Summary

The story begins with Euphemia, the narrator, as an adult. She is divorced, has two sons, and works in a real estate office. She receives a call from her father, who informs her that her mother has died of natural causes. The narrative then shifts to Euphemia’s thoughts and recollections about her mother. Her mother had been a devout Christian since she was a teenager. She married at the age of 25. Euphemia’s father was 38 at the time of the marriage, and he worked on the farm that he had inherited from his parents. As a child, Euphemia and her parents lived in a rural home; Euphemia enjoyed exploring and looking at the stains and marks of the walls, the ceilings, and the hearth. Euphemia then recalls that her father, although a generally conservative man, did not seem very upset about Euphemia’s...