The Truth About Old People
Alfred McLelland Burrage's "Playmates" deserves a second reading. And possibly a third. The native of Edgware penned a subtle, if not crafty, ghost story. (Richard Dalby, who worked with publishers of supernatural fiction, ranked Burrage as one of the finest English ghost writers.) But there was another aspect to this short story.
"But Monica is developing a gift of seeing and conversing with - with beings that are invisible and inaudible to others. It is not a gift to be encouraged."
Stephen Everton was about to approach fifty, but he looked ten years older. He tried to appear cold to other people, even prim and scholarly at times, but there was kindness underneath the outward appearance. And it would hurt him to think he committed unkind acts. He adopted Monica, who lived with drink and poverty and squalor at the Bloomsbury apartments. The eight year old had a negative impression of the world, which was the reason why he embarked on a little experiment.
His doctor told him that the bracing air of East Anglia would be good for his health. (Everton thought his nervous system wasn't strong enough.) And he was afraid of how other children would influence Monica. Everton had an old-fashioned view on parenting, and the remote home in Suffolk would be good for Monica and him. Or so he thought. The young girl became familiar with Dickens and Stevenson, which wasn't unusual for children of her age. But spending more time on a room darker and more dismal than the other rooms in the house was another thing. Everton didn't notice the changes in Monica at first. And he thought it was a positive sign. (This was a good excuse for not sending the girl to school.) It was not disturbing for children to have imaginary friends, but Everton was curious after Monica called out Mary Hewitt and Elsie Power.
There is no death, there is no death
Burrage's ghost story revealed how children were receptive to their surroundings, the lonely ones in particular. They would lose this trait when they got older, which was natural. But not those who don't like to mingle with the others.
Everton was a good soul, which forced him to save Monica from unimaginable situations. If a young girl could see and befriend shy girls who died from diphtheria, then why not the other ones who passed away in the most gruesome manner. Death might be the outcome, but Everton wasn't scared at all. This was the twist in Burrage's tale. Perhaps Everton had nothing to look forward in life. He find it hard to let go of old habits. (If he could, then he would be a married man.) But some readers sensed a diabolical nature behind it. They would shrink back. They wondered if Burrage witnessed horrific events. (He survived the Great War and the Second World War.) It was hard to tell if the author was interested in demonology. Everton was lonely, without a doubt. He may have developed telepathic abilities, which he was unaware for some time. And it came at the right place at the right time.
"He paused, waiting. Then as he turned away, he was aware of little caressing hands upon his arm."
It could be the moonlight playing tricks on Everton's mind, it could also be the next phase of his life. It may be a life changer for him, but Burrage didn't describe what would happen next. And readers were warned if they became too curious about it.
