Mary Cary: "Frequently Martha"

A frank, resourceful orphan narrates life at a female asylum, recording in her diary episodes of punishment for speaking candidly, clashes with an authoritarian matron, friendships with sympathetic attendants, and a persistent longing for parents she cannot have. Everyday scenes—chores, petty cruelties, small consolations, and accidental losses of beloved pets—shape her perspective on gratitude, honesty, and belonging. The story traces her emotional growth through mischief, moral tests, and acts of kindness, and follows how personal relationships and unforeseen events transform her circumstances, ultimately bringing reconciliation and a new domestic future.