A Wagner Matinee Book

Her eyes were closed, but the tears were glistening on her cheeks, and I think in a moment more they were in my eyes as well. It never really dies, then, the soul? It withers to the outward eye only, like that strange moss which can lie on a dusty shelf half a century and yet, if placed in water, grows green again.

What an amazing story. It incorporates all those wonderful traits that I have come to associate with Willa Cather: the beautiful language, the understanding of the difficult life of the plains, the ebb and flow of the music of the soul; and it delivers a strong message built around the contrasts of the city cultures and the farming realities.

I want to say much more, but I don't want to give away the story for anyone who has not read it. If you love Cather, you will love this; if you do not know Cather, I cannot think of a better way to get an introduction.