An Angel in Disguise Summary of the story

The story basically is about a poor, miserable and wretched child who turns
out to be an angel for Thompson family. A poor woman who is hated
throughout her life by almost all the people of the village is now surrounded by
the same people. when she dies in a drunken state on the threshold of her
own house. She dies in front of her three children who included two daughters
and a son. The village people take pity on these children.

The boy was taken in by a farmer and Katy is taken away by Mrs. Ellis. The
youngest Maggie, who is disabled and bedridden, is left alone because
nobody is ready to take her in that condition. Mr. Thompson, the wheel wright,
decides to take her home so that he can take her to the poor house the next
day as he knows his wife would not like her to stay at home forever or accept
her. When he carries her in his arms and reaches home, his wife Mrs.
Thompson becomes angry and her face is in a flame. She bursts out for
bringing that ‘sick-brat’ into her house.

Joe begs her to tolerate Maggie for a single day. He asks her to 16ok at her
kindly and speak to her gently. He reminds her of Maggie’s dead mother and
of sorrow and loneliness Maggie would be having in future. When Joe goes
out for work, Mrs. Thompson is all alone with Maggie the whole day, her
attitude towards Maggie changes and slowly she becomes fond of her. Mr.
Thompson notices this change and realizes that it has been dark, cold and
miserable, in his house for a long time because his wife had nothing to love
and care for, which was the reason for becoming her irritable, ill-tempered and
self-afflicting.

Now the sweetness of that sick child is described as honey to her soul. She
carries her in her heart as well as in her arms. It a precious burden for her,
she is an angel in their house disguised as a sick and helpless child.

An Angel in Disguise Summary Theme

The story has a symbolic title. The main theme of the story is that people can
change and can get emotionally attached to others. It depicts love, kindness
and human feelings. The importance of love has been emphasized and it is
essential for human survival. The story is about a girl Maggie with open heart
and pure soul who proves to be an angel for Thompson family. Her own life is
full of darkness but she fills the life of Thompson’s family with happiness and
gives them reason to live. The story opens with a sad note but gradually it
gears up into a happy one.
Compassionate Mr. Thompson takes her home in spite of her hopeless
disease. Thus selfishness is defeated by the selfless love. There is no proper
description of the place but we could imagine that the setting is in a village
which is dark and gloomy. The story is narrated in the third person. The story
develops in a sequential way. It opens with the death of the mother and how
the people gather in front of her house, how they behave and how they react.
The two among the three children are taken away by different people and for
Maggie who is suffering from the spinal problem, it is suggested to take her to
the poor house.

But Mr. Thompson takes pity on her and carries her home. In the final
paragraph of the story Mr. and Mrs. Thompson finds her as an angel who has
come into their house disguised as a sick, helpless and miserable child and
fills all its dreary chambers with the sunshine of love. The message conveyed

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is to help other people. We should be kind, sympathetic and soft-hearted. A
truly meaningful life is made up of a series of daily acts of kindness. Not only
Maggie needs care and attention but Mrs. Thompson also needs the same in
return.

In the story “An Angel in Disguise”, how has the author shown
that selflessness and compassion bring happiness not only for
others but also for oneself?

T. S. Arthur’s story “An Angel in Disguise” is all about a little orphan girl
called Maggie, Joe Thompson’s  compassion for the child and the joy and
happiness she brings to the childless Thompson family.

The little poor girl Maggie was left alone when her mother died keeping
behind her three children in the hands of their fate. Though two villagers
agreed to take John and Kate, no one showed any interest in Maggie, as
she had been sick and bed-ridden for two years due to a fall from a
window.

Everyone suggested to take her to the poorhouse, but none cared to take
the initiative. Joe Thompson was the only man who couldn’t go home
leaving the poor girl alone. He said to the blacksmith’s wife —

The blacksmith’s wife suggested Joe to take her to the poorhouse and
waited no longer. A vague terror had come into Maggie’s thin white face
just when she called out —
Joe had some tender spots in his heart in spite of his rough exterior. He
couldn’t reject the plea of the little sick girl. He went to her and said —

Then he took her home lifting her in her arms overcoming the fears of how
his ‘vinegar-tempered wife’ might react on seeing her. Not only that,
afterwards he convinced his wife to treat the child with tenderness.

Thompson gave a whole new life to the girl, no doubt. It was a great
example of selflessness and compassion from Joe Thompson. And we
know that good happens to people who do good. Interestingly, Joe also
knew and believed in the same theory. That’s why he said —

And we see, Thompson’s good work didn’t go in vain. Though initially his
wife was not so happy with the child, gradually she developed a soft corner
for her. Maggie’s sweetness, her look of love, patience and gratitude was
like “honey to her soul”. The girl melted her heart which was stoned for so
many years in the absence of a child in the family. The loneliness of Jane
Thompson made her short-tempered and irritable, but Maggie’s love now
awoke the human feelings slumbering in her heart. The child brought joy
and happiness to the whole family.

This only emphasizes that virtues like selflessness and compassion bring
happiness not only for others but also for oneself.