Today has been a very difficult day. Today we buried my father in his final resting place in Highgate following my rather draining week as I mailed my father’s colleagues and informed them of the tragic news. After losing my mother so early I thought God would give me more time with my dearest father. He was my greatest inspiration. I will never forget the long days spent with him as he worked on his research, yet I am grateful he was able to finish all of his work on his book before he passed and that I was able to be around for it. I worry as we move forward in our grief how my brother will be. He is all I have left, and I am all he has. How am I going to provide for him as my father provided for us for all of these years? I have buried myself in work, trying to arrange my father’s funeral and now I am adding the accounts trying to figure out how we will live. Currently, if we live meagerly for the next few years I will be able to try my dream of painting while Jimmie stays in school. Since father’s passing, I have turned to the Bible and I seek comfort in the words of our Lord. When I feel sad and miss him and remember the words of Thessalonians 4:13-14. I know he is in a better place and finally reunited with mother after their many years apart and I will see him again one day too.
Editor Commentary: Through her writing, the author indicates that the loss of her father is a very difficult loss for her. She explains that this death has made her the head of household and the guardian of her sibling Jimmie. The author’s style of writing portrays her as a young woman who is unprepared for the responsibilities of being the sole provider. It was exceedingly uncommon to see women have a career and maintain a full-time job in order to provide for her family. This was seen as the role of the males in the household, yet the author indicates her brother is to stay in school while she works. It appears that the author has chosen a career in art which would have been socially acceptable as a hobby or even a part-time venture. However, the author most likely experienced a great deal of backlash for taking matters into her own hands and earning a living to provide for her and her brother.
The Bible Verse is very fitting for what she appears to be going through in her life and is a good one to seek refuge in. Religion and the Bible are two items many women in the Victorian era turned to when life got hard because they were not given an opportunity to grieve since they were expected to be strong and support their family. This is indicated by the author as she speaks about adding the accounts and helping to provide for her younger brother.
Citation:
Dixon, Ella Hepworth. The Story of a Modern Woman. 1894. COVE, 2020.
“Online Bible.” Biblica, 13 May 2020, www.biblica.com/bible/niv/1-thessalonians/4/.