A man in late middle-age is put off proposing to a New York widow by her brash, modern manner and his memories of ‘old’ New York, induced by meeting again after many years an old family friend, the ‘crapy’ Cornelia Rasch.
1
Late middle-aged White-Mason (we never learn his forename) sits in Central Park,
New York and eventually plucks up courage to go to Mrs Worthingham’s
house, where he will propose – if she is in.
2
She is in, but unfortuately has a guest, a small lady darkly dressed and
with a black hat. In his annoyance, White-Mason doesn’t at first recognise
the visitor as Cornelia Rasch, long-time friend of his family, a part of his younger
self, newly returned from some ten years residence in Europe.
3
Later, White-Mason is in the Park again, having failed to propose. He attempts to
get straight in his mind the part played in this failure by the sudden irruption of
‘old’ New York, in the person of Cornelia Rasch.
4
Two days later, visiting Cornelia, he is still pondering his missed opportunity
and whether he regrets it. Discussing his love with her puts him in mind of a
similar conversation in 1868 about Mary Cardew.
5
Seeing mementoes of their old New York life in Cornelia’s appartment,
including a photo of Mary, which she gives him, White-Mason decides not to
pursue his interest in Mrs Worthingham and to grow old gracefully.
these synopses
© 2003
part of an etext edition of
Crapy Cornelia
on
the Ladder : a Henry James website