Mary Barton: Chapter 12 Summary & Analysis

Jem never believes that Mary will have second thoughts about rejecting him. Only his duty to support Mrs. Wilson keeps him from joining the army or drinking himself insensible. Meanwhile, Harry insists on believing that Mary’s rejection of him is a passing whim. He has Sally deliver Mary love notes at work and pesters Mary on her walks home. Mary feels wretched that Jem never visits and that Harry pesters her.

One evening while Mary is sewing at home, Margaret—returned from a singing tour—comes to visit. Margaret mentions that she ran into Jem in Halifax; he was constructing an engine there. When Mary responds sadly, Margaret asks whether she and Jem have fought. Mary, crying, explains how she rejected Jem’s love but now bitterly regrets it. Margaret counsels Mary not to write to Jem because men “like to have a’ the courting to themselves.” Mary will just have to wait—and patience is something everyone must learn from God.

Margaret asks whether Mary has visited Mrs. Wilson recently. Mary says no, explaining that Mrs. Wilson was very annoyed with her on her last visit. Margaret suggests that Mary make a visit, as Jem will hear about it and approve. Then, on her way out, Margaret awkwardly mentions John’s unemployment and offers Mary some of her singing money. Though at first Mary demurs, she thinks of her father’s hunger and accepts the money. After Margaret leaves, Mary goes to buy food, and she and John have a real supper.

The next day, Mary visits Mrs. Wilson, who tells her that Alice has gone to the post office looking for a letter from her foster-son Will and that Jem has used the money he earned from his engineering invention patent to set Mrs. Wilson and Alice up with an “income” of 20 pounds a year. Alice returns and announces that she hasn’t received a letter, which upsets her; she wishes she knew for sure that Will was safe—or drowned, in which case she could accept God’s providence. Waiting bothers her. Mary, thinking of her own situation, says that she feels better knowing Alice experiences impatience too. Alice apologizes if she has weakened Mary’s faith in any way by expressing impatience.

Someone knocks on the door. Alice rushes to the visitor and hugs him—it’s Will Wilson! Alice weeps for joy. Between her tears and her dimming eyes, she can’t see Will’s face, so she pats it with her hands. Mary decides to leave the reunited family alone. As Mary goes, Alice urges her to “wait patiently on the Lord, whatever [her] trouble may be.”