Beautiful and gentle, this short yet poignant story from the great Robert Nathan very much encapsulates his unique gifts and style of storytelling. We have a lovely young foreign girl and her little brother, set adrift by war. They find refuge in a scow on the beach through the kindness of Mr. Baghot. There, the beautiful yet innocent Luisa meets Mr. Smith, a teacher who has become gently restless with his life.

Everything about this story is gentle, especially the unspoken misunderstanding between Smith and the much younger and lovely Luisa; each believing the other could not possibly be romantically interested, despite their own personal feelings. Also gentle, making them more profound, are observations within the narrative about war and children, and people in general.

Only an ending vaguely suggestive of the future which lies ahead for our friends rather than clearly defined mars this wonderful story. But perhaps that speaks to Nathan’s genius that the reader aches for a longer and clearer glimpse into their future; Nathan as writer, showing us through his lovely prose that the picture is never fully painted until the final brush stroke, and life continues to unfold until we take the final breath.

Nathan was able to say more in his deceptively simple stories than any other writer I’ve ever read. His stories touch your heart and make you wistful, lingering long after the final page is turned. Above all else, Nathan wrote about love. An old-fashioned narrative style to be sure, but a unique reading experience for which you'll be all the richer. ( )

A good short story. ( )