The Train in the Meadow — Robert Nathan

A train bound for a mysterious destination stops in the middle of a meadow. As the hours pass and the cause of the delay remains unknown, we meet the various passengers. There is a priest, a former president, a lonely waitress, an elderly couple, and a young orphan boy, each pondering the significance of the journey thrust upon them and what awaits them at their destination. Will they find order? Loneliness? Love?

Soon another train headed in the opposite direction also stops in the meadow. Its passengers are brimming with the excitement of what lies ahead. As mysterious officials process passengers from the outbound train, the characters reflect on their pasts and examine their futures. But it is the truth about their destination that is the ultimate revelation.

Robert Nathan, the master of satiric fantasy, has crafted a timeless tapestry of love, loneliness, optimism, and sacrifice as he examines our hopes, fears, and the legacies we leave behind.