Rosalind by Richmal Crompton. A classic ghost story from the 1920s about a painter and his model 

Richmal Crompton wrote me a handwritten note around 1960 when I thanked her for all the WILLIAM books. Until today I did not know she also wrote ghost stories-- thanks!

"Something old and bitter" An old, bitter, but often repeated tale. Shame,.Humiliation. Desertion Despair. This story repeats the old story, Repeated ghosts and hauntings. of old betral. Just as griping, chilling the second time around as the first. Fantastic work, Tony. Thank you

Good story. Can't say I feel any sorrow for Heath, he was a cad after all.

You do deserve many more subscribers and views. I wish that I knew someone to share your stories with. No one I know understands the concept of seeing the movie in their mind. That's what it is for me when I hear a story or read a story or novel. I think that's why movies are never as good as the book. It's a shame, this lack of imagination.

The author painted a vivid picture. Lots of adjectives. Unusual ending. Thanks for the reading! Good story!

There is something delicate & so skillful in the way the author develops each character. I was expecting the end but still surprised by the means! Loved this -- helping make 2021 better, Tony.

Great story! I really appreciate your discussion at the end of each tale.

Look forward to hearing some more of your own stories great stuff

Brilliant. Much catch my breath then listen again. Your narration is superb. Thank you.

Definitely one of the best.

Tony I hope 2021 is getting better for you. You bring such beauty and happiness to your listening audience.I love your history abt the writers. So thank you.

Excellent story. The only thing I knew Richmal Crompton for was the Just William stories. I had no idea that she also wrote ghost stories, and very good ones at that.

Thank you for sharing your story telling skills. The stories and your delivery are very calming for me, and when you slip in a short musical vocal it's a delightful surprise!

Ghost/haunted location stories are my faves.. Loving all of these excellent tales you're sharing!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Great job!

This is a great story and superbly narrated! Thank you.

You’re putting the work in Tony…….well done 😊🔥👍

I love listening to you reading, I don't understand some of the stories but this one had everything, I loved it, thank you.

A good story

I loved hearing this again it’s like Christmas in July

Excellent storytelling! I didn't see the end coming at all. You did a masterful job of building the tension and bringing out the emotions of the characters. Thank you for another thrilling experience!

Wonderful story! And perfect narration. Many thanks for sharing this.

Discovered this podcast on Spotify a couple of days ago. It’s absolutely superb. Your man has an excellent narrator’s voice. So easy to listen to.

Beautiful story

That was an awesome story-and as always, an awesome reading!

One of the best stories you’ve done

This is right up my alley.

What a sweet sad story!

Brilliant brilliant 👍🐱

It ended as it should, each person with the one they loved the best. Poor girl!

Your voice and manner makes all the difference, don't change anything 🌳, thank you so much 🌳

Tony Walker it is a joy to hear you and it's so very much appreciated what you do as good public works. I do not have access to paypal or worldpay because i am in a third world currency, but if sincere intentions could buy coffee you would be awash in it and unable to sleep for the caffeine. Many thanks from University of Dar es Salaam

Who knew the author that dominated by childhood could write a such brilliant “adult” short story.Thanks for realising it so well.Off to Kindle now!

Awesome! Hadn't heard any version of this before. I loved that it gave me both opportunity to anticipate what seemed obvious in the story future, but also for the lovely surprise ending. Thank you thank you thank you ❤️. Narration was frank and compassionate. Just love your work!

Excellent!

Very enjoyable, thank you.

Happy New Year to you too!

Loved this

Loved every minute of it

great story!

Agree, this was a good one. Thanks Tony 🙂👍🏼

Yes, - outstanding, unfamiliar author. Will say that 2021 was kind of a conclusion, ~knock on wood,~ to a cursed couple years of difficulty for me; the Lockdown, despite having actually caught Covid in December, was more like a needed recovery period.It might have been a life saving break, all said and done. Odd, indeed , how the fates are dealt out; if you live to get through it, almost anything can happen.Sometimes you must keep white nailing it, and hope for an updraft. Best narrator I've heard; concise, natural and flowing.Thanks again.

Wonderful storytelling as usual. I’m so glad I found your channel. Even if I am late to it lol

Wonderful...

Lovely. A real heartbreaker. 💔

This is the best story you’ve narrated yet Tony. Hauntingly beautiful. You took me through absolute Hatred for Heath, and what he did to this poor , pure young lady. It made me feel sickened of the world of privelage and state. He used her as a joyful interlude, but no ambition of anything gentlemanly…. I think your summary is far too kind on Heath, and strangely made me feel a bit angry!! But then , the joy and beauty in his heart comes out when he longs to return to Rosalind. The ending is pretty nauseating, with the narrator ‘stepping in’ as such. This story is not about revenge or comeuppance for me, Heath is actually returned to the paradise lost, and this is what he wanted in the end.

I love you reading this story!

Don't know if there are others but no matter how good the ghost story and narrator I'm always disappointed at the end, not with the ending,, but at the end because, so it seems, it has to be negative and often sad.

Odd listening to this great story. My whole first name is Rosalind, pronounced like Rosa--. I've always been called Rosie and didn't even like my first name until I got older. I don't hear it spoken and rarely come across it. That's where the similarity to the story ends...LOL. Thanks, Tony.

Rosalind is Emily, Viscount Heath is Steerforth, and the narrator is David.

TS 36:26 ending music credit mention *Folk Horror Heartwood Institute & later *Grey Malkin* the latter *Grey Malkin is on RU-vid w/ incredible videos amongst my favorite is: *The Wife of Ushers Well* listed as: *The Hare & the Moon then the song title *The Wife of Ushers Well* I believe available on: *Bandcamp* I will share this on my usual platforms...TY *Tony Walker*

"How DO the dead come back to life?" I don't think they come back to life, so much as never left.

I'm amazed at the level of intelligence your listeners seem to have. Perhaps,it's because your listeners are British?? It would be very interesting in knowing from where they live. As for myself, I'm in the American deep South. Thank you for your uploads . 🇬🇪

I wonder if the name *Heath* was borrowed from: *Heathcliff* from *Wuthering Heights* pub in 1847 written in 1846?

Is the photo of Sophie from Sophie's Stage?

Might I suggest that you record , 'The Stranger', and 'The Middle Toe of the Right Foot', both by Ambrose Bierce.

I always wondered if the writer had Elizabeth Siddall and Rossetti in mind during this story; she, too, died from love. She did actually get to marry her painter but it didn't give her his heart. He still ran around, and she ended addicted to laudunum due to her pain and illness. Even his close friends scorned him after her death, and although he lived many years, his life went steadily downhill after her death and he died a pauper. I've always wondered if she haunted him. I wouldn't be surprised. In some ways the stories are very similar.

Was this recorded in January? Anyway I really enjoyed it.

A little bit of "Take Your Son Sir", by Ford Maddox Brown. A very preraphite story indeed. Even though it was set a little later, it's an homage to the likes of Elizabeth Siddle, Fanny and all the other models whom Dante G.Rosetti and his ilk used up and threw away.

Rosalind got her revenge, she also got her man.

I love stories you do in your original, real accent. Don't mistake me in the slightest; your American, Scottish, Irish, French and Australian are flawless, and you make the switch between accents so adeptly, one can forget there is only you speaking all parts; your actual voice is quite expressive, and probably the reason your channel is fast becoming my favorite. Although I don't have the means to contribute now, I custom make Guardian angels with couture gowns. If my craft fair in October goes as planned, you can count on a nice contribution then for the countless hours of enjoyment you give me while I sit tediously sewing tiny ball gowns by hand :). Your channel is brilliant.

SPOILER ALERT!! Revenge in classic ghost stories is often the ghost killing the person who wronged them. I don't think that Rosalind was seeking revenge on Heath. I think she wanted to bring all three of them together in the only place that they could be together.

Comment on the children of clergy writing ghost stories. I think like most things it’s a multi faceted set of reasons, but these I am sure are in play; 1. They have no income as such and hence have to make a proper living, doing something 2. They have to make money, regularly and without many skills as they have been bought up genteelly. So writing back in Edwardian times was acceptable for both women and men, gave regular income for stories in blackwoods or strand and could also be anthologised later. 3. They will have heard much of the gossip as they grew up and so will have had access to good character studies to use 4. I’m sure their parents will have had tales told by parishioners about inexplicable events of a spiritual nature, hence more ingredients 5. As people living in spiritual surroundings they will naturally have reflected on ghosts and so on I may have missed some drivers but think that these will certainly help to explain the above average presentation of children of clergy as ghost story writers. Very interesting point. This story. I feel there is perhaps some untold and unintentional narrative modalities at work here if we reflect for a while. The narrator seems unrealistic at the end, my wife would definitely have worked out of me the circumstances of her dead ex fiancés secrets. The narrator seems to wistfully reflect on the fact that he is unable to provide the type of life that his wife will be meant for and her station in life, he says as much. That he doesn’t have the necessary means and she is meant for being a lords wife. I think the female characters are well drawn the male ones less well defined. It’s a good story for sure, almost satisfying other than the fact there is a tragic disconnection of human beings in a capitalist class system that traps them as effectively as any of us.

There’s something quite disturbing about this story by Crompton. All this drooling and lusting over a seventeen year old child… Goodness.