The Altar of the Dead

by Henry James

"The Altar of the Dead" by Henry James is a short story published in 1895. The tale follows George Stransom, who creates a private ritual of lighting candles in a church to honor his deceased friends and preserve their memory from oblivion. When he befriends a woman who shares his devotion to the dead, he discovers she mourns the one person he refuses to forgive. Their spiritual connection fractures over this single name, forcing Stransom to confront whether love and forgiveness can transcend even the deepest wounds of the past.