In the final chapter, Fred learns from Mr. Harsanyi that the protagonist's secret is "passion."  
This book's epilogue features an ice-cream sociable given by the Methodists, at which Lily Fisher's twins wonder why Tillie is always talking about a thousand dollars.  In the final chapter, Fred learns from Mr. Harsanyi that the protagonist's secret is "passion."  The title of this novel comes from a Jules Breton painting seen at the Art Institute in Chicago by the protagonist, who is the daughter of a minister in the desert town of Moonstone, Colorado.  In her youth, she encounters the mandolin-playing Spanish Johnny and the helpful town physician Dr. Howard Archie, while she learns a lot from self-educated railroad brakeman Ray Kennedy.  In a central passage, the sensual experience of bathing at Panther Canyon teaches the protagonist the true meaning of art. FTP, name this novel about the rise of a diva named Thea Kronborg, a novel by Willa Cather.
This book's epilogue features an ice-cream sociable given by the Methodists, at which Lily Fisher's twins wonder why Tillie is always talking about a thousand dollars.  
The Song of the Lark