Eveline is a short story belonging to Dubliners, a collection of short stories written by James Joyce, and it is set in the past: "She sat at the window...".
In the sequences where Eveline's present is described or where her memories are expressed the writer uses the simple past or the past perfect.
The simple past is generally used to tell about actions completely over:  finished in the past.

In the short story the form "used to" occuras  very often. It expresses actions that the habit no longer exists in the present because it refers and expresses a habit in the past. The expression makes the reader understand that Eveline is homesick of her past and that she lives in her memories.

The past perfect, instead, generally refers to a very distant past.
In addition, there is also the use of the past progressive which has the function to express an intention. So in the short story it expresses Eveline's intentions and desires to do something: but she'll never realize them. So this verbal form underlines the uncertainty and the doubts of Eveline. There is a lack between her thoughts and intentions and the effective action.