Clark, a young man now studying in Boston, tells us about his Aunt Georgiana. The first half of Georgiana’s life centered around music. By her early twenties she was a music teacher trained better than most.
Then she met X, fell in love and eloped. Because they had little money, they moved to Nebraska to homestead. During the second half of her life Georgiana worked long days helping to build the farm and raise her six children. Although after many years her husband bought her a piano, music was not the center of this portion of her life.
One day Clark received a letter that his Aunt Georgana was coming to Boston to settle an inheritance. To help repay his aunt for all the good things she did for him, he decided to take her to a concert of all Wagner music.
It’s been decades since Aunt Georgiana has been to a concert. Her reaction to the music surprises her nephew. I won’t spoil the story for you. It’s a short one and well worth the reading. Commentary with the story tells of the author’s own fascination with Wagner’s music. I imagined Aunt Georgiana’s reaction must have reflected Willa Cather’s reaction.
I think I’ve mentioned in the past how much I enjoy Willa Cather’s writing. She is indeed a gifted writer. I hope you’ll enjoy this one too. You can find the story here: A Wagner Matinee
Short Story Monday is sponsored by John at Book Mind Set.