mother-第2章

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to…night；　or　will　it　be　a　Walter　success？〃



But　Mr。　Hillard；　besides　being　an　author　and　a　critic；　cared　little　for

the　too　literary　cleverness　of　Mr。　Graves。　He　therefore　heavily　crushed

that　gentleman's　allusion　to　Wagner's　opera。　〃I　remember；〃　he　said；　〃the

singing　contest　between　Beckmesser　and　Walter；　and　I　doubt　if　we　are　to

be　afflicted　with　anything　so　dull　in　this　house。〃



Richard　had　settled　himself　in　the　easy…chair；　and　was　looking

thoughtfully　at　various　objects　in　the　room；　while　the　small…talk　was

subsiding　around　him。



〃Why；　Mr。　Field；〃　said　Mrs。　Davenport；　〃you　look　as　if　you　could　find

nothing　to　suggest　your　story　to　you。〃



〃On　the　contrary；〃　said　Richard；　〃it　is　the　number　of　things　that　suggest

it。　This　newspaper　here；　that　has　arrived　since　I　was　last　in　the　room；

has　a　column　which　reminds　me　very　forcibly　of　the　experience　that　I　have

selected　to　tell　you。　But　I　think　the　most　appropriate　of　all　is　that

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　poetr