- "What would you think of a man who spent a whole day hunting for the kittens of a poor cat who had been shot, because he couldn't bear to think of them starving to death?"
- —Esme Taylor[src]
Cyrus Taylor was the father of Esme, Trix and Pringle Taylor. He had a bad habit of sulking.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Cyrus was born in the late 1825 in Summerside to Mr. and Mrs. Taylor (née Pringle). Probably in the mid 1850s he met his future wife, proposed to her and they got married.
Marriage with Mrs. Taylor[]
Cyrus and his wife had together three children. Pale beauty Esme, spicy and funny Trix and round eyed and innocent Pringle, named by Cyrus after his mother's maiden name.
He was described as being a good father, but was in a bad habit of sulking. When he was done with his sulking fits, he would apologise and buy new dresses for each member of the family (excepting Pringle).
Engagement of Esme and Lennox Carter[]
Esme, Cyrus's eldest daughter, fell in love with Lennox Carter, a professor at Redmond College. In February 1888 Taylors asked him for dinner and Esme's hope rose that he would ask her to marry him.
Trix, though, was worried her father would have a sulking fit. She visited Windy Poplars and invited Anne Shirley for dinner to Taylor House, because she hoped for Anne's help. Dr. Carter was dreadfully clever and they wanted somebody with brains to talk to him.
The next afternoon, Hugh Pringle beat him at a game of checkers and he was in a dreadful humor. When Anne and Lennox came, they sat around the table and started eat. Everyone was silent. Silence reigned, despite several attempts at conversation. For once, Anne couldn't speak. Then she got a great idea.
- "Perhaps you would be interested to hear, Dr. Carter that Mr. Taylor went deaf last week."
- —Anne Shirley about Cyrus to Lennox Carter.[src]
Anne's words had a stirring effect on Trix and Pringle and they immediately followed Anne's lead.
- Trix: "Such an affliction for poor papa. And him only sixty-eight."
- Pringle: "What would you think, Dr. Carter, of a man who makes his family live on fruit and eggs... nothing but fruit and eggs... just for a fad?"
- Lennox Carter: "Does your father...? "
- ―Trix Taylor and Pringle Taylor about their father to Lennox Carter.[src]
They asked Dr. Carter what he thought about man who refused to let his wife have a dog, gave his wife a pair of goloshes for a Christmas present or believed the earth was flat. Lennox thought they were talking about Cyrus and was very surprised. Only Esme stood up with her father.
When his wife accused him of chochet, Cyrus exploded and then apologized to everyone. He let Esme marry Lennox and they were engaged.
Personality[]
Cyrus had a bad habit of sulking, and would do so for great amounts of time. He liked the blue, and enjoyed Anne Shirley's company.
Physical appearance[]
Etymology[]
Cyrus is a male given name of Greek origin and means lord.
Appearances[]
Book appearances