Père Antoine's Date-Palm

"Père Antoine's Date-Palm" by Thomas Bailey Aldrich is a short story written in the late 19th century. This poignant tale weaves themes of love, loss, and devotion, focusing on the life of Père Antoine, a Roman Catholic priest in New Orleans, who cherishes a date-palm he planted in his garden many years ago. The story explores the emotional journey of Antoine intertwined with the date-palm, highlighting the enduring bonds of friendship and unrequited love. The narrative centers on Père Antoine's profound feelings for two individuals: his closest friend, Emile Jardin, and Anglice, a beautiful girl they took under their care following her mother's death. All three share an intense connection, but when Emile and Anglice elope, Antoine is left heartbroken. Eventually, Anglice, now a mother, seeks his forgiveness in a letter before her own demise. Antoine takes in her daughter, also named Anglice, but her grief for her homeland leads to her untimely decline. After the young girl's death, a remarkable date-palm grows from her grave, becoming a symbol of love and memory for Antoine. Despite the surrounding urbanization and attempts to sell his land, Antoine remains devoted to the palm, reflecting his eternal ties to the lost loves of his life. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Thomas Bailey Aldrich was an American writer, poet, critic, and editor. He is notable for his long editorship of The Atlantic Monthly, during which he published writers including Charles W. Chesnutt. He was also known for his semi-autobiographical book The Story of a Bad Boy, which established the "bad boy's book" subgenre in nineteenth-century American literature, and for his poetry.