Short Fiction · Chapter
Springtime à la Carte explained
Sarah, a freelance typist in New York, survives a cold winter by typing menu cards for Schulenberg's Home Restaurant in exchange for meals.
What happens
Sarah, a freelance typist in New York, survives a cold winter by typing menu cards for Schulenberg's Home Restaurant in exchange for meals. As spring approaches, she is heartbroken over not receiving letters from her farmer sweetheart, Walter Franklin. While typing a menu that includes dandelions—a flower that symbolizes their love—she breaks down in tears. Unbeknownst to her, Walter has been searching for her; he finds her by recognizing the distinctive 'W' on the menu card, which mistakenly reads 'Dearest Walter, with hard-boiled egg' instead of 'dandelions.' They reunite happily.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Romance
Sarah's love for Walter is the central emotional driver, symbolized by dandelions and culminating in their reunion.
Nostalgia and the Passage of Time
Sarah's memories of the previous summer contrast with her lonely winter in the city, and the arrival of spring brings both sorrow and hope.
Humor and Irony
The narrator's playful asides and the ironic twist of the typo—'Dearest Walter' instead of 'dandelions'—add a humorous touch to the romantic plot.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
The narrator directly addresses the reader, commenting on storytelling conventions and guiding the emotional tone.
- Annie Williams
Sarah is the protagonist, a freelance typist who cries over a menu card and longs for her farmer love, Walter.
- Tom Hopkins
Walter Franklin is the young farmer who wooed Sarah in the country and later finds her via the typo on the menu.
Key passages
“Sarah was crying over her bill of fare. Think of a New York girl shedding tears on the menu card!”
Sarah is weeping over the menu she is typing, which is an unusual and striking image for a New York woman.
This opening hook establishes Sarah's emotional state and the story's central irony.
“But what a witch is Spring! Into the great cold city of stone and iron a message had to be sent.”
Spring is like a sorceress, sending a vital message into the harsh, unfeeling city.
The narrator personifies spring as a magical force that brings change and connection.
“I'd know that cranky capital W 'way above the line that your typewriter makes anywhere in the world.”
I would recognize that crooked capital W, which sits above the line, no matter where I saw it.
Walter identifies Sarah's unique typing quirk, leading to their reunion.