Question

what is the meaning of "relaxing distress" in HEARTS AND HANDS by O'henry

Answer 1

distress. If you are in distress, you are in trouble. You're hurting — either physically or mentally. ... When used as a verb, to distress means to cause all that pain, suffering and anxiety — in other words, to stress somebody out

Answer 2

Answer:

"Relaxing distress" from O Henry's Hearts and Hands.

One thing to be kept in mind by the readers is that in the above words, the writer was describing the state of Miss Fairchild's lips when she saw the handcuffs.Her lips parted in a vague(meaning uncertain) and"relaxed distress".Miss Fairchild was about to say something but when she saw the handcuffs, her lips relaxed(Before she saw the handcuffs, her lip muscles were tense(contracted) because she was about to speak).She did not say what she was about to say anymore because she was distressed on seeing the handcuffs.This is what the writer meant by "relaxing distress" according to me

Explanation: