This story depicts the fact that human moods are often influenced by experiences good or bad. The story revolves around the swings of mood experienced by Miss. Meadows and how it affected her work directly. Miss. Meadows, a music teacher aged 30, is engaged to 25 years old Basil. It was a huge surprise to everyone including the science teacher whom Miss. Meadows hates with all her heart. Suddenly she receives a disheartening letter from Basil that he is not a ‘marrying type of man’. The very idea of marriage gives him a feeling of “disgust”. But out of courtesy he had struck down the word disgust and written “regret”. After reading the letter Miss. Meady became gloomy. She had a feeling that her engagement was broken and it would soon come to the knowledge of everyone.
She would be a laughing stock. She will have to resign her job and go into hiding somewhere. This feeling of despair and disappointment had hurt her so much that she did not even accept the chrysanthemum from her favourite student Mary Beazley. A Chinese proverb says, “One cannot prevent. Under normal circumstances, she would have tucked the flower in her belt and returned a beaming smile to her favourite pupil. Miss. Meady made the children sing a lament creating an atmosphere of icy gloom befitting an occasion of mourning. She was very severe with young ones who didn’t evidence considerable pain and expression in her voice. A relief came to the drudgery of lament in the form of a telegram. Monica informed Miss. Meadows to meet the Headmistress. Miss. Meadows wondered if Mr. Basil had committed suicide. Her hands flew out in anxiety to collect the telegram from Miss. Wyatt.
Miss. Wyatt hoped it was bad news but out of politeness said, “I hope it is not bad news.” Miss. Meadows tore open the telegram. To her great relief it read, “Pay no attention to letter. Must have been mad, bought hat-stand today-Basil”. To answer the anxious query of Miss. Wyatt, Miss. Meadows blushed and said it was from her fiance. This happy turn of events upset Miss. Wyatt who disallowed telegrams on happy occasions. She reminded her of the 15 minutes left of her music class. Miss. Meadows ran all the way back to the music class. It appeared that she was flying on the wings of hope, love and joy. She picked up the deserted yellow chrysanthemum and held it to her lips to hide her smile.
Her mood suddenly switched over boundless joy. It reflected in the music lesson. She asked her pupils to turn to page 32 and sing the most joyous song the children had ever practised. Those who were blowing their nose from feigned sorrow and rigidity of the music, couldn’t suddenly move on to a joyful note. Miss. Meadow chided them for lack of feeling and expression.
Conclusion: The telegram restores her hopes, joy and faith in future, Many of us become prisoners of circumstances and over react to pinpricks in life. One should learn to be composed and take all kinds of information with a pinch of salt. Birds of sorrow hovering over one’s head. But one can prevent them from building nests in one’s head.
