Ménie Muriel Dowie (1866-1945) was a travel writer, a novelist and an author of short stories. An intrepid traveller, many of her tales are set in the exotic locations she explored.

'A Cowl in Cracow' describes a young female traveler who is exploring the beautiful old city of Krakow in Poland. She wanders into a building which turns out to be a monastery, where she has a very emotionally charged interview with a tormented young monk.