The following version of this book was used to create this study guide: Henry, O. “The Marry Month of May.” Whirligigs. Original Press, 2018. Pages 110 – 117. Story originally published in 1910.

The story takes place in an unspecified American city in the month of May. The story begins with a brief prologue, in which the narration reflects on people’s heightened senses of romance and rationality in May. People more easily fall in love in May, and they fall in love with people whom they might not even truly notice otherwise. The narration personifies May as a trickster.

The central character is an elderly widower named Mr. Coulson. He is wealthy, but he is unfortunately suffering from an illness called gout. One day, in May, he asks his housekeeper—a widow named Mrs. Widdup—to bring him some medicine. Intoxicated by the May weather, Mr. Coulson begins to profess his love to Mrs. Widdup. However, he is interrupted by his adult daughter, Constantia.

Constantia dislikes the idea of her father marrying a housekeeper. Secretly, she hires a man to bring large blocks of ice to the house and covertly store them in the basement. The result is that the house’s interior becomes quite cold. The cold then blocks the effects of the season from influencing Mr. Coulson, and he acts harshly towards Mrs. Widdup.

The next day, the house is warm again. Mrs. Widdup explains that she found ice in the basement, so she removed it. Mr. Coulson falls in love with Mrs. Widdup against and begins to propose marriage to her. He then stops and wonders what Constantia will think. Mrs. Widdup replies that he need not worry about Constantia, as Constantia fell in love with the ice deliveryman and left town with him.