Sherwood Anderson was an American novelist and short story writer, known for subjective and self-revealing works. Anderson's most notable work is his collection of interrelated short stories. In his memoir, he wrote that "Hands", the opening story, was the first "real" story he ever wrote. In addition, Anderson was one of the first American novelists to introduce new insights from psychology.

Once upon a time on the railway station was a man. A man was ill by some strong disease. He was sitting and waiting for a train. Suddenly there came a stranger and said: "I can cure coughs, colds, consumption and the sickness that bleeds. I take warts from the hand, but I cannot explain how I do it. It is a mystery. Did the stranger help him? Read the story to know!