Three Lives: Stories of The Good Anna, Melanctha and The Gentle LenaStein, Gertrude
General
Three Lives: Stories of The Good Anna, Melanctha and The Gentle Lena
Stein, Gertrude
Working class women -- Fiction
what I didn't think it was I wanted. It's that way of knowing right
what I am wanting, makes me feel nobody can come right with me, when I
am feeling things, Jeff Campbell. I certainly do say Jeff Campbell, I
certainly don't think much of the way you always do it, always never
knowing what it is you are ever really wanting and everybody always
got to suffer. No Jeff, I don't certainly think there is much doubting
which is better and the stronger with us two, Jeff Campbell."
"As you will, Melanctha Herbert," cried Jeff Campbell, and he rose up,
and he thundered out a black oath, and he was fierce to leave her now
forever, and then with the same movement, he took her in his arms and
held her.
"What a silly goose boy you are, Jeff Campbell," Melanctha whispered
to him fondly.
"Oh yes," said Jeff, very dreary. "I never could keep really mad with
anybody, not when I was a little boy and playing. I used most to cry
sometimes, I couldn't get real mad and keep on a long time with
it, the way everybody always did it. It's certainly no use to me
Melanctha, I certainly can't ever keep mad with you Melanctha, my dear
one. But don't you ever be thinking it's because I think you right
in what you been just saying to me. I don't Melanctha really think it
that way, honest, though I certainly can't get mad the way I ought to.
No Melanctha, little girl, really truly, you ain't right the way you
think it. I certainly do know that Melanctha, honest. You certainly
don't do me right Melanctha, the way you say you are thinking.
Good-bye Melanctha, though you certainly is my own little girl for
always." And then they were very good a little to each other, and then
Jeff went away for that evening, from her.
Melanctha had begun now once more to wander. Melanctha did not yet
always wander, but a little now she needed to begin to look for
others. Now Melanctha Herbert began again to be with some of the
better kind of black girls, and with them she sometimes wandered.
Melanctha had not yet come again to need to be alone, when she
wandered.
Jeff Campbell did not know that Melanctha had begun again to wander.
All Jeff knew, was that now he could not be so often with her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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