Blessed influence of one true loving human soul on another!

George Eliot was the pseudonym for Victorian English novelist Mary Ann Evans, who penned this hopeful observation of relationships’ transformative power in “Janet’s Repentance,” the third short story of her 1857 fictional trilogy “Scenes of Clerical Life.” The story centers around an abused, alcoholic wife named Janet Dempster and the pious but self-martyring Reverend Mr. Tryan as they help each other achieve forgiveness and compassion for themselves and others. Eliot’s musing on our ability to affect those around us for the better follows a conversation in which Mr. Tryan offers Mrs. Dempster some helpful guidance. Although the tale is set in 19th-century provincial England, its sentiments still ring true. There are few forces in life more potent than a supportive, comforting loved one who then inspires us to play that same role in the lives of others.