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Mary Wilkins Freeman's "A New England Nun" follows Louisa Ellis as she grapples with the return of her fiancé Joe Daggett after a 14-year absence and discovers that her peaceful, orderly life is more precious to her than marriage.

• Louisa has created a meticulously ordered life during Joe's 14-year absence in Australia
• Her days are filled with peaceful routines—perfect housekeeping, sewing linen seams, and distilling flower essences
• Joe's return and imminent marriage threatens to disrupt her carefully cultivated solitude
• Louisa accidentally overhears Joe and another woman, Lily, confessing their feelings but determining to honor his commitment
• Given the opportunity to break the engagement, Louisa chooses her serene independence over marriage
• The story challenges conventional views of spinsterhood, presenting solitude as a conscious choice leading to contentment
• Freeman portrays Louisa's decision as empowerment rather than sacrifice, finding joy in "days strung together like pearls in a rosary"

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