The following version of this story was used to create this study guide: Gaskell, Elizabeth. "The Old Nurse’s Story." University of Pennsylvania English. https://web.english.upenn.edu/~nauerbac/story.html.

Note that parenthetical citations refer to the page number from which the quotation is taken.

"The Old Nurse's Story" is a nineteenth century ghost story about a seventeen-year-old nurse, or caretaker, named Hester who moves with her young mistress Rosamond to a large family mansion after Rosamond's parents both pass away. There, the nurse begins to notice strange occurrences in the house, especially at night, and she soon realizes that the house is haunted and she and Rosamond are both in danger.

The story begins with the nurse announcing to an audience of young children – she refers to them as "my dears" (1) – that their mother was an orphan, and she was her nurse-maid who took care of her. She explains that their mother's parents both died when she was very young, and she was placed in the care of the nurse permanently. Both Hester and Rosamond (the young girl) were sent to live at Rosamond's maternal family home, Furnivall Manor House. Hester realizes early on that the family had not lived in the house for the last fifty years, and only one inhabitant – Miss Grace Furnivall, Rosamond's great-great-aunt – still occupies it. Nevertheless, Hester and Rosamond go to Furnivall Manor and are astounded by its size. There is a long oval driveway, a great hall with a fireplace, and an entire east wing that the nurse notes she was never actually able to see for herself.

At Furnivall, Hester and Rosamond meet Miss Furnivall, whom the nurse describes as "thin and tall" with "a face as full of fine wrinkles as if they had been drawn all over it with a needle's point" (3). With Miss Furnivall at all times is her maid, Miss Stark, who is about the same age. Hester explains that the two women were always together, very quiet, and rather dull. She is introduced to some of the servants who work at the manor and she and Rosamond are escorted to their quarters.

One day, Hester and Rosamond walk with Dorothy, another maid in the house, and look at all the portraits of Furnivalls that grace the walls of the house. Hester notices one of Miss Grace, and notes that she was young and beautiful in the portrait but that her face was still painted with a look of scorn. Dorothy tells Hester that Grace had had an older sister, Maude, who was even more beautiful than Grace, and Dorothy sneakily shows Hester the portrait of Maude that had been hidden from view.

As winter approaches at Furnivall, Hester explains that she had been hearing music coming from the organ late at night. At first she finds the music pleasant, imagining it to be someone from the house or even Miss Grace playing. She learns that people of the house often say it is the "old lord" playing, and Hester does not know what they mean by this. She is confused and scared when she realizes one evening that organ is actually broken and should not work. All this time, Rosamond is acquainting herself with the old ladies and Miss Grace and Miss Stark come to enjoy her company.

One afternoon, Hester goes to church and leaves Rosamond at home with Miss Grace and Miss Stark. When she returns, Rosamond is nowhere to be found, and everyone in the house begins looking for her. Even Miss Furnivall and Miss Stark get up from their knitting to help search for the little girl. Eventually, Hester looks outside in the snow and notices a set of footprints leading away from the house. She follows the footprints and runs into a man who is carrying Rosamond, frozen and sleeping, but alive. She is rushed back to the house and warmed up. When Rosamond recovers, she tells Hester that she had gone looking for Dorothy but had instead found a little girl who asked her to come outside. She followed the little girl and found a woman crying outside. Nobody believes Rosamond, and she is chastised for telling stories. But once Miss Furnivall hears the story, she cautions Hester not to let Rosamond near the little girl, claiming the child will "lure her to her death" (7).

From that point on, Hester vows never to leave Rosamond's side. Then, one night, Hester hears the organ music playing and sees the little girl outside, banging on the windows to come in. But Hester cannot hear the banging, and Dorothy tells the servants to make sure all the doors are locked so the little girl cannot get in. Then, Dorothy tells Hester a story about the Furnivalls: in their youth, Grace and Maude Furnivall both fell in love with the same man – a foreign musician. Maude secretly married the man and had his child, but he continued to pursue Grace. Eventually, their father, Lord Furnivall, fell ill, and Maude took the opportunity to move into the East wing with her child, far away from her sister and unbeknownst to her father. Then, one night, the servants all heard a commotion. Lord Furnivall had discovered Maude and the child. He struck the little girl and banished them from the house. In the morning, shepherds in the foods found Maude hysterical and nursing her dead child. All the while, Grace had never interfered on her sister's behalf. Their father died within the year.

One night, Miss Furnivall calls Hester into the drawing room to help her with her knitting. Hester brings Rosamond with her. Suddenly Miss Furnivall announces that she hears her father's voice and Rosamond wakes up, claiming to hear the child crying. They make their way toward the hallway where the entrance to the east wing is opened. The ghost of Lord Furnivall approaches, with Maude and the small child behind him. Rosamond cries that the little girl wants her to go with them, but Hester holds onto her. Everyone watches as Lord Furnivall attempts to strike the child. Miss Furnivall screams at the ghost to spare the little girl, but suddenly another figure appears – the figure of Miss Furnivall in her youth. The ghosts move on through the house with the young Miss Furnivall following her father as he strikes the child. The older Miss Furnivall falls down, in shock. For the rest of her days, she is bed ridden, and constantly repeating the words, "What is done in youth can never be undone in age" (12).