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
Herman's father when he had found him coaxed Herman a long time and
went on whole days with his complaining to him, always troubled but
gentle and quite patient with him, and always he was worrying to
Herman about what was the right way his boy Herman should always do,
always whatever it was his mother ever wanted from him, and always
Herman never made him any answer.
Old Mr. Kreder kept on saying to him, he did not see how Herman could
think now, it could be any different. When you make a bargain you just
got to stick right to it, that was the only way old Mr. Kreder could
ever see it, and saying you would get married to a girl and she got
everything all ready, that was a bargain just like one you make in
business and Herman he had made it, and now Herman he would just have
to do it, old Mr. Kreder didn't see there was any other way a good boy
like his Herman had, to do it. And then too that Lena Mainz was such
a nice girl and Herman hadn't ought to really give his father so much
trouble and make him pay out all that money, to come all the way to
New York just to find him, and they both lose all that time from their
working, when all Herman had to do was just to stand up, for an hour,
and then he would be all right married, and it would be all over for
him, and then everything at home would never be any different to him.
And his father went on; there was his poor mother saying always how
her Herman always did everything before she ever wanted, and now just
because he got notions in him, and wanted to show people how he could
be stubborn, he was making all this trouble for her, and making them
pay all that money just to run around and find him. "You got no idea
Herman, how bad mama is feeling about the way you been acting Herman,"
said old Mr. Kreder to him. "She says she never can understand how
you can be so thankless Herman. It hurts her very much you been so
stubborn, and she find you such a nice girl for you, like Lena Mainz
who is always just so quiet and always saves up all her wages, and she
never wanting her own way at all like some girls are always all the
time to have it, and you mama trying so hard, just so you could be
comfortable Herman to be married, and then you act so stubborn Herman.
You like all young people Herman, you think only about yourself, and
what you are just wanting, and your mama she is thinking only what is
good for you to have, for you in the future. Do you think your mama
wants to have a girl around to be a bother, for herself, Herman. Its
just for you Herman she is always thinking, and she talks always about
how happy she will be, when she sees her Herman married to a nice
girl, and then when she fixed it all up so good for you, so it never
would be any bother to you, just the way she wanted you should like
it, and you say yes all right, I do it, and then you go away like this
and act stubborn, and make all this trouble everybody to take for you,
and we spend money, and I got to travel all round to find you.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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