“The Dorrance Domain” by Carolyn Wells

Original Excerpt:

“The Dorrance children had long since ceased to delight in the tinny clink of the kitchen bell, and the echo of it through the long rooms always seemed to them hollow and meaningless in the still house. The windows were open, but only a breath stirred the curtains; and the hall, where shadows lay deep in the corners, seemed to welcome them with a pale silence. Dorothy halted, the others behind her, and looked back at the empty rooms they had left—that board room, the narrow stair, the faded portraits on the walls. It was curious how memory reshaped small things.”

Edited Excerpt:

“The Dorrance children had ceased to delight in the tinny clink of the kitchen bell. Its echo through the long rooms seemed hollow and meaningless in the house’s stillness. The windows were open, but only a breath stirred the curtains. The hall, with shadows lying deep in its corners, welcomed them with a pale silence. Dorothy paused, the others stopping behind her, and looked back at the empty rooms they had left. There remained the board room, the narrow stair, and the faded portraits on the walls. It was curious how memory reshaped small things.”

Notes:
In this fiction sample, the goal was to maintain the reflective tone of the original while improving flow and grammar for a modern audience. The edits focused on restructuring awkward phrasing, clarifying imagery, and maintaining the literary voice. I made sure to preserve the contemplative pacing and quiet mood of the scene.