I
THE summer before, Mrs. Babbitt’s letters had crackled with desire to return to Zenith. Now they said nothing of returning, but a wistful “I suppose everything is going on all right without me” among her dry chronicles of weather and sicknesses hinted to Babbitt that he hadn’t been very urgent about her coming. He worried it:
“If she were here, and I went on raising cain like I been doing, she’d have a fit. I got to get hold of myself. I got to learn to play around and yet not make a fool of myself. I can do it, too, if folks like Verg Gunch ’ll let me alone, and Myra ’ll stay away. But — poor kid, she sounds lonely. Lord, I don’t want to hurt her!”
Impulsively1 he wrote that they missed her, and her next letter said happily that she was coming home.
He persuaded himself that he was eager to see her. He bought roses for the house, he ordered squab for dinner, he had the car cleaned and polished. All the way home from the station with her he was adequate in his accounts of Ted’s success in basket-ball at the university, but before they reached Floral Heights there was nothing more to say, and already he felt the force of her stolidity2, wondered whether he could remain a good husband and still sneak3 out of the house this evening for half an hour with the Bunch. When he had housed the car he blundered upstairs, into the familiar talcum-scented warmth of her presence, blaring, “Help you unpack4 your bag?”
“No, I can do it.”
Slowly she turned, holding up a small box, and slowly she said, “I brought you a present, just a new cigar-case. I don’t know if you’d care to have it —”
She was the lonely girl, the brown appealing Myra Thompson, whom he had married, and he almost wept for pity as he kissed her and besought5, “Oh, honey, honey, CARE to have it? Of course I do! I’m awful proud you brought it to me. And I needed a new case badly.”
He wondered how he would get rid of the case he had bought the week before.
“And you really are glad to see me back?”
“Why, you poor kiddy, what you been worrying about?”
“Well, you didn’t seem to miss me very much.”
By the time he had finished his stint6 of lying they were firmly bound again. By ten that evening it seemed improbable that she had ever been away. There was but one difference: the problem of remaining a respectable husband, a Floral Heights husband, yet seeing Tanis and the Bunch with frequency. He had promised to telephone to Tanis that evening, and now it was melodramatically impossible. He prowled about the telephone, impulsively thrusting out a hand to lift the receiver, but never quite daring to risk it. Nor could he find a reason for slipping down to the drug store on Smith Street, with its telephone-booth. He was laden7 with responsibility till he threw it off with the speculation8: “Why the deuce should I fret9 so about not being able to ‘phone Tanis? She can get along without me. I don’t owe her anything. She’s a fine girl, but I’ve given her just as much as she has me. . . . Oh, damn these women and the way they get you all tied up in complications!”
II
For a week he was attentive10 to his wife, took her to the theater, to dinner at the Littlefields’; then the old weary dodging11 and shifting began and at least two evenings a week he spent with the Bunch. He still made pretense12 of going to the Elks13 and to committee-meetings but less and less did he trouble to have his excuses interesting, less and less did she affect to believe them. He was certain that she knew he was associating with what Floral Heights called “a sporty crowd,” yet neither of them acknowledged it. In matrimonial geography the distance between the first mute recognition of a break and the admission thereof is as great as the distance between the first naive15 faith and the first doubting.
As he began to drift away he also began to see her as a human being, to like and dislike her instead of accepting her as a comparatively movable part of the furniture, and he compassionated16 that husband-and-wife relation which, in twenty-five years of married life, had become a separate and real entity17. He recalled their high lights the summer vacation in Virginia meadows under the blue wall of the mountains; their motor tour through Ohio, and the exploration of Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus; the birth of Verona; their building of this new house, planned to comfort them through a happy old age — chokingly they had said that it might be the last home either of them would ever have. Yet his most softening18 remembrance of these dear moments did not keep him from barking at dinner, “Yep, going out f’ few hours. Don’t sit up for me.”
He did not dare now to come home drunk, and though he rejoiced in his return to high morality and spoke19 with gravity to Pete and Fulton Bemis about their drinking, he prickled at Myra’s unexpressed criticisms and sulkily meditated20 that a “fellow couldn’t ever learn to handle himself if he was always bossed by a lot of women.”
He no longer wondered if Tanis wasn’t a bit worn and sentimental21. In contrast to the complacent22 Myra he saw her as swift and air-borne and radiant, a fire-spirit tenderly stooping to the hearth23, and however pitifully he brooded on his wife, he longed to be with Tanis.
Then Mrs. Babbitt tore the decent cloak from her unhappiness and the astounded24 male discovered that she was having a small determined25 rebellion of her own.
III
They were beside the fireless fire-place, in the evening.
“Georgie,” she said, “you haven’t given me the list of your household expenses while I was away.”
“No, I— Haven’t made it out yet.” Very affably: “Gosh, we must try to keep down expenses this year.”
“That’s so. I don’t know where all the money goes to. I try to economize26, but it just seems to evaporate.”
“I suppose I oughtn’t to spend so much on cigars. Don’t know but what I’ll cut down my smoking, maybe cut it out entirely27. I was thinking of a good way to do it, the other day: start on these cubeb cigarettes, and they’d kind of disgust me with smoking.”
“Oh, I do wish you would! It isn’t that I care, but honestly, George, it is so bad for you to smoke so much. Don’t you think you could reduce the amount? And George — I notice now, when you come home from these lodges28 and all, that sometimes you smell of whisky. Dearie, you know I don’t worry so much about the moral side of it, but you have a weak stomach and you can’t stand all this drinking.”
“Weak stomach, hell! I guess I can carry my booze about as well as most folks!”
“Well, I do think you ought to be careful. Don’t you see, dear, I don’t want you to get sick.”
“Sick rats! I’m not a baby! I guess I ain’t going to get sick just because maybe once a week I shoot a highball! That’s the trouble with women. They always exaggerate so.”
“George, I don’t think you ought to talk that way when I’m just speaking for your own good.”
“I know, but gosh all fishhooks, that’s the trouble with women! They’re always criticizing and commenting and bringing things up, and then they say it’s ‘for your own good’!”
“Why, George, that’s not a nice way to talk, to answer me so short.”
“Well, I didn’t mean to answer short, but gosh, talking as if I was a kindergarten brat29, not able to tote one highball without calling for the St. Mary’s ambulance! A fine idea you must have of me!”
“Oh, it isn’t that; it’s just — I don’t want to see you get sick and — My, I didn’t know it was so late! Don’t forget to give me those household accounts for the time while I was away.”
“Oh, thunder, what’s the use of taking the trouble to make ’em out now? Let’s just skip ’em for that period.”
“Why, George Babbitt, in all the years we’ve been married we’ve never failed to keep a complete account of every penny we’ve spent!”
“No. Maybe that’s the trouble with us.”
“What in the world do you mean?”
“Oh, I don’t mean anything, only — Sometimes I get so darn sick and tired of all this routine and the accounting30 at the office and expenses at home and fussing and stewing31 and fretting32 and wearing myself out worrying over a lot of junk that doesn’t really mean a doggone thing, and being so careful and — Good Lord, what do you think I’m made for? I could have been a darn good orator33, and here I fuss and fret and worry —”
“Don’t you suppose I ever get tired of fussing? I get so bored with ordering three meals a day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year, and ruining my eyes over that horrid34 sewing-machine, and looking after your clothes and Rone’s and Ted’s and Tinka’s and everybody’s, and the laundry, and darning socks, and going down to the Piggly Wiggly to market, and bringing my basket home to save money on the cash-and-carry and — EVERYTHING!”
“Well, gosh,” with a certain astonishment35, “I suppose maybe you do! But talk about — Here I have to be in the office every single day, while you can go out all afternoon and see folks and visit with the neighbors and do any blinkin’ thing you want to!”
“Yes, and a fine lot of good that does me! Just talking over the same old things with the same old crowd, while you have all sorts of interesting people coming in to see you at the office.”
“Interesting! Cranky old dames36 that want to know why I haven’t rented their dear precious homes for about seven times their value, and bunch of old crabs37 panning the everlasting38 daylights out of me because they don’t receive every cent of their rentals39 by three G.M. on the second of the month! Sure! Interesting! Just as interesting as the small pox!”
“Now, George, I will not have you shouting at me that way!”
“Well, it gets my goat the way women figure out that a man doesn’t do a darn thing but sit on his chair and have lovey-dovey conferences with a lot of classy dames and give ’em the glad eye!”
“I guess you manage to give them a glad enough eye when they do come in.”
“What do you mean? Mean I’m chasing flappers?”
“I should hope not — at your age!”
“Now you look here! You may not believe it — Of course all you see is fat little Georgie Babbitt. Sure! Handy man around the house! Fixes the furnace when the furnace-man doesn’t show up, and pays the bills, but dull, awful dull! Well, you may not believe it, but there’s some women that think old George Babbitt isn’t such a bad scout40! They think he’s not so bad-looking, not so bad that it hurts anyway, and he’s got a pretty good line of guff, and some even think he shakes a darn wicked Walkover at dancing!”
“Yes.” She spoke slowly. “I haven’t much doubt that when I’m away you manage to find people who properly appreciate you.”
“Well, I just mean —” he protested, with a sound of denial. Then he was angered into semi-honesty. “You bet I do! I find plenty of folks, and doggone nice ones, that don’t think I’m a weak-stomached baby!”
“That’s exactly what I was saying! You can run around with anybody you please, but I’m supposed to sit here and wait for you. You have the chance to get all sorts of culture and everything, and I just stay home —”
“Well, gosh almighty41, there’s nothing to prevent your reading books and going to lectures and all that junk, is there?”
“George, I told you, I won’t have you shouting at me like that! I don’t know what’s come over you. You never used to speak to me in this cranky way.”
“I didn’t mean to sound cranky, but gosh, it certainly makes me sore to get the blame because you don’t keep up with things.”
“I’m going to! Will you help me?”
“Sure. Anything I can do to help you in the culture-grabbing line — yours to oblige, G. F. Babbitt.”
“Very well then, I want you to go to Mrs. Mudge’s New Thought meeting with me, next Sunday afternoon.”
“Mrs. Who’s which?”
“Mrs. Opal Emerson Mudge. The field-lecturer for the American New Thought League. She’s going to speak on ‘Cultivating the Sun Spirit’ before the League of the Higher Illumination, at the Thornleigh.”
“Oh, punk! New Thought! Hashed thought with a poached egg! ‘Cultivating the —’ It sounds like ‘Why is a mouse when it spins?’ That’s a fine spiel for a good Presbyterian to be going to, when you can hear Doc Drew!”
“Reverend Drew is a scholar and a pulpit orator and all that, but he hasn’t got the Inner Ferment42, as Mrs. Mudge calls it; he hasn’t any inspiration for the New Era. Women need inspiration now. So I want you to come, as you promised.”
IV
The Zenith branch of the League of the Higher Illumination met in the smaller ballroom43 at the Hotel Thornleigh, a refined apartment with pale green walls and plaster wreaths of roses, refined parquet44 flooring, and ultra-refined frail45 gilt46 chairs. Here were gathered sixty-five women and ten men. Most of the men slouched in their chairs and wriggled47, while their wives sat rigidly48 at attention, but two of them — red-necked, meaty men — were as respectably devout49 as their wives. They were newly rich contractors50 who, having bought houses, motors, hand-painted pictures, and gentlemanliness, were now buying a refined ready-made philosophy. It had been a toss-up with them whether to buy New Thought, Christian51 Science, or a good standard high-church model of Episcopalianism.
In the flesh, Mrs. Opal Emerson Mudge fell somewhat short of a prophetic aspect. She was pony-built and plump, with the face of a haughty52 Pekingese, a button of a nose, and arms so short that, despite her most indignant endeavors, she could not clasp her hands in front of her as she sat on the platform waiting. Her frock of taffeta and green velvet53, with three strings54 of glass beads55, and large folding eye-glasses dangling56 from a black ribbon, was a triumph of refinement57.
Mrs. Mudge was introduced by the president of the League of the Higher Illumination, an oldish young woman with a yearning58 voice, white spats59, and a mustache. She said that Mrs. Mudge would now make it plain to the simplest intellect how the Sun Spirit could be cultivated, and they who had been thinking about cultivating one would do well to treasure Mrs. Mudge’s words, because even Zenith (and everybody knew that Zenith stood in the van of spiritual and New Thought progress) didn’t often have the opportunity to sit at the feet of such an inspiring Optimist60 and Metaphysical Seer as Mrs. Opal Emerson Mudge, who had lived the Life of Wider Usefulness through Concentration, and in the Silence found those Secrets of Mental Control and the Inner Key which were immediately going to transform and bring Peace, Power, and Prosperity to the unhappy nations; and so, friends, would they for this precious gem-studded hour forget the Illusions of the Seeming Real, and in the actualization of the deep-lying Veritas pass, along with Mrs. Opal Emerson Mudge, to the Realm Beautiful.
If Mrs. Mudge was rather pudgier than one would like one’s swamis, yogis, seers, and initiates61, yet her voice had the real professional note. It was refined and optimistic; it was overpoweringly calm; it flowed on relentlessly63, without one comma, till Babbitt was hypnotized. Her favorite word was “always,” which she pronounced olllllle-ways. Her principal gesture was a pontifical64 but thoroughly65 ladylike blessing66 with two stubby fingers.
She explained about this matter of Spiritual Saturation67:
“There are those —”
Of “those” she made a linked sweetness long drawn68 out; a far-off delicate call in a twilight69 minor70. It chastely71 rebuked72 the restless husbands, yet brought them a message of healing.
“There are those who have seen the rim14 and outer seeming of the logos there are those who have glimpsed and in enthusiasm possessed73 themselves of some segment and portion of the Logos there are those who thus flicked74 but not penetrated75 and radioactivated by the Dynamis go always to and fro assertative that they possess and are possessed of the Logos and the Metaphysikos but this word I bring you this concept I enlarge that those that are not utter are not even inceptive and that holiness is in its definitive76 essence always always always whole-iness and —”
It proved that the Essence of the Sun Spirit was Truth, but its Aura and Effluxion were Cheerfulness:
“Face always the day with the dawn-laugh with the enthusiasm of the initiate62 who perceives that all works together in the revolutions of the Wheel and who answers the strictures of the Soured Souls of the Destructionists with a Glad Affirmation —”
It went on for about an hour and seven minutes.
At the end Mrs. Mudge spoke with more vigor77 and punctuation78:
“Now let me suggest to all of you the advantages of the Theosophical and Pantheistic Oriental Reading Circle, which I represent. Our object is to unite all the manifestations79 of the New Era into one cohesive80 whole — New Thought, Christian Science, Theosophy, Vedanta, Bahaism, and the other sparks from the one New Light. The subscription81 is but ten dollars a year, and for this mere82 pittance83 the members receive not only the monthly magazine, Pearls of Healing, but the privilege of sending right to the president, our revered84 Mother Dobbs, any questions regarding spiritual progress, matrimonial problems, health and well-being85 questions, financial difficulties, and —”
They listened to her with adoring attention. They looked genteel. They looked ironed-out. They coughed politely, and crossed their legs with quietness, and in expensive linen86 handkerchiefs they blew their noses with a delicacy87 altogether optimistic and refined.
As for Babbitt, he sat and suffered.
When they were blessedly out in the air again, when they drove home through a wind smelling of snow and honest sun, he dared not speak. They had been too near to quarreling, these days. Mrs. Babbitt forced it:
“Did you enjoy Mrs. Mudge’s talk?”
“Well I— What did you get out of it?”
“Oh, it starts a person thinking. It gets you out of a routine of ordinary thoughts.”
“Well, I’ll hand it to Opal she isn’t ordinary, but gosh — Honest, did that stuff mean anything to you?”
“Of course I’m not trained in metaphysics, and there was lots I couldn’t quite grasp, but I did feel it was inspiring. And she speaks so readily. I do think you ought to have got something out of it.”
“Well, I didn’t! I swear, I was simply astonished, the way those women lapped it up! Why the dickens they want to put in their time listening to all that blaa when they —”
“It’s certainly better for them than going to roadhouses and smoking and drinking!”
“I don’t know whether it is or not! Personally I don’t see a whole lot of difference. In both cases they’re trying to get away from themselves — most everybody is, these days, I guess. And I’d certainly get a whole lot more out of hoofing88 it in a good lively dance, even in some dive, than sitting looking as if my collar was too tight, and feeling too scared to spit, and listening to Opal chewing her words.”
“I’m sure you do! You’re very fond of dives. No doubt you saw a lot of them while I was away!”
“Look here! You been doing a hell of a lot of insinuating89 and hinting around lately, as if I were leading a double life or something, and I’m damn sick of it, and I don’t want to hear anything more about it!”
“Why, George Babbitt! Do you realize what you’re saying? Why, George, in all our years together you’ve never talked to me like that!”
“It’s about time then!”
“Lately you’ve been getting worse and worse, and now, finally, you’re cursing and swearing at me and shouting at me, and your voice so ugly and hateful — I just shudder90!”
“Oh, rats, quit exaggerating! I wasn’t shouting, or swearing either.”
“I wish you could hear your own voice! Maybe you don’t realize how it sounds. But even so — You never used to talk like that. You simply COULDN’T talk this way if something dreadful hadn’t happened to you.”
His mind was hard. With amazement91 he found that he wasn’t particularly sorry. It was only with an effort that he made himself more agreeable: “Well, gosh, I didn’t mean to get sore.”
“George, do you realize that we can’t go on like this, getting farther and farther apart, and you ruder and ruder to me? I just don’t know what’s going to happen.”
He had a moment’s pity for her bewilderment; he thought of how many deep and tender things would be hurt if they really “couldn’t go on like this.” But his pity was impersonal92, and he was wondering, “Wouldn’t it maybe be a good thing if — Not a divorce and all that, o’ course, but kind of a little more independence?”
While she looked at him pleadingly he drove on in a dreadful silence.
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impulsively
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stolidity
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sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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unpack
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| vt.打开包裹（或行李），卸货 | |
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besought
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| v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的过去式和过去分词 )；(beseech的过去式与过去分词) | |
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stint
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| v.节省，限制，停止；n.舍不得化，节约，限制；连续不断的一段时间从事某件事 | |
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laden
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speculation
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fret
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attentive
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dodging
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pretense
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| n.矫饰，做作，借口 | |
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elks
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| n.麋鹿( elk的名词复数 ) | |
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rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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naive
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| adj.幼稚的，轻信的；天真的 | |
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compassionated
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entity
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softening
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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meditated
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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sentimental
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complacent
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hearth
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astounded
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determined
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economize
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entirely
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lodges
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brat
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accounting
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stewing
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fretting
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orator
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horrid
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astonishment
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dames
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crabs
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everlasting
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rentals
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scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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almighty
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| adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的 | |
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ferment
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| vt.使发酵；n./vt.（使）激动，（使）动乱 | |
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ballroom
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parquet
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frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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gilt
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| adj.镀金的；n.金边证券 | |
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wriggled
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等） | |
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rigidly
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| adv.刻板地，僵化地 | |
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devout
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| adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness) | |
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contractors
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| n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 ) | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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strings
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| n.弦 | |
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beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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refinement
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| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
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yearning
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| a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的 | |
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spats
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| n.口角( spat的名词复数 )；小争吵；鞋罩；鞋套v.spit的过去式和过去分词( spat的第三人称单数 )；口角；小争吵；鞋罩 | |
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optimist
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| n.乐观的人，乐观主义者 | |
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initiates
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| v.开始( initiate的第三人称单数 )；传授；发起；接纳新成员 | |
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initiate
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| vt.开始，创始，发动；启蒙，使入门；引入 | |
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relentlessly
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| adv.不屈不挠地；残酷地；不间断 | |
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pontifical
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| adj.自以为是的，武断的 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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saturation
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| n.饱和(状态)；浸透 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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chastely
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| adv.贞洁地，清高地，纯正地 | |
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rebuked
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| 责难或指责( rebuke的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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flicked
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| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
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penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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definitive
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| adj.确切的，权威性的；最后的，决定性的 | |
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vigor
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| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
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punctuation
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| n.标点符号，标点法 | |
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manifestations
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| n.表示，显示（manifestation的复数形式） | |
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cohesive
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| adj.有粘着力的；有结合力的；凝聚性的 | |
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subscription
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| n.预订，预订费，亲笔签名，调配法，下标（处方） | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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pittance
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| n.微薄的薪水，少量 | |
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revered
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| v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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well-being
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| n.安康，安乐，幸福 | |
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linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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hoofing
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| v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的现在分词 ) | |
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insinuating
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| adj.曲意巴结的，暗示的v.暗示( insinuate的现在分词 )；巧妙或迂回地潜入；（使）缓慢进入；慢慢伸入 | |
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shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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91
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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92
impersonal
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| adj.无个人感情的，与个人无关的，非人称的 | |
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