Rhoda Brook's Diary from The Withered Arm by Thomas Hardy

Rhoda Brook's Diary from The Withered Arm by Thomas Hardy

Dear Diary,

I am quite alarmed today as when I was milking the cows this morning I

overheard some other milkmaids gossiping about my former lover and

father of my son and that he is getting married to a woman 'many years

his junior'. This is just so typical of him. I know he is only doing

this to spite me. He has really embarrassed me. As if I wasn't already

the talk of the village even after twelve years since I had my

beautiful but forbidden baby boy, they are still calling me a witch

and a prostitute. And now that Lodge has started to see this new

mistress of his, people round here have yet another thing to gossip

about when they meet up in the pub or at each others houses having

afternoon tea. It makes me so mad! It makes me so furious but then

again I'm used to it by now, if you can get used to folk talking the

minute your back's turned. I am quite surprised at Lodge marrying at

his age! I mean he should be retired by now, not frolicking with a

teenager! And as for the unfortunate girl! Sure she might be pretty

but that's probably why he has agreed to taking her hand and also if

she had any brains in that little head of hers she would think twice

before marrying him and being shacked up in a farm for the rest of her

life. It will all end in tears as far as I'm concerned. As soon as one

strand of her hair turns a shade of grey and her fresh, white skin

starts to sag or even worse, if she cannot bare a child, he will

forget her and throw her away like a piece of rubbish and deny that he

ever married her. And you can bet that I will be there laughing at her

face and counting the days when that happens!

Dear Diary,

I have something quite alarming to tell you.