太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > mother >

第2节

mother-第2节

小说: mother 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




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

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的