First published by in 1886, "A White Heron" became the title story in her collection A White Heron and Other Stories. It follows a young city girl named Sylvia who comes to live with her grandmother in the country. She meets a young ornithologist seeking a rare bird that he recently saw in the area. Should Sylvia tell him she saw the bird? She discovers her passion for the countryside and its wildlife, and she comes to want to protect it