"Short Sixes": Stories to be Read While the Candle Burns

"Short Sixes: Stories to be Read While the Candle Burns" by H. C. Bunner is a series of late 1800s short stories displaying an array of odd characters navigating love, society, and regular life. Each story is presented in an illustrative and clear manner. The collection starts with two girls, Louise and Esther, who admire a French tenor, M. Hyppolite Rémy. They create a worship around his photograph and music, embodying youthful admiration. Their plan for Louise to become a maid in the tenor's household shows themes of reaching for something more and longing for art and beauty. These initial themes set up the exploration of human desire and relationships that unfold throughout the collection.