Mrs. Allen and her husband live in Salinas Valley in California.  Mrs. Allen grows chrysanthemums.  Mr. Allen has just sold some cattle and plans to take Mrs. Allen out to celebrate, when a man comes and asks for some chrysanthemums.  Mrs. Allen shows her strength all the time.  When Mrs. Allen saw her flowers that she had given the stranger on the side of the road, she was upset.  She began to feel week and told Mr. Allen that she didn’t want to go to the fight like they had planned to and she begins to cry.

I liked the story because I think it shows a sense of loneliness and the idea of trying to hide weakness.  Mrs. Allen likes to be strong and she admires the beauty in the flowers.  Also, she is so happy when the peddler comes and shows an interest in her flowers because her husband doesn’t seem to show much interest in the chrysanthemums.