The art of writing a short story can be barely noticed by a reader or listener - such is the quality with which they are usually written. It is a difficult trade, an unforgiving discipline, but for those who master it, the rewards are many. In this series of works by our greatest female writers, we bring you a selection of those we consider the best. The stories are by Louisa May Alcott, Katherine Mansfield, Charlotte Mew and are narrated by Eve Karpf and Liza Ross.