Willa Cather'S A Lost Lady

The Captain Forrester and His Roses

In Willa Cather's A Lost Lady, Captain Daniel Forrester is a gardener at heart. His lifetime is spent encouraging growth, whether of railroads, personal lives or flowers. His philosophy is to dream "because a thing that is dreamed of in the way I mean is already an accomplished fact" (44). Close friends described the Captain as clearly looking like "... pictures of Grover Cleveland. His clumsy dignity covered a deep nature, and a conscience that had never been juggled with" (39). Because of his clear conscience Captain Forrester became a rich soil for many around him to take root in. As this soil, he could always be in the background and many never noticed how important he was until he was missed. Once the Captain's career outside his home ended he truly opens up to the peacefulness of nature, including his flowers, which eventually illustrate the phases of his life.

The location of the Forrester's homes gives a hint towards Captain Forrester's dreams throughout his life. They had seasonal homes, spending "...winter in Denver and Colorado Springs,-left Sweet Water soon after Thanksgiving and did not return until the first of May" (23). Of three places they stayed during the year, two of them had optimistic names, encouraging ideas of eternal springs, which would be wonderful places for gardening. During the summer at Sweet Water, "The wild roses were wide open and brilliant, the blue-eyed grass was in purple flower, and the silvery milkweed was just coming on" (10). This picture of wild blooms is a reflection of Mrs. Forrester enjoying summertime, complimented with her barrenness of winter. Niel who enjoyed Mrs. Forrester staying on in Sweet Water throughout the winter noticed "The frosty air had brought no colour to her cheeks,-her skin had always the fragrant, crystalline whiteness of white lilacs" (26). This picture of Mrs. Forrester displays a reproduction of the nature around her. That same day as Niel gave Mrs. Forrester a ride home, "The poplars looked very tall and straight, pinched up and severe in their winter poverty" (28). Throughout A Lost Lady Mrs. Forrester reacts to the seasons as a rose does. With the Captain around he quietly gives her the support she needs, reacting to all of her seasonal needs, always supplying an endless supply of sweet or spring water.

The Captain's natural talent to gardening is shown early in his time at Sweet Water. As he first traveled through Sweet Water, at a time when it was still a natural land, "He cut down a young willow tree and drove the stake into the ground to mark the spot where he wished to build" (42) Mr. Forrester went away for many years after that stake was put into the ground, he was working to expand the railroads west. During a dinner party at his home he explained:

"When things looked most discouraging," he went on, "I came back here once and bought the place from the railroad company. They took my note. I found my willow stake,-it had grown into a tree,-and I planted three more to mark the corners of my house." (43)

Without effort a tree had sprung up where Captain Forrester planned to build his permanent home. The Captain would claim that all good coming to him, including the house in Sweet Water, were because he dreamed and planned of these things day by day.

It was after this beautiful life had been fashioned the Captain lost his normal life. These changes began after an accident with a horse, which disabled the Captain from being able to work with railroads again. Directly after the accident is also the first mention of Captain Forrester actively gardening: "He was able to work in his garden, trimmed his snowball bushes and lilac hedges, devoted a great deal of time to growing roses" (23). Gardening was a retreat for the Captain; he had otherwise lost his ability to be the useful strong man he once was. At this time his wife exhibited signs of unhappiness during winter, such as drinking more than usual. Niel picked up on this while near Mrs. Forrester "he smelled a sharp odour of spirits" (61) Captain Forrester went to an extreme measure to keep himself busy with flowers throughout that winter:

Captain Forrester was experimenting with bulbs that winter, and had built a little glass conservatory on the south side of the house, off the back parlour. Through January and February the house was full of narcissus and Roman hyacinths, and their heavy spring like odour made a part of the enticing comfort of the fireside there (57).

Niel was curious about these flowers once while visiting. He asked a series of questions, the last one about the flowers surviving the cold. Answering, Captain Forrester uncovered an interesting dynamic in the home during the winter: "No, these things can stand a good deal of cold. They've been company for us" (60). Mrs. Forrester chooses to be using sherry to keep her company and Mr. Forrester has had to turn to his flowers for brightening the winter.

From this time on out the Captain found his comfort place to be his garden. When spring came after the long winter, his gardens were beautiful: ". . . the Forrester place had never been so lovely. The Captain spent long, happy days among his flowering shrubs, and his wife used to say to visitors, "Yes, you can see Mr. Forrester in a moment; I will send the English gardener to call him" (68). The beauty in the garden captured Captain Forrester's thoughts; he enjoyed his pleasant labor there. Unfortunately the Captain's time in the garden was cut short because of a business disaster, "Early in June, when the Captain's roses were just coming on. . ." (68). Coming home from his business dealings, the Captain tried to be hospitable,

...