The Easter of the Soul (Henry)
from the Collection «The Voice of the City»
Mr. "Tiger" McQuirk, a marble-cutter, woke up one morning feeling uneasy and restless. He couldn't understand the cause of his discomfort, but his mother suggested that it might be the arrival of spring. Despite her words, McQuirk remained skeptical, as there were still signs of winter around him.
I feel like there was going to be earthquakes or music or a trifle of chills and fever or maybe a picnic.
Throughout the day, McQuirk encountered various people who also mentioned the arrival of spring. He even engaged in a fight with a rival, Conover, which was interrupted by the police. After escaping, McQuirk found himself in a shop where he asked for a songbook containing a specific song about springtime. The shopkeeper didn't have it, but suggested another song about sitting together in an old armchair.
Finally, McQuirk went to visit Annie Maria Doyle, a woman he had feelings for.
He asked her opinion on the weather, and she confirmed that she could feel the arrival of spring. McQuirk then realized that his uneasiness was due to his feelings for Annie Maria, and he proposed to her.
I’ve had it. I didn’t recognize it at first. I thought maybe it was en-wee, contracted the other day when I stepped above Fourteenth Street.
She accepted, and they both felt the presence of spring in their lives.
Jimmy, don’t you see that spring is all over the world right this minute?
However, the day ended with a sudden drop in temperature and an inch of snowfall. Despite this, McQuirk remained convinced that it was springtime, as he had found love and happiness with Annie Maria.