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All the Years of Her Life | Introduction

‘‘All the Years of Her Life’’ is a short story by Canadian writer Morley Callaghan. It was published in his second collection of short stories, Now That April’s Here and Other Stories (New York, 1936). ‘‘All the Years of Her Life’’ is a straightforward story with only three characters, written in an economical, unpretentious style typical of Callaghan’s work. A young man, Alfred Higgins, is caught by his employer, Sam Carr, pilfering items from the drugstore where he works. Instead of immediately calling the police, Mr. Carr sends for Alfred’s mother. The story focuses on Mrs. Higgins’s psychological state, which by the end of the story turns out to be quite different from how it first appears. When Alfred observes this change in his mother, he has a moment of insight in which he understands something about her he never before noticed. In just a few pages, Callaghan manages to tell a moving story of a mother’s devotion to her wayward son and the son’s sudden acquisition of a new maturity. The story ends on a note of quiet hope.

All the Years of Her Life Summary

‘‘All the Years of Her Life’’ is set in a drugstore in an unnamed city that may well be New York. The story begins one evening in late summer when Alfred Higgins, who works in the drugstore, is putting on his coat, ready to go home. The owner of the drugstore, Sam Carr, says he wants to have a word with Alfred before he leaves.

Alfred knows something is wrong because of the tone of voice in which his employer speaks. His heart begins to beat fast. Mr. Carr asks him to remove some items from his pocket, including lipstick and toothpaste.

Red-faced, Alfred tries to protest. Then he grows frightened and does not know what to say. He removes the items from his pocket. Mr. Carr asks him how long he has been stealing from the store, and Alfred says he has never done it before. But Mr. Carr knows Alfred is lying. Alfred is always getting into trouble at work, and he cannot hold a job.

Mr. Carr reproaches Alfred, saying he had been willing to trust him. He does not immediately want to call the police. He indicates he will call Alfred’s father, but Alfred says his father is not at home. Over Alfred’s protests, Mr. Carr... » Complete All the Years of Her Life Summary