"Short Sixes": Stories to be Read While the Candle Burns — Themes and Context

Domestic Settings and Social Codes

The excerpts reveal a consistent attention to the physical spaces of middle-class life. In 'The Tenor,' the room is described as 'ample, yet it had a cosy air,' with dark hangings and a carven cabinet. This setting is not mere backdrop; it signals the characters' social standing and the rituals of courtship. Similarly, in 'The Nice People,' a married couple's disagreement over the number of children their new acquaintances have—'Three, he told me' versus 'Two, she said'—unfolds as a comedy of manners rooted in the social obligation to remember such details. The stories use these domestic arenas to explore the unspoken rules governing behavior, from the proper way to receive a caller to the delicate art of correcting one's spouse.

Dialogue as a Driver of Plot

Bunner relies heavily on dialogue to advance his narratives. In 'The Tenor,' the conversation between the two girls is filled with exclamations and interruptions, capturing the breathless excitement of youth. The later excerpt from 'A Round-Up' features a rapid-fire exchange between Dick Cutter and Miss Euphrosyne, where Dick's emphatic declarations—'No! It ain't Clytie, nor it ain't Aurora'—propel the proposal scene. The dialogue is marked by colloquialisms and rhythmic repetition, giving each character a distinct voice. The catalog subject 'Short stories, American' is borne out by this vernacular energy, which feels rooted in the speech patterns of the period.

Illustrations and the Reading Experience

The title page lists three illustrators—C. Jay Taylor, F. Opper, and S. B. Griffin—and the excerpts include captions for illustrations, such as 'I kill hare! give me my knife—give me my rivvolvare!' from 'The Tenor.' These images are integral to the book's design, offering visual interpretations of key moments. The catalog does not detail the illustrations' content, but their presence suggests a publication aimed at a broad audience, where pictures complemented the text. Readers of this digital edition may miss the original artwork, but the captions hint at the comic or dramatic scenes the illustrators chose to highlight.

These excerpts represent only a fraction of the collection's sixteen stories. Readers should expect a mix of romantic comedy, social satire, and perhaps the occasional melodrama, all rendered in Bunner's observant prose. The catalog subjects provide a reliable frame, but the stories themselves will reveal the specific customs and concerns of 1890s America, from the anxieties of unmarried women to the etiquette of summer vacations.

There’s a certain lamplight warmth in Bunner’s tales, that hush of voices and mistaken intentions. It reminded me, strangely, of a quieter companion volume, one I keep returning to for its tender, unassuming portraits of everyday souls. That same gentle ache of ordinary life lives there. It felt like finding an old letter tucked inside a familiar book — The schoolmistress, and other stories — A Reader’s Guide — and somehow, the afternoon softened.