Short Story by W Somerset Maugham. When a new vicar learns that the church verger cannot read or write, he tells him that he must leave the job. The disappointed man decides to open a business, and soon proves that you don’t need a good education to be a success.
Quick Read by Kate Chopin. After thinking for an hour about her husband's reported death in a train crash, a woman feels "free, free, free" and leaves her room with a look of triumph in her eyes. Sadly, she dies soon afterwards from “joy that kills”.
Short Story by Rabindranath Tagore. Despite living in poverty, the last male descendent of a once wealthy Indian noble family maintains his dignity and aristocratic bearing. A neighbor plays a cruel trick on him that backfires, finding himself part of the old man’s family and greatly boosting his self-esteem
Short Story by Nadine Gordimer. Poverty-stricken villagers hawking food and crafts swarm an African passenger train during a short stop. A passenger rejects a beautifully carved lion offered by a frail old man, and is upset when her husband proudly presents it to her, having paid less than half price.
Short Story by Lily Brett. An Australian couple who survived the holocaust is understandably obsessive about security and the welfare of their only daughter. Against their wishes, the girl marries outside their faith and, despite five years of psychotherapy, carries some of their concerns and obsessions into her marriage.