Henrietta’s husband, Day is old and forgetful by the time that Rebecca begins to write her story about his wife. Day is raised along with Henrietta as a child, and the two begin having children together in their mid-teenage years. Although Day seems to love Henrietta, he also is frequently unfaithful to her, and passes along several venereal diseases (one of which may have been responsible for the mental challenges of their oldest daughter, Elsie).