Second best

Second Best’ was written by D H Lawrence in 1912. It was the twentieth of his sixty-seven short stories, all of which will be published individually in e book format by Elgon store. In this delicate story of boy-girl love, Lawrence is at his best, intertwining the feelings of the two lovers with the natural world around them, the countryside, flowers and fields and the moles who are sacrificed to bring the lovers together. The two sisters talk of Jimmy Barras, a Doctor of Chemistry, whom Frances has been ‘sweet on. It turns out Jimmy got engaged to a different girl, so Frances has to move on. When they walk the fields Anne finds a mole and later kills it for no good reason. Frances is astonished by her sister’s action, but soon her grief is substituted by sudden indifference.’Something dies insider of her’ and she finds herself caring very little for everything. As the two girls approach the gate they meet Tom Smedley, a young man, ‘who was ready to love Frances, as soon as she would show him. Now, that Jimmy is already taken, Frances decides to settle for Tom, as he is the second best.