John Inglefield’s Thanksgiving

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “John Inglefield’s Thanksgiving”, describes the Thanksgiving dinner of a New England blacksmith and his family. Two chairs sit empty, one for John Inglefield’s recently deceased wife, and another for daughter Prudence. Prudence’s sudden and unexpected appearance causes consternation at first, then increasing joy as the family is reunited with the prodigal daughter. But what is the cause of the unspoken distance between Prudence and her family?