The Withered Arm is a short story written by the English author Thomas Hardy. Set in rural England during the 19th century, the story follows the life of a young woman named Rhoda Brook, who is haunted by a mysterious vision of a woman with a withered arm. Rhoda is a milkmaid who is struggling to make ends meet, and she becomes increasingly obsessed with the vision, which she believes is a sign of impending doom.As the story progresses, Rhoda meets a wealthy farmer named Mr. Lodge, who is married to a beautiful but vain woman named Gertrude. When Gertrude develops a withered arm, Rhoda becomes convinced that she is responsible for the affliction, and she becomes consumed by guilt and fear.The Withered Arm explores themes of guilt, jealousy, and the power of superstition. It is a haunting and atmospheric tale that is typical of Hardy's works, which often deal with the struggles and hardships of rural life in England. The story is a poignant reminder of the power of the human mind to create its own reality, and of the often devastating consequences of our actions.She did nothing for months, and patiently bore her disfigurement as before. But her woman's nature, craving for renewed love, through the medium of renewed beauty (she was but twenty-five), was ever stimulating her to try what, at any rate, could hardly do her any harm. 'What came by a spell will go by a spell surely, ' she would say. Whenever her imagination pictured the act she shrank in terror from the possibility of it: then the words of the conjuror, 'It will turn your.blood, ' were seen to be capable of a scientific no less than a ghastly interpretation; the mastering desire returned, and urged her on again.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original wor