Possible Spoiler if you haven’t read the book yet
A letter from James Titus to then President Mooney at Centenary College, December 1932. What strikes me here is the sentence about regret and errors that Titus mentions in the verses on the calendar he is referencing. Keep in mind this is nearly 50 years after Tillie’s murder and his conviction. In particular, his own thought that “If life could be lived backward and one could begin with the knowledge and experience of years, it might be possible to do better.” If you’ve read THE CEMETERY KEEPER’S WIFE already, you will understand Titus’s regret. I have been told by a local that once Titus returned from prison, he slept in the cellar of his house on Sharp Street for the rest of his days. I am struck by his beautiful handwriting.
