mother-第2节
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picture。〃 He pointed to the largest picture on the wall。 〃'Breaking Home
Ties' is its title; I remember very well。 It is a replica of the original
that drew such crowds in the Art Building at the World's Fair。〃
While Richard was saying this; his wife had possessed herself of the
newspaper; and he now observed how eagerly she was scanning its pages。
〃It is the financial column; Ethel; that recalls my story。〃
Ethel; after a hopeless glance at this; resumed her seat near the sofa by
Mrs。 Davenport。
〃There were many paintings;〃 continued Richard; 〃in that Art Building; of
merit incomparably greater than 'Breaking Home Ties'; and yet the crowd
never looked at those; because it did not understand them。 But at any
hour of the day; if you happened to pass this picture; it took you some
time to do so。 You could pass any of John Sargeant's pictures; for
instance; at a speed limited only by your own powers of running; but you
could never run past 'Breaking Home Ties。' You had to work your way
through the crowd in front of that just as you have to do at a fire; or a
news office during a football game。 The American people could never get
enough of that mother kissing her boy goodbye; while the wagon waits at
the open door to take him away from her upon his first journey into the
world。 The idea held a daily pathos for them。 Many had themselves been
through such leave takings; and no word so stirs the general heart as the
word 'mother'。 Song writers know this; and the artist knew it when he
decided to paint 'Breaking Home Ties。' And 'Mother' is the title of my
story to…night。〃
〃Mother!〃 This was Ethel's bewildered echo; 〃Whose Mother?〃 she softly
murmured to herself。
Richard continued。 〃It concerns the circumstances under which I became
engaged to my wife。〃
There was a movement from Ethel as she sat by the sofa。
〃Not all the circumstances; of course;〃 the narrator continued; with a
certain guarded candour in his tone。 〃There are certain circumstances
which naturally attend every engagement between happy andand devoted
young people that they keep to themselves quite carefully; in spite of
the fact that any one who has been through the experience of being
engaged two or three times〃
There was another movement from Ethel by the sofa。
〃or even only once; as is my case;〃 the narrator went on; 〃any body; I
say; who has been through the experience of being engaged only once; can
form a very correct idea of the circumstances that attend the happy
engagements of all young people。 I imagine they prevail in all countries;
just as the feeling about 'mother' prevails。 Yes; 'Mother' is the right
title for my story; as you shall see。 Is it not strange that if you add
'in…law' to the word 'mother;' how immediately the sentiment of the term
is altered?as strongly indeed as when you prefix the word 'step' to it。
But it is with neither of these composite forms of mother that any story
deals。
〃Ethel has always maintained that if I had really understood her; it
never would have happened。 She says〃
〃Richard; I〃
〃My dear; you shall tell your story afterwards; and I promise to listen
without a word until you are finished。 Mrs。 Field says that if I had
understood her nature as a man ought to understand the girl he has been
thinking about for several years; I should have known she cared nothing
about my income。〃
〃I didn't care! I'd have〃but Mr。 Field checked her outburst。
〃She was going to say;〃 said Mr。 Field; 〃that had I asked her to marry me
when I became sure that I wished to marry her; she would have been
willing to leave New York and go to the waste land in Michigan that was
her inheritance from a grandfather; and there build a cabin and live in
it with me; and that while I shot prairie chickens for dinner she would
have milked the cow which some member of the family would have been
willing to give us as a wedding present instead of a statue of the Winged
Victory; or silver spoons and forks; had we so desired。〃
Richard made a pause here; and looked at his wife as if he expected her
to correct him。 But Ethel was plainly satisfied with his statement; and
he therefore continued。
〃I think it is ideal when a girl is ready to do so much as that for a
man。 But I should not think it ideal in a man to allow the girl he loved
to do it for him。 Nor did I then know anything about the lands in
Michiganthough this would have made no difference。 Ethel had been
accustomed to a house several stories high; with hot and cold water in
most of them; and somebody to answer the door…bell。〃
〃The door…bell!〃 exclaimed Ethel。 〃I could have gone without hearing
that。〃
〃Yes; Ethel; only to hear the welkin ring would have been enough for you。
I know that you are sincere in thinking so。 And the ringing welkin is all
we should have heard in Michigan。 But the more truly a man loves a girl;
the less can he bear taking her from an easy to a hard life。 I am sure
that all the men here agree with me。〃
There was a murmur and a nod from the men; and also from Mrs。 Davenport。
But the other ladies gave no sign of assenting to Richard's proposition。
〃In those days;〃 said he; 〃I was what in the curt parlance of the street
is termed a six…hundred…dollar clerk。 And though my ears had grown
accustomed to this appellation; I never came to feel that it completely
described me。 In passing Tiffany's window twice each day (for my habit
was to walk to and from Nassau Street) I remember that seeing a
thousand…dollar clock exposed for sale caused me annoyance。 Of course my
salary as a clerk brought me into no unfavourable comparison with the
clock; and I doubt if I could make you understand my sometimes feeling
when I passed Tiffany's window that I should like to smash the clock。〃
〃I met Ethel frequently in society; dancing with her; and sitting next
her at dinners。 And by the time I had dined at her own house; and walked
several afternoons with her; my lot as a six…hundred…dollar clerk began
to seem very sad to me。 I wrote verses about it; and about other subjects
also。 From an evening passed with Ethel; I would go next morning to the
office and look at the other clerks。 One of them was fifty…five; and he
still received six hundred dollarshis wages for the last thirty years。 I
was then twenty…one; and though I never despaired to the extent of
believing that years would fail to increase my value to the firm by a
single cent; still; for what could I hope? If my salary were there and
then to be doubled; what kind of support was twelve hundred dollars to
offer Ethel; with her dresses; and her dinners; and her father's
carriage? For two years I was wretchedly unhappy beneath the many hours
of gaiety that came to me; as to every young man。〃
〃Those two years we could have been in Michigan;〃 said Ethel; 〃had you
understood。〃
〃I know。 But understanding; I believe that I should do the same again。 At
the office; when not busy; I wrote more poetry; and began also to write
prose; which I found at the outset less easy。 When my first writings were
accepted (they were four sets of verses upon the Summer Resort) I felt
that I could soon address Ethel; for I had made ten dollars outside my
salary。 Had she not been in Europe that July; I believe that I should
have spoken to her at once。 But I sent her the paper; and I have the
letter that she wrote in reply。〃
〃I〃began Ethel。 But she stopped。
〃Yes; I know now that you kept the verses;〃 said Richard。 〃My next
manuscript; however; was rejected。 Indeed; I went on offering my literary
productions nearly every week until the following January before a second
acceptance came。 It was twenty five dollars this time; and almost made me
feel again that I could handsomely support Ethel。 But not quite。 After
the first charming elation at earning money with my pen; those weeks of
refusal had caused me to think more soberly。 And though I was now bent
upon becoming an author and leaving Nassau Street; I burned no bridges
behind me; but merely filled my spare hours with writing and with showing
it to Ethel。〃
〃It was now that the second area of perturbation of my life came to me。 I
say the second; because the first had been the recent dawning belief that
Ethel thought about me when I was not there to remind her of myself。 This
idea had stirred but you will understand。 And now; what was my proper;
my honourable course? It was a positive relief that at this crisis she
went to Florida。 I could think more quietly。 My writing had come to be
quite often accepted; sometimes even solicited。 Should I speak to her;
and ask her to wait until I could put a decent roof over her head; or
should I keep away from her until I could offer such a roof? Her father;
I supposed; could do something for us。 But I was not willing to be a
pensioner。 His businesswere he generouswould be to provide cake and
butter; but the bread was t