Sentence:  Mrs. Blair had lost her husband, who was a cavalry officer, in Cabool, at the memorable Khyber Pass; but as no precise tidings of his death had every been received, she cherished the <WSD>forlorn</WSD> hope that he was still living in captivity among the Affghans, and that some day it would be her happiness yet to be reunited with him, even on earth. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Unlikely to succeed; hopeless.