he wouldn't tell anyone of his religious experience; it was his secret. Now he has told his wife and the Barton son about it . . . but he no longer believes that God spoke to him. His lack of faith becomes his new secret.
February 1895 (Alice died in 1892) Money problems, jealousy of Wilde; time spent with Lord Wolseley1; off to Ireland to lick his wounds; Irish unrest--Irish landlords boycott all social events; much time spent with manservant Hammond (homosexual attraction again); fancy dress ball, appalling to James, who is only happy in company of Hammond, though Hammond remains a servant and no more; little girl alone on the grounds--inspiration for Turn of the Screw?; conflict with Webster who alludes to Wilde's successful play and HJ's failure; Wolseley was an Anglo-Irish officer in the British Army . He became one of the most influential and admired British generals after a series of successes in Canada, West Africa, and Egypt, followed by a central role in modernizing the British Army in promoting efficiency. He served in Burma, the Crimean War , the Indian Mutiny , China, Canada and widely throughout Africa—including his Ashanti campaign (18...
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