New Year's Day (The 'Seventies)

"New Year's Day (The 'Seventies)" by Edith Wharton is a story set in 19th-century New York, where Lizzie Hazeldean tries to manage her life filled with challenges from the past while dealing with her husband, Charles, and the attractive but questionable Henry Prest. The story looks at what society expects of people, different kinds of love, and the effects of decisions made against the stunning backdrop of New York's high society. The story starts with a young person thinking about a childhood memory of his mother gossiping about Lizzie Hazeldean and the scandal of her relationship with Henry Prest, which stirs up trouble in their social circle. The story takes place on New Year's Day at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, where a fire creates a scene that makes Lizzie's life even more complicated. The story then goes back to Lizzie's past, showing how she went from being a girl saved from a bad situation to a woman stuck in emotional problems because of her husband's failing health and her involvement with Prest, exploring the ideas of right and wrong, reputation, and the changing ways people care for each other within the strict rules of society.