The visitor’s recital

An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.

The children in the home practised the song twice before the benefactor arrived. Miss Dale told them to stand straight and keep their hands still. The visitor liked cheerful faces, she said. Edward knew the words, but his new boots pinched and he could not stop thinking about the sister who had been placed in another house.

When the visitor entered, the children smiled together. Edward looked towards the door, expecting his sister among the attendants. She was not there. During the second verse, he stopped singing. Miss Dale touched his shoulder, a small warning that made him begin again. The visitor remarked on how happily the children appeared to be settled.

Afterwards, each child was asked what gift they wanted. Others requested pencils or a ball. Edward asked when he could see his sister. Miss Dale began explaining that arrangements were complicated. The visitor asked the question again, directing it to Edward. He said he did not know; that was why he was asking.

The visitor promised to inquire, and Miss Dale wrote down the sister’s name. No reunion happened that afternoon. Edward received pencils with the others and put them carefully in his pocket. As the visitor left, he was no longer smiling. This time nobody told him to begin again.

“The writer successfully reveals the limits of the cheerful impression presented to the visitor.”

Evaluate how successfully the writer presents this idea. Support your judgement with detailed references to the passage.