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should never near speaking to them again. they saw her once more
happy and calm, and phrases she used in ordinary conversation rose to
their lips. they even remembered a little movement of the hand, peculiar
to her, as if she were keeping time when she was saying something of
importance.
15 and they loved her as they had never before loved her. and by the depth
of their despair they realized how strongly they had been attached to her
and how desolate they would find themselves now.
she had been their mainstay, their guide, the best part of their youth, of
that happy portion of their lives which had vanished; she had been the
bond that united them to existence, the mother, the mamma, the creative
flesh, the tie that bound them to their ancestors. they would henceforth
be solitary, isolated; they would have nothing on earth to look back upon.
the nun said to her brother:
\you know how mamma used always to read over her old letters. they
are all there in her desk. suppose we read them in our turn and so revive
all her life this night by her side. it would be like a kind of road of the
cross, like making the acquaintance of her mother, of grandparents
whom we never knew, whose letters are there and of whom she has so
often talked to us: you remember?\
https://www.commonlit.org/students/student_lessons/22816808#line-15
assessment questions

1. part a: what does the word \desolate\

mean as used in paragraph 15?
a. united and stronger
b. confused and helpless
c. depressed and lonely
d. cold and unemotional

Explanation:

The context in paragraph 15 indicates a sense of loss and isolation. The word "desolate" is used in a context where the characters are experiencing despair and a lack of connection. "Depressed and lonely" (Option C) fits this context as it conveys the emotional state of being sad and isolated, which aligns with the description of having "nothing on earth to look back upon" and the loss of their "mainstay" and "guide."

Answer:

C. depressed and lonely