下载辰思小说免费APP
tanceshipwasentirelyamatterofthedoctor\'sownmaking。
InthelateafternoonWillHenderson，ownerandeditoroftheEagle，wentovertoTomWilly\'ssaloon。
Alonganalleywayhewentandslippinginatthebackdoorofthesaloonbegandrinkingadrinkmadeofacombinationofsloeginandsodawater。WillHendersonwasasensualistandhadreachedtheageofforty-five。Heimaginedtheginrenewedtheyouthinhim。Likemostsensualistsheenjoyedtalk-
ingofwomen，andforanhourhelingeredaboutgossipingwithTomWilly。Thesaloonkeeperwasashort，broad-shoulderedmanwithpeculiarlymarkedhands。Thatflamingkindofbirthmarkthatsome-
timespaintswithredthefacesofmenandwomenhadtouchedwithredTomWilly\'sfingersandthebacksofhishands。AshestoodbythebartalkingtoWillHendersonherubbedthehandstogether。
Ashegrewmoreandmoreexcitedtheredofhisfingersdeepened。Itwasasthoughthehandshadbeendippedinbloodthathaddriedandfaded。
AsWillHendersonstoodatthebarlookingattheredhandsandtalkingofwomen，hisassistant，GeorgeWillard，satintheofficeoftheWinesburgEagleandlistenedtothetalkofDoctorParcival。
DoctorParcivalappearedimmediatelyafterWillHendersonhaddisappeared。Onemighthavesup-
posedthatthedoctorhadbeenwatchingfromhisofficewindowandhadseentheeditorgoingalongthealleyway。Cominginatthefrontdoorandfind-
inghimselfachair，helightedoneofthestogiesandcrossinghislegsbegantotalk。Heseemedintentuponconvincingtheboyoftheadvisabilityofadopt-
ingalineofconductthathewashimselfunabletodefine。
"IfyouhaveyoureyesopenyouwillseethatalthoughIcallmyselfadoctorIhavemightyfewpatients，"hebegan。"Thereisareasonforthat。ItisnotanaccidentanditisnotbecauseIdonotknowasmuchofmedicineasanyonehere。Idonotwantpatients。Thereason，yousee，doesnotappearonthesurface。Itliesinfactinmycharacter，whichhas，ifyouthinkaboutit，manystrangeturns。WhyIwanttotalktoyouofthematterIdon\'tknow。I
mightkeepstillandgetmorecreditinyoureyes。I
haveadesiretomakeyouadmireme，that\'safact。
Idon\'tknowwhy。That\'swhyItalk。It\'sveryamus-
ing，eh？"
Sometimesthedoctorlaunchedintolongtalesconcerninghimself。Totheboythetaleswereveryrealandfullofmeaning。Hebegantoadmirethefatunclean-lookingmanand，intheafternoonwhenWillHendersonhadgone，lookedforwardwithkeeninteresttothedoctor\'scoming。
DoctorParcivalhadbeeninWinesburgaboutfiveyears。HecamefromChicagoandwhenhearrivedwasdrunkandgotintoafightwithAlbertLong-
worth，thebaggageman。Thefightconcernedatrunkandendedbythedoctor\'sbeingescortedtothevil-
lagelockup。Whenhewasreleasedherentedaroomaboveashoe-repairingshopatthelowerendofMainStreetandputoutthesignthatannouncedhimselfasadoctor。Althoughhehadbutfewpa-
tientsandtheseofthepoorersortwhowereunabletopay，heseemedtohaveplentyofmoneyforhisneeds。HesleptintheofficethatwasunspeakablydirtyanddinedatBiffCarter\'slunchroominasmallframebuildingoppositetherailroadstation。InthesummerthelunchroomwasfilledwithfliesandBiffCarter\'swhiteapronwasmoredirtythanhisfloor。
DoctorParcivaldidnotmind。Intothelunchroomhestalkedanddepositedtwentycentsuponthecounter。"Feedmewhatyouwishforthat，"hesaidlaughing。"Useupfoodthatyouwouldn\'totherwisesell。Itmakesnodifferencetome。Iamamanofdistinction，yousee。WhyshouldIconcernmyselfwithwhatIeat。"
ThetalesthatDoctorParcivaltoldGeorgeWillardbegannowhereandendednowhere。Sometimestheboythoughttheymustallbeinventions，apackoflies。Andthenagainhewasconvincedthattheycontainedtheveryessenceoftruth。
"Iwasareporterlikeyouhere，"DoctorParcivalbegan。"ItwasinatowninIowa——orwasitinIlli-
nois？Idon\'trememberandanywayitmakesnodifference。PerhapsIamtryingtoconcealmyiden-
tityanddon\'twanttobeverydefinite。HaveyoueverthoughtitstrangethatIhavemoneyformyneedsalthoughIdonothing？ImayhavestolenagreatsumofmoneyorbeeninvolvedinamurderbeforeIcamehere。Thereisfoodforthoughtinthat，eh？Ifyouwereareallysmartnewspaperreporteryouwouldlookmeup。InChicagotherewasaDoc-
torCroninwhowasmurdered。Haveyouheardofthat？Somemenmurderedhimandputhiminatrunk。Intheearlymorningtheyhauledthetrunkacrossthecity。Itsatonthebackofanexpresswagonandtheywereontheseatasunconcernedasanything。Alongtheywentthroughquietstreetswhereeveryonewasasleep。Thesunwasjustcom-
ingupoverthelake。Funny，eh——justtothinkofthemsmokingpipesandchatteringastheydrovealongasunconcernedasIamnow。PerhapsIwasoneofthosemen。Thatwouldbeastrangeturnofthings，nowwouldn\'tit，eh？"AgainDoctorParcivalbeganhistale:"Well，anywaythereIwas，areporteronapaperjustasyouarehere，runningaboutandgettinglittleitemstoprint。Mymotherwaspoor。
Shetookinwashing。HerdreamwastomakemeaPresbyterianministerandIwasstudyingwiththatendinview。
"Myfatherhadbeeninsaneforanumberofyears。
HewasinanasylumoveratDayton，Ohio。ThereyouseeIhaveletitslipout!AllofthistookplaceinOhio，righthereinOhio。Thereisaclewifyouevergetthenotionoflookingmeup。
"Iwasgoingtotellyouofmybrother。That\'stheobjectofallthis。That\'swhatI\'mgettingat。MybrotherwasarailroadpainterandhadajobontheBigFour。YouknowthatroadrunsthroughOhiohere。Withothermenhelivedinaboxcarandawaytheywentfromtowntotownpaintingtherailroadproperty-switches，crossinggates，bridges，andstations。
"TheBigFourpaintsitsstationsanastyorangecolor。HowIhatedthatcolor!Mybrotherwasal-
wayscoveredwithit。Onpaydaysheusedtogetdrunkandcomehomewearinghispaint-coveredclothesandbringinghismoneywithhim。Hedidnotgiveittomotherbutlaiditinapileonourkitchentable。
"Aboutthehousehewentintheclothescoveredwiththenastyorangecoloredpaint。Icanseethepicture。Mymother，whowassmallandhadred，sad-lookingeyes，wouldcomeintothehousefromalittleshedattheback。That\'swhereshespenthertimeoverthewashtubscrubbingpeople\'sdirtyclothes。Inshewouldcomeandstandbythetable，rubbinghereyeswithherapronthatwascoveredwithsoap-suds。
"\'Don\'ttouchit!Don\'tyoudaretouchthatmoney，\'mybrotherroared，andthenhehimselftookfiveortendollarsandwenttrampingofftothesaloons。Whenhehadspentwhathehadtakenhecamebackformore。Henevergavemymotheranymoneyatallbutstayedaboutuntilhehadspentitall，alittleatatime。Thenhewentbacktohisjobwiththepaintingcrewontherailroad。Afterhehadgonethingsbegantoarriveatourhouse，groceriesandsuchthings。Sometimestherewouldbeadressformotherorapairofshoesforme。
"Strange，eh？Mymotherlovedmybrothermuchmorethanshedidme，althoughheneversaidakindwordtoeitherofusandalwaysravedupanddownthreateningusifwedaredsomuchastouchthemoneythatsometimeslayonthetablethreedays。
"Wegotalongprettywell。Istudiedtobeaminis-
terandprayed。Iwasaregularassaboutsayingprayers。Youshouldhaveheardme。Whenmyfa-
therdiedIprayedallnight，justasIdidsometimeswhenmybrotherwasintowndrinkingandgoingaboutbuyingthethingsforus。IntheeveningaftersupperIkneltbythetablewherethemoneylayandprayedforhours。WhennoonewaslookingIstoleadollarortwoandputitinmypocket。Thatmakesmelaughnowbutthenitwasterrible。Itwasonmymindallthetime。Igotsixdollarsaweekfrommyjobonthepaperandalwaystookitstraighthometomother。ThefewdollarsIstolefrommybrother\'spileIspentonmyself，youknow，fortrifles，candyandcigarettesandsuchthings。
"WhenmyfatherdiedattheasylumoveratDay-
ton，Iwentoverthere。IborrowedsomemoneyfromthemanforwhomIworkedandwentonthetrainatnight。Itwasraining。IntheasylumtheytreatedmeasthoughIwereaking。
"ThemenwhohadjobsintheasylumhadfoundoutIwasanewspaperreporter。Thatmadethemafraid。Therehadbeensomenegligence，somecare-
lessness，yousee，whenfatherwasill。TheythoughtperhapsIwouldwriteitupinthepaperandmakeafuss。Ineverintendedtodoanythingofthekind。
"Anyway，inIwenttotheroomwheremyfatherlaydeadandblessedthedeadbody。Iwonderwhatputthatnotionintomyhead。Wouldn\'tmybrother，thepainter，havelaughed，though。ThereIstoodoverthedeadbodyandspreadoutmyhands。Thesuperintendentoftheasylumandsomeofhishelp-
erscameinandstoodaboutlookingsheepish。Itwasveryamusing。Ispreadoutmyhandsandsaid，\'Letpeacebroodoverthiscarcass。\'That\'swhatI
said。"
Jumpingtohisfeetandbreakingoffthetale，Doc-
torParcivalbegantowalkupanddownintheofficeoftheWinesburgEaglewhereGeorgeWillardsatlis-
tening。Hewasawkwardand，astheofficewassmall，continuallyknockedagainstthings。"WhatafoolIamtobetalking，"hesaid。"Thatisnotmyobjectincominghereandforcingmyacquaintance-
shipuponyou。Ihavesomethingelseinmind。YouareareporterjustasIwasonceandyouhaveat-
tractedmyattention。Youmayendbybecomingjustsuchanotherfool。Iwanttowarnyouandkeeponwarningyou。That\'swhyIseekyouout。"
DoctorParcivalbegantalkingofGeorgeWillard\'sattitudetowardmen。Itseemedtotheboythatthemanhadbutoneobjectinview，tomakeeveryoneseemdespicable。"Iwanttofillyouwithhatredandcontemptsothatyouwillbeasuperiorbeing，"hedeclared。"Lookatmybrother。Therewasafellow，eh？Hedespisedeveryone，yousee。Youhavenoideawithwhatcontempthelookeduponmotherandme。Andwashenotoursuperior？Youknowhewas。YouhavenotseenhimandyetIhavemadeyoufeelthat。Ihavegivenyouasenseofit。Heisdead。Oncewhenhewasdrunkhelaydownonthetracksandthecarinwhichhelivedwiththeotherpaintersranoverhim。"
OnedayinAugustDoctorParcivalhadanadven-
tureinWinesburg。ForamonthGeorgeWillardhadbeengoingeachmorningtospendanhourinthedoctor\'soffice。Thevisitscameaboutthroughade-
sireonthepartofthedoctortoreadtotheboyfromthepagesofabookhewasintheprocessofwriting。
TowritethebookDoctorParcivaldeclaredwastheobjectofhiscomingtoWinesburgtolive。
OnthemorninginAugustbeforethecomingoftheboy，anincidenthadhappenedinthedoctor\'soffice。TherehadbeenanaccidentonMainStreet。
Ateamofhorseshadbeenfrightenedbyatrainandhadrunaway。Alittlegirl，thedaughterofafarmer，hadbeenthrownfromabuggyandkilled。
OnMainStreeteveryonehadbecomeexcitedandacryfordoctorshadgoneup。Allthreeoftheactivepractitionersofthetownhadcomequicklybuthadfoundthechilddead。FromthecrowdsomeonehadruntotheofficeofDoctorParcivalwhohadbluntlyrefusedtogodownoutofhisofficetothedeadchild。Theuselesscrueltyofhisrefusalhadpassedunnoticed。Indeed，themanwhohadcomeupthestairwaytosummonhimhadhurriedawaywithouthearingtherefusal。
Allofthis，DoctorParcivaldidnotknowandwhenGeorgeWillardcametohisofficehefoundthemanshakingwithterror。"WhatIhavedonewillarousethepeopleofthistown，"hedeclaredexcitedly。"DoInotknowhumannature？DoInotknowwhatwillhappen？Wordofmyrefusalwillbewhisperedabout。Presentlymenwillgettogetheringroupsandtalkofit。Theywillcomehere。Wewillquarrelandtherewillbetalkofhanging。Thentheywillcomeagainbearingaropeintheirhands。"
DoctorParcivalshookwithfright。"Ihaveapre-
sentiment，"hedeclaredemphatically。"ItmaybethatwhatIamtalkingaboutwillnotoccurthismorning。ItmaybeputoffuntiltonightbutIwillbehanged。Everyonewillgetexcited。Iwillbehangedtoalamp-postonMainStreet。"
Goingtothedoorofhisdirtyoffice，DoctorParci-
vallookedtimidlydownthestairwayleadingtothestreet。Whenhereturnedthefrightthathadbeeninhiseyeswasbeginningtobereplacedbydoubt。
ComingontiptoeacrosstheroomhetappedGeorgeWillardontheshoulder。"Ifnotnow，sometime，"
hewhispered，shakinghishead。"IntheendIwillbecrucified，uselesslycrucified。"
DoctorParcivalbegantopleadwithGeorgeWil-
lard。"Youmustpayattentiontome，"heurged。"IfsomethinghappensperhapsyouwillbeabletowritethebookthatImaynevergetwritten。Theideaisverysimple，sosimplethatifyouarenotcarefulyouwillforgetit。Itisthis——thateveryoneintheworldisChristandtheyareallcrucified。That\'swhatIwanttosay。Don\'tyouforgetthat。Whateverhappens，don\'tyoudareletyourselfforget。"
NOBODYKNOWS
LOOKINGCAUTIOUSLYABOUT，GeorgeWillardarosefromhisdeskintheofficeoftheWinesburgEagleandwenthurriedlyoutatthebackdoor。Thenightwaswarmandcloudyandalthoughitwasnotyeteighto\'clock，thealleywaybackoftheEagleofficewaspitchdark。Ateamofhorsestiedtoapostsomewhereinthedarknessstampedonthehard-
bakedground。AcatsprangfromunderGeorgeWil-
lard\'sfeetandranawayintothenight。Theyoungmanwasnervous。Alldayhehadgoneabouthisworklikeonedazedbyablow。Inthealleywayhetrembledasthoughwithfright。
InthedarknessGeorgeWillardwalkedalongthealleyway，goingcarefullyandcautiously。ThebackdoorsoftheWinesburgstoreswereopenandhecouldseemensittingaboutunderthestorelamps。
InMyerbaum\'sNotionStoreMrs。Willythesaloonkeeper\'swifestoodbythecounterwithabasketonherarm。SidGreentheclerkwaswaitingonher。
Heleanedoverthecounterandtalkedearnestly。
GeorgeWillardcrouchedandthenjumpedthroughthepathoflightthatcameoutatthedoor。
Hebegantorunforwardinthedarkness。BehindEdGriffith\'ssaloonoldJerryBirdthetowndrunkardlayasleepontheground。Therunnerstumbledoverthesprawlinglegs。Helaughedbrokenly。
GeorgeWillardhadsetforthuponanadventure。
Alldayhehadbeentryingtomakeuphismindtogothroughwiththeadventureandnowhewasact-
ing。IntheofficeoftheWinesburgEaglehehadbeensittingsincesixo\'clocktryingtothink。
Therehadbeennodecision。Hehadjustjumpedtohisfeet，hurriedpastWillHendersonwhowasreadingproofintheprintshopandstartedtorunalongthealleyway。
ThroughstreetafterstreetwentGeorgeWillard，avoidingthepeoplewhopassed。Hecrossedandrecrossedtheroad。Whenhepassedastreetlamphepulledhishatdownoverhisface。Hedidnotdarethink。Inhismindtherewasafearbutitwasanewkindoffear。Hewasafraidtheadventureonwhichhehadsetoutwouldbespoiled，thathewouldlosecourageandturnback。
GeorgeWillardfoundLouiseTrunnioninthekitchenofherfather\'shouse。Shewaswashingdishesbythelightofakerosenelamp。Thereshestoodbehindthescreendoorinthelittleshedlikekitchenatthebackofthehouse。GeorgeWillardstoppedbyapicketfenceandtriedtocontroltheshakingofhisbody。Onlyanarrowpotatopatchseparatedhimfromtheadventure。Fiveminutespassedbeforehefeltsureenoughofhimselftocalltoher。"Louise!Oh，Louise!"hecalled。Thecrystuckinhisthroat。Hisvoicebecameahoarsewhisper。
LouiseTrunnioncameoutacrossthepotatopatchholdingthedishclothinherhand。"HowdoyouknowIwanttogooutwithyou，"shesaidsulkily。
"Whatmakesyousosure？"
GeorgeWillarddidnotanswer。Insilencethetwostoodinthedarknesswiththefencebetweenthem。
"Yougoonalong，"shesaid。"Pa\'sinthere。I\'llcomealong。YouwaitbyWilliams\'barn。"
Theyoungnewspaperreporterhadreceivedalet-
terfromLouiseTrunnion。IthadcomethatmorningtotheofficeoftheWinesburgEagle。Theletterwasbrief。"I\'myoursifyouwantme，"itsaid。Hethoughtitannoyingthatinthedarknessbythefenceshehadpretendedtherewasnothingbetweenthem。"Shehasanerve!Well，gracioussakes，shehasanerve，"hemutteredashewentalongthestreetandpassedarowofvacantlotswherecorngrew。Thecornwasshoulderhighandhadbeenplantedrightdowntothesidewalk。
WhenLouiseTrunnioncameoutofthefrontdoorofherhouseshestillworetheginghamdressinwhichshehadbeenwashingdishes。Therewasnohatonherhead。Theboycouldseeherstandingwiththedoorknobinherhandtalkingtosomeonewithin，nodoubttooldJakeTrunnion，herfather。
OldJakewashalfdeafandsheshouted。Thedoorclosedandeverythingwasdarkandsilentinthelittlesidestreet。GeorgeWillardtrembledmorevio-
lentlythanever。
IntheshadowsbyWilliams\'barnGeorgeandLouisestood，notdaringtotalk。Shewasnotpartic-
ularlycomelyandtherewasablacksmudgeonthesideofhernose。Georgethoughtshemusthaverubbedhernosewithherfingeraftershehadbeenhandlingsomeofthekitchenpots。
Theyoungmanbegantolaughnervously。"It\'swarm，"hesaid。Hewantedtotouchherwithhishand。"I\'mnotverybold，"hethought。Justtotouchthefoldsofthesoiledginghamdresswould，hede-
cided，beanexquisitepleasure。Shebegantoquib-
ble。"Youthinkyou\'rebetterthanIam。Don\'ttellme，IguessIknow，"shesaiddrawingclosertohim。
AfloodofwordsburstfromGeorgeWillard。Herememberedthelookthathadlurkedinthegirl\'seyeswhentheyhadmetonthestreetsandthoughtofthenoteshehadwritten。Doubtlefthim。Thewhisperedtalesconcerningherthathadgoneabouttowngavehimconfidence。Hebecamewhollythemale，boldandaggressive。Inhishearttherewasnosympathyforher。"Ah，comeon，it\'llbeallright。
Therewon\'tbeanyoneknowanything。Howcantheyknow？"heurged。
Theybegantowalkalonganarrowbricksidewalkbetweenthecracksofwhichtallweedsgrew。Someofthebricksweremissingandthesidewalkwasroughandirregular。Hetookholdofherhandthatwasalsoroughandthoughtitdelightfullysmall。
"Ican\'tgofar，"shesaidandhervoicewasquiet，unperturbed。
Theycrossedabridgethatranoveratinystreamandpassedanothervacantlotinwhichcorngrew。
Thestreetended。Inthepathatthesideoftheroadtheywerecompelledtowalkonebehindtheother。
WillOverton\'sberryfieldlaybesidetheroadandtherewasapileofboards。"Willisgoingtobuildashedtostoreberrycrateshere，"saidGeorgeandtheysatdownupontheboards。
WhenGeorgeWillardgotbackintoMainStreetitwaspastteno\'clockandhadbeguntorain。ThreetimeshewalkedupanddownthelengthofMainStreet。SylvesterWest\'sDrugStorewasstillopenandhewentinandboughtacigar。WhenShortyCrandalltheclerkcameoutatthedoorwithhimhewaspleased。Forfiveminutesthetwostoodintheshelterofthestoreawningandtalked。GeorgeWil-
lardfeltsatisfied。Hehadwantedmorethanany-
thingelsetotalktosomeman。AroundacornertowardtheNewWillardHousehewentwhistlingsoftly。
OnthesidewalkatthesideofWinney\'sDryGoodsStorewheretherewasahighboardfencecoveredwithcircuspictures，hestoppedwhistlingandstoodperfectlystillinthedarkness，attentive，listeningasthoughforavoicecallinghisname。
Thenagainhelaughednervously。"Shehasn\'tgotanythingonme。Nobodyknows，"hemuttereddog-
gedlyandwentonhisway。
GODLINESS
ATaleinFourPartsTHEREWEREALWAYSthreeorfouroldpeoplesittingonthefrontporchofthehouseorputteringaboutthegardenoftheBentleyfarm。ThreeoftheoldpeoplewerewomenandsisterstoJesse。Theywereacolorless，softvoicedlot。ThentherewasasilentoldmanwiththinwhitehairwhowasJesse\'suncle。
Thefarmhousewasbuiltofwood，aboardouter-
coveringoveraframeworkoflogs。Itwasinrealitynotonehousebutaclusterofhousesjoinedto-
getherinaratherhaphazardmanner。Inside，theplacewasfullofsurprises。Onewentupstepsfromthelivingroomintothediningroomandtherewerealwaysstepstobeascendedordescendedinpassingfromoneroomtoanother。Atmealtimestheplacewaslikeabeehive。Atonemomentallwasquiet，thendoorsbegantoopen，feetclatteredonstairs，amurmurofsoftvoicesaroseandpeopleappearedfromadozenobscurecorners。
Besidestheoldpeople，alreadymentioned，manyotherslivedintheBentleyhouse。Therewerefourhiredmen，awomannamedAuntCallieBeebe，whowasinchargeofthehousekeeping，adull-wittedgirlnamedElizaStoughton，whomadebedsandhelpedwiththemilking，aboywhoworkedinthestables，andJesseBentleyhimself，theownerandoverlordofitall。
BythetimetheAmericanCivilWarhadbeenoverfortwentyyears，thatpartofNorthernOhiowheretheBentleyfarmslayhadbeguntoemergefrompioneerlife。Jessethenownedmachineryforhar-
vestinggrain。Hehadbuiltmodernbarnsandmostofhislandwasdrainedwithcarefullylaidtiledrain，butinordertounderstandthemanwewillhavetogobacktoanearlierday。
TheBentleyfamilyhadbeeninNorthernOhioforseveralgenerationsbeforeJesse\'stime。TheycamefromNewYorkStateandtookuplandwhenthecountrywasnewandlandcouldbehadatalowprice。Foralongtimethey，incommonwithalltheotherMiddleWesternpeople，wereverypoor。Thelandtheyhadsettleduponwasheavilywoodedandcoveredwithfallenlogsandunderbrush。Afterthelonghardlaborofclearingtheseawayandcuttingthetimber，therewerestillthestumpstobereck-
onedwith。Plowsrunthroughthefieldscaughtonhiddenroots，stoneslayallabout，onthelowplaceswatergathered，andtheyoungcornturnedyellow，sickenedanddied。
WhenJesseBentley\'sfatherandbrothershadcomeintotheirownershipoftheplace，muchoftheharderpartoftheworkofclearinghadbeendone，buttheyclungtooldtraditionsandworkedlikedrivenanimals。Theylivedaspracticallyallofthefarmingpeopleofthetimelived。InthespringandthroughmostofthewinterthehighwaysleadingintothetownofWinesburgwereaseaofmud。Thefouryoungmenofthefamilyworkedhardalldayinthefields，theyateheavilyofcoarse，greasyfood，andatnightsleptliketiredbeastsonbedsofstraw。
Intotheirlivescamelittlethatwasnotcoarseandbrutalandoutwardlytheywerethemselvescoarseandbrutal。OnSaturdayafternoonstheyhitchedateamofhorsestoathree-seatedwagonandwentofftotown。Intowntheystoodaboutthestovesinthestorestalkingtootherfarmersortothestorekeepers。Theyweredressedinoverallsandinthewinterworeheavycoatsthatwerefleckedwithmud。Theirhandsastheystretchedthemouttotheheatofthestoveswerecrackedandred。Itwasdif-
ficultforthemtotalkandsotheyforthemostpartkeptsilent。Whentheyhadboughtmeat，flour，sugar，andsalt，theywentintooneoftheWinesburgsaloonsanddrankbeer。Undertheinfluenceofdrinkthenaturallystronglustsoftheirnatures，keptsuppressedbytheheroiclaborofbreakingupnewground，werereleased。Akindofcrudeandanimal-
likepoeticfervortookpossessionofthem。Ontheroadhometheystooduponthewagonseatsandshoutedatthestars。Sometimestheyfoughtlongandbitterlyandatothertimestheybrokeforthintosongs。OnceEnochBentley，theolderoneoftheboys，struckhisfather，oldTomBentley，withthebuttofateamster\'swhip，andtheoldmanseemedlikelytodie。FordaysEnochlayhidinthestrawintheloftofthestablereadytofleeiftheresultofhismomentarypassionturnedouttobemurder。Hewaskeptalivewithfoodbroughtbyhismother，whoalsokepthiminformedoftheinjuredman\'scondition。Whenallturnedoutwellheemergedfromhishidingplaceandwentbacktotheworkofclearinglandasthoughnothinghadhappened。
TheCivilWarbroughtasharpturntothefortunesoftheBentleysandwasresponsiblefortheriseoftheyoungestson，Jesse。Enoch，Edward，Harry，andWillBentleyallenlistedandbeforethelongwarendedtheywereallkilled。ForatimeaftertheywentawaytotheSouth，oldTomtriedtoruntheplace，buthewasnotsuccessful。WhenthelastofthefourhadbeenkilledhesentwordtoJessethathewouldhavetocomehome。
Thenthemother，whohadnotbeenwellforayear，diedsuddenly，andthefatherbecamealto-
getherdiscouraged。Hetalkedofsellingthefarmandmovingintotown。Alldayhewentaboutshak-
inghisheadandmuttering。Theworkinthefieldswasneglectedandweedsgrewhighinthecorn。OldTimhiredmenbuthedidnotusethemintelligently。
Whentheyhadgoneawaytothefieldsinthemorn-
inghewanderedintothewoodsandsatdownonalog。Sometimesheforgottocomehomeatnightandoneofthedaughtershadtogoinsearchofhim。
WhenJesseBentleycamehometothefarmandbegantotakechargeofthingshewasaslight，sensitive-lookingmanoftwenty-two。AteighteenhehadlefthometogotoschooltobecomeascholarandeventuallytobecomeaministerofthePresbyte-
rianChurch。Allthroughhisboyhoodhehadbeenwhatinourcountrywascalledan"oddsheep"andhadnotgotonwithhisbrothers。Ofallthefamilyonlyhismotherhadunderstoodhimandshewasnowdead。Whenhecamehometotakechargeofthefarm，thathadatthattimegrowntomorethansixhundredacres，everyoneonthefarmsaboutandinthenearbytownofWinesburgsmiledattheideaofhistryingtohandletheworkthathadbeendonebyhisfourstrongbrothers。
Therewasindeedgoodcausetosmile。BythestandardsofhisdayJessedidnotlooklikeamanatall。Hewassmallandveryslenderandwomanishofbodyand，truetothetraditionsofyoungminis-
ters，worealongblackcoatandanarrowblackstringtie。Theneighborswereamusedwhentheysawhim，aftertheyearsaway，andtheywereevenmoreamusedwhentheysawthewomanhehadmarriedinthecity。
Asamatteroffact，Jesse\'swifedidsoongounder。
ThatwasperhapsJesse\'sfault。AfarminNorthernOhiointhehardyearsaftertheCivilWarwasnoplaceforadelicatewoman，andKatherineBentleywasdelicate。Jessewashardwithherashewaswitheverybodyabouthiminthosedays。Shetriedtodosuchworkasalltheneighborwomenaboutherdidandhelethergoonwithoutinterference。Shehelpedtodothemilkinganddidpartofthehouse-
work；shemadethebedsforthemenandpreparedtheirfood。Forayearsheworkedeverydayfromsunriseuntillateatnightandthenaftergivingbirthtoachildshedied。
AsforJesseBentley——althoughhewasadelicatelybuiltmantherewassomethingwithinhimthatcouldnoteasilybekilled。Hehadbrowncurlyhairandgreyeyesthatwereattimeshardanddirect，attimeswaveringanduncertain。Notonlywasheslen-
derbuthewasalsoshortofstature。Hismouthwaslikethemouthofasensitiveandverydeterminedchild。JesseBentleywasafanatic。Hewasamanbornoutofhistimeandplaceandforthishesuf-
feredandmadeotherssuffer。Neverdidhesucceedingettingwhathewantedoutoffifeandhedidnotknowwhathewanted。WithinaveryshorttimeafterhecamehometotheBentleyfarmhemadeeveryonetherealittleafraidofhim，andhiswife，whoshouldhavebeenclosetohimashismotherhadbeen，wasafraidalso。Attheendoftwoweeksafterhiscoming，oldTomBentleymadeovertohimtheentireownershipoftheplaceandretiredintothebackground。Everyoneretiredintotheback-
ground。Inspiteofhisyouthandinexperience，Jessehadthetrickofmasteringthesoulsofhispeople。
Hewassoinearnestineverythinghedidandsaidthatnooneunderstoodhim。Hemadeeveryoneonthefarmworkastheyhadneverworkedbeforeandyettherewasnojoyinthework。IfthingswentwelltheywentwellforJesseandneverforthepeoplewhowerehisdependents。LikeathousandotherstrongmenwhohavecomeintotheworldhereinAmericaintheselatertimes，Jessewasbuthalfstrong。Hecouldmasterothersbuthecouldnotmasterhimself。Therunningofthefarmasithadneverbeenrunbeforewaseasyforhim。WhenhecamehomefromClevelandwherehehadbeeninschool，heshuthimselfofffromallofhispeopleandbegantomakeplans。Hethoughtaboutthefarmnightanddayandthatmadehimsuccessful。
Othermenonthefarmsabouthimworkedtoohardandweretoofiredtothink，buttothinkofthefarmandtobeeverlastinglymakingplansforitssuccesswasarelieftoJesse。Itpartiallysatisfiedsomethinginhispassionatenature。Immediatelyafterhecamehomehehadawingbuiltontotheoldhouseandinalargeroomfacingthewesthehadwindowsthatlookedintothebarnyardandotherwindowsthatlookedoffacrossthefields。Bythewindowhesatdowntothink。Hourafterhouranddayafterdayhesatandlookedoverthelandandthoughtouthisnewplaceinlife。Thepassionateburningthinginhisnatureflamedupandhiseyesbecamehard。Hewantedtomakethefarmproduceasnofarminhisstatehadeverproducedbeforeandthenhewantedsomethingelse。Itwastheindefinablehungerwithinthatmadehiseyeswaverandthatkepthimalwaysmoreandmoresilentbeforepeople。Hewouldhavegivenmuchtoachievepeaceandinhimwasafearthatpeacewasthethinghecouldnotachieve。
AlloverhisbodyJesseBentleywasalive。Inhissmallframewasgatheredtheforceofalonglineofstrongmen。Hehadalwaysbeenextraordinarilyalivewhenhewasasmallboyonthefarmandlaterwhenhewasayoungmaninschool。IntheschoolhehadstudiedandthoughtofGodandtheBiblewithhiswholemindandheart。Astimepassedandhegrewtoknowpeoplebetter，hebegantothinkofhimselfasanextraordinaryman，onesetapartfromhisfellows。Hewantedterriblytomakehislifeathingofgreatimportance，andashelookedaboutathisfellowmenandsawhowlikeclodstheyliveditseemedtohimthathecouldnotbeartobecomealsosuchaclod。Althoughinhisabsorptioninhim-
selfandinhisowndestinyhewasblindtothefactthathisyoungwifewasdoingastrongwoman\'sworkevenaftershehadbecomelargewithchildandthatshewaskillingherselfinhisservice，hedidnotintendtobeunkindtoher。Whenhisfather，whowasoldandtwistedwithtoil，madeovertohimtheownershipofthefarmandseemedcontenttocreepawaytoacornerandwaitfordeath，heshruggedhisshouldersanddismissedtheoldmanfromhismind。
IntheroombythewindowoverlookingthelandthathadcomedowntohimsatJessethinkingofhisownaffairs。Inthestableshecouldhearthetramp-
ingofhishorsesandtherestlessmovementofhiscattle。Awayinthefieldshecouldseeothercattlewanderingovergreenhills。Thevoicesofmen，hismenwhoworkedforhim，cameintohimthroughthewindow。Fromthemilkhousetherewasthesteadythump，thumpofachurnbeingmanipulatedbythehalf-wittedgirl，ElizaStoughton。Jesse\'smindwentbacktothemenofOldTestamentdayswhohadalsoownedlandsandherds。HerememberedhowGodhadcomedownoutoftheskiesandtalkedtothesemenandhewantedGodtonoticeandtotalktohimalso。Akindoffeverishboyisheagernesstoinsomewayachieveinhisownlifetheflavorofsignificancethathadhungoverthesementookpossessionofhim。BeingaprayerfulmanhespokeofthematteraloudtoGodandthesoundofhisownwordsstrengthenedandfedhiseagerness。
"Iamanewkindofmancomeintopossessionofthesefields，"hedeclared。"Lookuponme，OGod，andlookThoualsouponmyneighborsandallthemenwhohavegonebeforemehere!OGod，createinmeanotherJesse，likethatoneofold，toruleovermenandtobethefatherofsonswhoshallberul-
ers!"Jessegrewexcitedashetalkedaloudandjumpingtohisfeetwalkedupanddownintheroom。Infancyhesawhimselflivinginoldtimesandamongoldpeoples。Thelandthatlaystretchedoutbeforehimbecameofvastsignificance，aplacepeopledbyhisfancywithanewraceofmensprungfromhimself。Itseemedtohimthatinhisdayasinthoseotherandolderdays，kingdomsmightbecre-
atedandnewimpulsesgiventothelivesofmenbythepowerofGodspeakingthroughachosenser-
vant。Helongedtobesuchaservant。"ItisGod\'sworkIhavecometothelandtodo，"hedeclaredinaloudvoiceandhisshortfigurestraightenedandhethoughtthatsomethinglikeahaloofGodlyap-
provalhungoverhim。
ItwillperhapsbesomewhatdifficultforthemenandwomenofalaterdaytounderstandJesseBent-
ley。Inthelastfiftyyearsavastchangehastakenplaceinthelivesofourpeople。Arevolutionhasinfacttakenplace。Thecomingofindustrialism，at-
tendedbyalltheroarandrattleofaffairs，theshrillcriesofmillionsofnewvoicesthathavecomeamongusfromoverseas，thegoingandcomingoftrains，thegrowthofcities，thebuildingoftheinter-
urbancarlinesthatweaveinandoutoftownsandpastfarmhouses，andnowintheselaterdaysthecomingoftheautomobileshasworkedatremen-
douschangeinthelivesandinthehabitsofthoughtofourpeopleofMid-America。Books，badlyimag-
inedandwrittenthoughtheymaybeinthehurryofourtimes，areineveryhousehold，magazinescir-
culatebythemillionsofcopies，newspapersareev-
erywhere。Inourdayafarmerstandingbythestoveinthestoreinhisvillagehashismindfilledtoover-
flowingwiththewordsofothermen。Thenewspa-
persandthemagazineshavepumpedhimfull。
Muchoftheoldbrutalignorancethathadinitalsoakindofbeautifulchildlikeinnocenceisgonefor-
ever。Thefarmerbythestoveisbrothertothemenofthecities，andifyoulistenyouwillfindhimtalkingasgliblyandassenselesslyasthebestcitymanofusall。
InJesseBentley\'stimeandinthecountrydistrictsofthewholeMiddleWestintheyearsaftertheCivilWaritwasnotso。Menlaboredtoohardandweretootiredtoread。Inthemwasnodesireforwordsprinteduponpaper。Astheyworkedinthefields，vague，half-formedthoughtstookpossessionofthem。TheybelievedinGodandinGod\'spowertocontroltheirlives。InthelittleProtestantchurchestheygatheredonSundaytohearofGodandhisworks。Thechurcheswerethecenterofthesocialandintellectuallifeofthetimes。ThefigureofGodwasbigintheheartsofmen。
Andso，havingbeenbornanimaginativechildandhavingwithinhimagreatintellectualeagerness，JesseBentleyhadturnedwholeheartedlytowardGod。Whenthewartookhisbrothersaway，hesawthehandofGodinthat。Whenhisfatherbecameillandcouldnolongerattendtotherunningofthefarm，hetookthatalsoasasignfromGod。Inthecity，whenthewordcametohim，hewalkedaboutatnightthroughthestreetsthinkingofthematterandwhenhehadcomehomeandhadgottheworkonthefarmwellunderway，hewentagainatnighttowalkthroughtheforestsandoverthelowhillsandtothinkofGod。
Ashewalkedtheimportanceofhisownfigureinsomedivineplangrewinhismind。Hegrewavari-
ciousandwasimpatientthatthefarmcontainedonlysixhundredacres。Kneelinginafencecornerattheedgeofsomemeadow，hesenthisvoiceabroadintothesilenceandlookinguphesawthestarsshiningdownathim。
Oneevening，somemonthsafterhisfather\'sdeath，andwhenhiswifeKatherinewasexpectingatanymomenttobelaidabedofchildbirth，Jesselefthishouseandwentforalongwalk。TheBentleyfarmwassituatedinatinyvalleywateredbyWineCreek，andJessewalkedalongthebanksofthestreamtotheendofhisownlandandonthroughthefieldsofhisneighbors。Ashewalkedthevalleybroadenedandthennarrowedagain。Greatopenstretchesoffieldandwoodlaybeforehim。Themooncameoutfrombehindclouds，and，climbingalowhill，hesatdowntothink。
JessethoughtthatasthetrueservantofGodtheentirestretchofcountrythroughwhichhehadwalkedshouldhavecomeintohispossession。Hethoughtofhisdeadbrothersandblamedthemthattheyhadnotworkedharderandachievedmore。Be-
forehiminthemoonlightthetinystreamrandownoverstones，andhebegantothinkofthemenofoldtimeswholikehimselfhadownedflocksandlands。
Afantasticimpulse，halffear，halfgreediness，tookpossessionofJesseBentley。HerememberedhowintheoldBiblestorytheLordhadappearedtothatotherJesseandtoldhimtosendhissonDavidtowhereSaulandthemenofIsraelwerefightingthePhilistinesintheValleyofElah。IntoJesse\'smindcametheconvictionthatalloftheOhiofarmerswhoownedlandinthevalleyofWineCreekwerePhilistinesandenemiesofGod。"Suppose，"
hewhisperedtohimself，"thereshouldcomefromamongthemonewho，likeGoliaththePhilistineofGath，coulddefeatmeandtakefrommemyposses-
sions。"InfancyhefeltthesickeningdreadthathethoughtmusthavelainheavyontheheartofSaulbeforethecomingofDavid。Jumpingtohisfeet，hebegantorunthroughthenight。AsheranhecalledtoGod。Hisvoicecarriedfaroverthelowhills。
"JehovahofHosts，"hecried，"sendtomethisnightoutofthewombofKatherine，ason。LetThygracealightuponme。SendmeasontobecalledDavidwhoshallhelpmetopluckatlastalloftheselandsoutofthehandsofthePhilistinesandturnthemtoThyserviceandtothebuildingofThykingdomonearth。"
II
DAVIDHARDYOFWinesburg，Ohio，wasthegrand-
sonofJesseBentley，theownerofBentleyfarms。
WhenhewastwelveyearsoldhewenttotheoldBentleyplacetolive。Hismother，LouiseBentley，thegirlwhocameintotheworldonthatnightwhenJesseranthroughthefieldscryingtoGodthathebegivenason，hadgrowntowomanhoodonthefarmandhadmarriedyoungJohnHardyofWines-
burg，whobecameabanker。Louiseandherhus-
banddidnotlivehappilytogetherandeveryoneagreedthatshewastoblame。Shewasasmallwomanwithsharpgreyeyesandblackhair。Fromchildhoodshehadbeeninclinedtofitsoftemperandwhennotangryshewasoftenmoroseandsi-
lent。InWinesburgitwassaidthatshedrank。Herhusband，thebanker，whowasacareful，shrewdman，triedhardtomakeherhappy。WhenhebegantomakemoneyheboughtforheralargebrickhouseonElmStreetinWinesburgandhewasthefirstmaninthattowntokeepamanservanttodrivehiswife\'scarriage。
ButLouisecouldnotbemadehappy。Sheflewintohalfinsanefitsoftemperduringwhichshewassometimessilent，sometimesnoisyandquarrelsome。
Shesworeandcriedoutinheranger。Shegotaknifefromthekitchenandthreatenedherhusband\'slife。Onceshedeliberatelysetfiretothehouse，andoftenshehidherselfawayfordaysinherownroomandwouldseenoone。Herlife，livedasahalfre-
cluse，gaverisetoallsortsofstoriesconcerningher。
Itwassaidthatshetookdrugsandthatshehidherselfawayfrompeoplebecauseshewasoftensoundertheinfluenceofdrinkthatherconditioncouldnotbeconcealed。Sometimesonsummerafternoonsshecameoutofthehouseandgotintohercarriage。
