What would’ve happened if, after the Trojan War, Odysseus had simply given up and not made the long, perilous journey home? The answer might lie in an anecdote from Scotland. . .
Some short time ago, in one of the villages on the Firth of Forth, lived a lady whose husband had long before gone to sea, and never having heard from him for some years, she believed him to have been dead. At the time her husband went to sea, Mrs. S. lived in a town in England; but, after giving up the hopes of his return, she removed, with her only daughter, to her native country, Scotland.
Admittedly, the newspapers fail to give us much insight into Mr. and Mrs. S’s feelings. Reading between the lines, Mrs. S was probably not weaving tapestries by day and unraveling them by night. I also wouldn’t be surprised to hear Mr. S. had found his own Circe on a desert island and stayed put.
In the course of years a probationer of the Church of Scotland came to officiate as missionary in the parish, and formed an attachment for Miss S. Seeing no immediate prospect of obtaining a church at home, he resolved on transferring himself to one of our American colonies, and received an appointment there from a Colonial Missionary Society.
Miss S. was one lucky lady. Nothing says “honeymoon” like starting a church halfway across the world.
Having been united to Miss S. he took his departure, leaving his wife and mother-in-law to follow as soon as he should have prepared for their comfortable reception. They accordingly left this country some time afterwards for America.
Did this young minister learn that his mother-in-law was moving in with them before or after she got off the boat? We’ll never know.
In the meantime, among the settlers over whom the young divine’s charge extended, was a comfortable farmer, also named S., who made inquiries after the history of the minister’s wife and mother, and expressed an anxious desire to see them on their arrival.
Had I ghosted my wife and child years before, I too would be “anxious” to see them again—the sick-to-my-stomach variety. I give him credit for not running back across the ocean.
Photograph of a 1752 edition of Alexander’s Pope’s translation of The Odyssey from Wikimedia Commons.
They did arrive safe, and on reaching the minister’s habitation, Mr. S. was sent for to be introduced. Judge of the surprise for all when, on the entry of Mr. S., the newly-arrived found in him the long-lost husband and father!
I bet you didn’t see that coming!
Having been unable to trace his family in England after a protracted absence, he had returned to America; where, by a singular coincidence, both he and they found those they had given up as lost. The parties, we are glad to say, are now living comfortably and happily in the New World.
No one was happier with this outcome than the minister, whose mother-in-law presumably went to live with her long-lost husband on his comfortable farm.
It doesn’t make quite as good a story as Homer’s version, but as another famous author once wrote, all’s well that ends well.
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Disclaimer: The modern era is far from the first to grapple with rampant “fake news.” As I am neither a historian nor journalist, I make no claims about the accuracy or lack thereof of the above sources. I assert only that they make for a good story.
Welcome to Second Glance History! This blog seeks to uncover the people and the stories forgotten by history and give them another read through a modern lens. Join me every week as we examine the differences that divide and the common threads that connect the then to the now.
I can see him weighing his options now:
“lessee…take the old bag back or pay 20 years of back child support…dammit…”
😂🤣 Not sure even a “comfortable farmer” has that much cash lying around… Circe’s looking better and better!