Miss Peggy Smith writes about the passing of an old woman that had lived nearby her house. The woman's name was Dison, and she was continuously in a state of melancholy that everyone assumed was due to chronic illness. She lived near Peggy for five years with her health slowly deteriorating. On her death bed, Dison revealed that her health was deteriorating because she harboured so much ill will toward her two sisters, who had married young and well. In her search to have a suitor undeniably better than those of her sisters, she often waited too long before accepting an offer, and thus lost her chance. She never revealed her misery or its cause to her sisters, but felt compelled to ward Peggy of the consequences of envy.