Written in 1891, this tale is a good example of Bierce's use of the gothic to explore the realms of the consciousness, appealing in particular to the theme of identity crisis and gender identity. Predating Freud, this story has a surprising number of Freudian concepts. This is a fascinating tale to read. (less)

He handed her the little yellow flower and he smiled. It was the smile that broke her; she hadn't cried until then. It reminded her of the first times she had seen that smile. (less)

IT was ten o'clock in the evening and the full moon was shining over the garden. In the Shumins' house an evening service celebrated at the request of the grandmother, Marfa Mihalovna, was just over, and now Nadya -- she had gone into the garden for a minute -- could see the table being laid for supper in the dining-room, and her grandmother bustling about in her gorgeous silk dress; Father Andrey, a chief priest of the cathedral, was talking to Nadya's mother, Nina Ivanovna, and now in the evening light through the window her mother for some reason looked very young; Andrey Andreitch, Father Andrey's son, was standing by listening attentively. (less)

The week after was one of the busiest weeks of their lives. Even when they went to bed it was only their bodies that lay down and rested; their minds went on, thinking things out, talking things over, wondering, deciding, trying to remember where... Constantia lay like a statue, her hands by her sides, her feet just overlapping each other, the sheet up to her chin. She stared at the ceiling. "Do you think father would mind if we gave his top-hat to the porter?" "The porter?" snapped Josephine. "Why ever the porter? What a very extraordinary idea!" (less)

PERHAPS IT WAS the middle of January in the present year that I first looked up and saw the mark on the wall. In order to fix a date it is necessary to remember what one saw. So now I think of the fire; the steady film of yellow light upon the page of my book; the three chrysanthemums in the round glass bowl on the mantelpiece. (less)