Friday, November 20, 2009

Through a Glass Darkly

Through the Looking Glass
by J.D. Beresford
From The Best British Short Stories of 1922, page 20.

Two Rachel Deanes, one an elderly woman and the other her much younger niece, share more than just the same name. Their mannerisms, handwriting and personalities are almost identical. The elder sees her younger self in her niece. Standing in front of a mirror, it is evident that the reflection she sees is not of herself as she is today but a reflection of her younger self, very like her niece. The younger Rachel also stands before a mirror, but what she sees is what she will become, old and decrepit like her aunt. The mirrors play a prominent role in this story, which would have made a wonderful prelude to a story of haunting.

The story can be read or downloaded from Google Books by clicking on the link in the story's title above.

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