"The Crop" Summary

"The Crop" is an inside joke O'Connor plays on herself, inviting us to participate in the fun. Miss Willerton is one of four aging people who live together, and share duties for the running of the household. One of Miss Willerton's jobs is to crumb the table after a meal, which has been her chore for fifty years. A long, narrow brush with a sterling silver handle is dragged over the tablecloth after the dishes are removed and any debris is swept into a crumb-catcher and dumped outside for the birds. As "The Crop" begins, Miss Willerton is diligently performing her duty, while Lucia and Bertha do the dishes and the one man, Garner, retires to the parlor to work a crossword puzzle. Miss Willerton thinks of herself as a writer, so crumbing the table gives her the opportunity...