Summary

The short story “Lispeth” by Rudyard Kipling begins by telling us that, after suffering from a bad harvest, a married couple from the region of Kotgarh decides to convert to the Christian faith and baptise and educate their daughter in this faith. Soon after, the couple dies of cholera, and the daughter, Elizabeth (nicknamed Lispeth) is raised by the wife of the Chaplain (a type of priest) who baptised her. Lispeth grows to be a beautiful young woman who follows the Christian faith and dresses according to British rules. Being beautiful and tall, the Chaplain’s wife feels uncomfortable about treating her like a servant, so Lispeth mostly takes care of the children and goes to Sunday school.

The Chaplain's wife proposes that Lispeth leaves Kotgarh and become a nurse ...