The mood of the story, “The Progress of Love” is enigmatic, nostalgic and melancholic. Set in small towns, Munro establishes the simplicity of the ways in which the characters live. The characters (Marietta, Marietta’s husband and Euphemia) are serious and somber, in comparison to Beryl, who had lived in the city and is depicted as someone who is fascinated easily, is upbeat and cheery. Further, the elements of nature (such as “milkweed and wild carrot in the pastures, mustard rampaging in the clover, some fields creamy with the buckwheat”) that Munro adds to describe the farms in town, create beauty and charm – something that Beryl herself was fascinated with. Additionally, the descriptions of houses, streets and about the towns in general create a familiarity which enable the reader to connect with the physicality of the place. Furthermore, because the story is mainly about the lives of Euphemia and Marietta as children, it is nostalgic. The telling of the sentimental past create longing over the understanding of events in their childhoods. The recollection of losses also builds a melancholic atmosphere.