Section 1.
In town, Doctor Ed Burleigh tells Anton Rosicky, age 65, that
his heart is weak and needs rest. After Rosicky's departure, Burleigh
reflects on his affection for this
Bohemian immigrant and his family, particularly Mrs. Mary Rosicky.
He remembers the previous winter when he had a good breakfast
at the Rosickys' after delivering a baby at a less hospitable
house. The Rosickys' have five boys and a little girl; Burleigh
himself is single, and his hair is starting to turn grey.
Section 2.
After leaving Doc Burleigh's office, Rosicky buys ticking for
pillows and candy for his wife at the general merchandise store,
where he teases the clerk Miss Pearl. He drives home to his farm
in the first snow of the season, and spends some time contemplating
the graveyard on the edge of his property. At home, Mary reacts
anxiously to the news of her husband's heart trouble. Rosicky
is 15 years older than her, but until now she has never thought
much about their age difference.
Section 3.
After talking to Doc Burleigh, Mary forbids her husband from doing
strenuous work, so he stays home and does tailoring and carpentering.
Rosicky was a tailor as a young man. While he patches and adjusts
the family's clothes, he remembers his years in New York, especially
the Fourth of July when he decided to leave the city for Nebraska,
at age 35; and he recalls his boyhood in Bohemia, through age
12, when he formed his first ties to the land.
Section 4.
Rosicky takes the family car to the neighboring farm rented by
his son Rudolph and his wife Polly so the young, struggling couple
can go to the movies in town. Polly, who is an "American"
(non-immigrant) from town, privately tells Rosicky about her loneliness
on the farm. After they leave, Rosicky stays in their house, cleans
the kitchen, and thinks. Rosicky worries that Rudolph and Polly
will move to the city.
Section 5.
On a Christmas Eve, Mary tells a story about a crop failure on
the Fourth of July in Nebraska, 15 years earlier, when Rosicky
was 50. While his neighbors mourned, Rosicky had a picnic with
his family to enjoy what they still had. Rosicky follows with
a story about his last Christmas in London, when he was 20 years
old, destitute, and a tailor's apprentice. Through the generosity
of two prosperous Bohemians he met by chance, Rosicky was able
to buy Christmas dinner for his master's family, and then emigrate
to New York. One morning in the spring, Rosicky defies doctor's
orders and does farm work, pulling thistles from the alfalfa crop.
He suffers severe heart pains, but is rescued by Polly, who puts
him to bed. Rosicky guesses, and Polly confirms, that she is expecting
a baby. Holding her father-in-law's warm hand, Polly has a sudden
recognition of Rosicky's love for her. The next morning, while
patching clothes, Rosicky suffers another heart attack and dies.
His body is discovered by Mary. Several weeks later, Doctor Ed
visits the graveyard where Rosicky is buried, next to the farm,
and recognizes that Rosicky's life was "complete and beautiful."
