Didactic fiction; Political fiction; Social problems -- Fiction
As-the carriage stopped at the apartment house where the Harts lived,
the girl impulsively kissed the older woman.
"I'm so glad I know you--and the doctor, too!"
That evening when Helen sat down to dinner with her husband in their
little apartment, she recounted the events of her day, among them the
visit to Dr. Coburn's office. Jackson, who had brought home with him a
roll of plans to work at in the evening, remarked casually: "Isn't
Venetia going there a good deal? Her mother won't like that sort of
intimacy."
"I don't think there is any harm in it. Dr. Coburn interests her,
opens her eyes to things she never realized before. I think he must
have a good deal of ability, though he is boastful and rough."
"That kind usually are conceited," the architect replied indifferently.
"He had better show a little of his ability in getting some paying
patients. He can't be doing much, judging by the boots and hat he had
on the last time I saw him."
"No, he is very poor," Helen admitted. She disliked to have her
husband judge any man by his "boots and hat." These necessary articles
of clothing seemed to her rather accidental aspects of humanity in the
confusing fortunes of life.
"Would you mind very much," she ventured after a time, "calling on him?
I want to ask him to dine with us some Sunday. I want to have Venetia,
and Pete, too."
Jackson looked at his wife in surprise.
"If you wish it, of course. I don't see much point to it. Why do you
want him? He isn't our kind."
She was becoming gradually conscious that her husband liked only the
society of his kind--those people who had the same tastes and habits,
whose views and pleasures he shared. When she thought of it, she
realized that they had rapidly severed themselves from any other kind
during the first few months of their married life. She had given up
going to the River settlement before her marriage, partly because
Jackson disapproved of settlements. They were "socialistic" and
"cranky," and business men told him that they helped to stir up that
discontent among the laboring classes which was so rife in Chicago.
They encouraged the unions, and with people of his class trade-unionism
was considered to be the next worst thing to anarchy. So in the desire
to have no shadow of difference between them, Helen had given up her
classes in the settlement and rarely returned to the friends she had
made in that part of the city.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account