A Simple Soul

"A Simple Soul" by Gustave Flaubert is a short story published in 1877. It follows Felicité, a devoted servant girl whose life is marked by loss and unwavering devotion. After her lover abandons her, she dedicates herself entirely to others—her mistress's children, her nephew, and eventually a pet parrot. Though everyone she loves dies and she ends her days in poverty, Felicité possesses an extraordinary capacity for love and a quiet, almost mystical spirituality that transcends her humble circumstances.

A Simple Soul, by Gustave Flaubert. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #1253.