Who is Almeda from Friend of My Youth: Stories and what is their importance?

Almeda is a 19th century middle-aged woman and poet living alone in a small town. She is looked down on a little by the townsfolk for her interest in books and poetry, though this is deemed more acceptable in middle-age than it had been in her youth. It seems to be the general opinion of the town that she should get married, and even the doctor recommends this as a cure for her anxieties. Almeda accepts this view, anxious to conform to the values of the town. She sets her eye on the bachelor living next door, Jarvis Poulter. She fantasizes about marrying him, and what married life might be like. Although her house backs onto a bad street, she tries to ignore the violent things that happen on it, taking the same attitude as the rest of the respectable members of the community. In her poetry she expresses a similar view, ignoring anything unpleasant and messy to express the beauty and tranquility around her instead.