My blog of "The Other Two"

The main character in "The Other Two" by Edith Warton are Mr. Waythorn, Alice Waythorn, and Lily Hasket. Alice Waythorn is on her third marriage with Mr. Waythorn. Alice Waythorn's little girl, Lily, poses an antagonistic challenge to the couple. Although the sick child never has a voice, the child's presence is greatly felt by all the characters in the story, through her nurse, her biological father, etc. Lily's care created strife in the new family.

Mr. Waythorn's challenge is to keep out of the way of the first two of his wife's husbands and still take care of his family. The wealthy man ironically ends up sharing his life with the wife's previous two husbands by necessity. Haskett has to come to the house to see his daughter. If Haskett had never had a child with Alice, Mr. Waythorn would not have had to deal with him, because the present clerk would have stayed in the other state where he was better off financially. Haskett wanted to be close to his daughter. I would want that too. I like living close to my children and grandchildren. Then the first husband is thrust into Mr. Waythorn's life as a result of his job.

Alice Waythorn probably divorced her previous husbands because they were poor. I do not believe a marriage in these modern times could stand without a firmer foundation than that. I did not marry for money, nor would I ever, because Jesus supplies all my needs according to his riches in glory. Jesus promised me that He would never leave me nor forsake me. The greatest gift is love. Therefore, love in greater than a grand income.

I found this narrative to be realistic in scope.

My brother has been married five times. Therefore, I can believe a tale such as "The Other Two" as really happening.

The antagonist, Lily Haskett, was not voiced in the narrative. I would have liked to have heard what she thought about all the action that was going on around her. Since the story was in the third person omniscient point-of-view, it would have been interesting to hear Lily's point-of-view.

I liked the narrative, finding the denouement slightly humorous and ironic. However, I could not commiserate much with Mr. Waythorn, because he had an idea of what he was getting into before he married a divorcee.