The Patron and the Crocus is a short story by Virginia Woolf, first published in the collection Monday or Tuesday in 1921. The story follows a young woman, Mary, who is the patron of a small village. She is a wealthy woman who has inherited her wealth from her father, and she is determined to use her money to help the people of the village. She decides to buy a crocus bulb from a local flower seller and plant it in the village square. The villagers are initially skeptical of Mary's plan, but eventually they come to accept it. The crocus blooms in the spring, and the villagers are amazed by its beauty. They come to see it as a symbol of Mary's generosity and kindness. The story ends with Mary leaving the village, but the villagers remember her fondly and the crocus remains a reminder of her kindness.
By Virginia Woolf · First published 1917 · Genre: Modernist Literature, Feminist Literature, Romance