Accidentally Independent-- A New England Nun

Louisa, betrothed to a man making his fortune in Australia, is alone for fourteen years. In this time, she is able to discover her interests and dislikes. She happened upon this rather than actively seeking it. While the other women in the stories we have read have had a streak of rebellion in them, Louisa fits the traditional notion of femininity and womanhood of that era. She had a lot of time to reflect in fourteen years, and when Dagget finally returned, she felt displaced. Her routine was upset and she realized how she really liked things. She liked them according to her terms. She wasn't ready to give up her life for this man she no longer loved. And in this accidental independence, she found her voice to tell Dagget that she didn't want to marry him.