Winesburg， Ohio

第2章

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。"

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。