"Some Say"

In Short

This volume brings together two small-town New England narratives centered on quiet endurance and the power of neighborhood chatter. In the first half, a young minister named Mr. Lindsay, engrossed in his local natural history studies, finds his household thrown into confusion when local rumors link him romantically to his landlady's daughter, Rose Ellen. In the second, Miss Anne Peace devotes her life to performing quiet, self-sacrificing errands of mercy for her invalid houseguest and a terminally ill cousin. The collection endures for its gentle humor, sharp observations of parish life, and affectionate portrayal of humble virtues.

The Story

The book opens in a quiet village where Mr. Lindsay, a mild-mannered young minister and enthusiastic naturalist, lodges with the stout, cheerful Mrs. Mellen and her daughter, Rose Ellen. Mr. Lindsay spends his days hunting for botanical specimens and natural curiosities, relying heavily on Rose Ellen's thoughtful assistance to catalog his finds. His peace is shattered when he overhears two local gossips speculating that Mrs. Mellen intends to marry off Rose Ellen to him. Horrified at the thought of scandal, the minister panics, while Mrs. Mellen, suddenly claiming a sudden onset of hereditary deafness, placidly sends Rose Ellen away to care for a relative in Tupham.

With Rose Ellen gone, Mr. Lindsay falls into deep melancholy and distraction. His behavior grows erratic; after an arduous afternoon spent waist-deep in a bog searching for a marsh-hen's nest, he returns home covered in mud, scratches, and insect bites. Seeing his disheveled state, the parish assumes he has either lost his mind, suffered apoplexy, or succumbed to intemperance. The church deacons arrive to investigate his absence from meeting, only to realize he is merely overwhelmed and lonely. Deacon Strong kindly advises the young minister that he simply needs a wife. When local gossip reaches a fever pitch and hints that he will marry elsewhere, Rose Ellen returns home in distress. Realizing how deeply he relies on her and loves her, Mr. Lindsay immediately proposes, shutting the door on the village busybodies.

The focus then shifts to the town of Cyrus, where Miss Anne Peace lives a life of boundless optimism. When her peevish neighbor, Mrs. Delia Means, breaks her leg, Anne takes her in and nurses her without complaint, despite Delia’s constant complaining. Delia’s fragile husband, David Means—Anne's quiet, long-standing secret romance—is rapidly failing in health. Determined to save him, Anne dons her prized four-year-old best bonnet and quietly sells her own savings, passing off her own twenty-five-dollar gift as coming from an anonymous friend to spearhead a community fund to send David to Florida for a cure.

David departs with his family, but his letters home grow shorter and weaker. Eventually, news arrives that David has died in Florida. Mrs. Delia Means sends a cold, self-absorbed letter demanding a decent funeral and leaving her children in Anne's care while she stays south. Anne buries David with dignified, bright flowers and cheerful comfort for his children. Soon after, Mrs. Means marries the Florida undertaker, leaving Anne Peace to happily adopt the orphaned children as her very own.

How It Unfolds

Villagers spread a rumor Two local gossips speculate on the minister's romantic prospects outside his room, alarming Mr. Lindsay and prompting his landlady, Mrs. Mellen, to feign sudden deafness.

Rose Ellen leaves for Tupham To clear the air and quiet the village, Mrs. Mellen sends her daughter away, leaving the minister distressed, lonely, and unable to focus on his beloved natural history studies.

The minister's chaotic return After getting lost in a bog hunting specimens, Mr. Lindsay walks through town covered in scratches and mud, leading the parish to believe he has gone mad or taken ill.

A proposal in the study Spurred by Deacon Strong's advice and frantic rumors of separation, Mr. Lindsay intercepts Rose Ellen upon her return and confesses his love, closing the door on local gossip.

Anne Peace takes in a neighbor In the village of Cyrus, the endlessly cheerful Anne Peace opens her home to the complaining Mrs. Delia Means after Delia breaks her leg outside Anne's house.

A sacrifice for David Means Learning that Delia's ill husband David needs a warm climate to recover, Anne puts on her best bonnet and surreptitiously donates her own money to start a travel fund.

Grief transformed into a home Following David's death in Florida and Delia's heartless departure to marry an undertaker, Anne peacefully takes in David's children, declaring it a true privilege to raise them.

The People

• Mr. Lindsay wants only to study local natural history and serve his parish in peace, but his social innocence leaves him vulnerable to village rumor until he realizes his true affection for Rose Ellen.
• Mrs. Mellen wants to protect her daughter and preserve her household's dignity; she cleverly uses feigned deafness and calm composure to outwit the local gossips.
• Rose Ellen wants to support the minister's work and stay near her home, ultimately securing her happiness when Mr. Lindsay asks her to stay forever.
• Anne Peace wants to help everyone around her regardless of the personal cost, cheerfully transforming life's hardships and secret heartbreaks into opportunities to serve others.
• Mrs. Delia Means wants constant sympathy and material comfort, responding to the generosity of her neighbors with perpetual complaints and self-absorbed demands.
• David Means wants to provide for his beloved children despite his failing physical health, relying quietly on Anne's selfless friendship during his final months.

In Its Own Voice

"Some say he's so wropped up in his garden truck that he don't know a gal from a gooseberry bush."

— An overheard village gossip speculates on Mr. Lindsay's complete lack of romantic awareness.

"Mr. Lindsay, so far as I can see, there's only one thing the matter with you; you want a wife!"

— Deacon Strong offers straightforward counsel to the distressed minister after the parish fears he has lost his sanity.

"Blessed privilege! My children now, my own! my own!"

— Anne Peace rejoices as she welcomes her late cousin's children into her home to raise as her family.

What It's Really About

At its core, the text examines the stark contrast between public rumor and private virtue within small, tight-knit communities. It contrasts the destructive nature of idle gossip—represented by the constant refrain of "some say"—with the quiet, unassuming deeds of genuine Christian charity. The narratives explore how selflessness and patience allow individuals to maintain their integrity even when surrounded by petty misjudgments or open self-interest. Through both the comic misunderstandings of Mr. Lindsay's household and the quiet heartbreak of Anne Peace's sacrifices, the work argues that true devotion is expressed not through public piety or moralizing speech, but through active compassion, resilience under affliction, and the daily work of caring for one's neighbors.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy gentle historical fiction, classic regional literature, and lighthearted domestic comedy will find much to appreciate here. The text carries a cozy, vintage atmosphere filled with vibrant detail—from mid-nineteenth-century plant gathering and country stagecoaches to blooming New England flower gardens. Reading it feels like stepping into a sunlit village parlor where humor and moral clarity go hand in hand.

Modern readers should be prepared for heavy usage of period-specific New England dialect ("wropped," "suddin," "fitty") and a strong reliance on nineteenth-century moral sentimentality. The characters operate within traditional village roles, and the narrative places a high value on self-sacrifice and quiet endurance that reflects the era's instructional juvenile fiction. Yet despite these historical conventions, the prose remains bright and swift. The sharp, witty depictions of small-town chatter remain genuinely funny, while Anne Peace’s quiet dignity offers a moving portrait of unselfish devotion that stays with you long after the final page.