Father Schwartz

Father Schwartz is one of the main characters of the short story. Though he has chosen his clerical life, Father Schwartz is deeply unhappy. He is not despairing about the sinful state of the world, however. Rather, Father Schwartz is tormented by the beauty of the world around him, in which he cannot partake. The afternoons and early evenings are the worst for the priest. He hates to hear the excited voices of young people in the streets. He finds the omnipresence of the sun torturous. His heart aches when he passes the drug store, sees the glowing lights, and smells the sweet soaps inside. Every day he desperately prays for night to come, so that he can escape these reminders of a more wondrous life beyond the church.

During one such afternoon, Father Schwartz is relieved, therefore, when Rudolph Miller unexpectedly shows up at his home...