Ghost Story Review: "John Charrington's Wedding" by E. Nesbit

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After first turning him down three times, May Forster agrees to marry John Charrington. No one expects it to happen, least of all the narrator of the story, Geoffrey, who is to be the best man. But as Charrington himself delights in telling the boys at the club, one thing he has is persistence. Out of John’s hearing the boys, the gossips of the town asked if May cares for him. Geoffrey asks himself that same question until he happens across the affianced couple sitting quietly together in the churchyard. The look on her face said it all. Charrington tells her, “I believe I should come back from the dead if you wanted me.” As luck would have it, a few days before the wedding, word comes that John’s godfather is dying. He had to go see him. Geoffrey has business out of town and they end up taking the same train partway. He sends word back to meet him at the station at 3 o’clock the next day. They’d go straight to the wedding from there. But he isn’t on the 3 o’clock the next day. This is an old-fashioned ghost story, full of horror and sadness. While the ending isn’t exactly a surprise, there is also some irony and a small bit of humor. It may be dated, but I rather liked this one. This tale is available at Project Gutenberg in the collection Grim Tales and as an audiobook from Librivox. _____ Title: “John Charrington’s Wedding” Author: Edith Nesbit, legal name Edith Bland (1858-1924) First published: Temple Bar Sept. 1891 Source: ISFDB An earlier version of this review appeared on the late unlamented Bubblews. It has been updated and expanded for its inclusion on myLot.