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
The only one of her old friends who tried to know what Lena liked and
what she needed, and who always made Lena come to see her, was the
good german cook who had always scolded. She now scolded Lena hard for
letting herself go so, and going out when she was looking so untidy.
"I know you going to have a baby Lena, but that's no way for you to be
looking. I am ashamed most to see you come and sit here in my kitchen,
looking so sloppy and like you never used to Lena. I never see anybody
like you Lena. Herman is very good to you, you always say so, and he
don't treat you bad even though you don't deserve to have anybody good
to you, you so careless all the time, Lena, letting yourself go like
you never had anybody tell you what was the right way you should know
how to be looking. No, Lena, I don't see no reason you should let
yourself go so and look so untidy Lena, so I am ashamed to see you sit
there looking so ugly, Lena. No Lena that ain't no way ever I see a
woman make things come out better, letting herself go so every way and
crying all the time like as if you had real trouble. I never wanted to
see you marry Herman Kreder, Lena, I knew what you got to stand with
that old woman always, and that old man, he is so stingy too and he
don't say things out but he ain't any better in his heart than his
wife with her bad ways, I know that Lena, I know they don't hardly
give you enough to eat, Lena, I am real sorry for you Lena, you know
that Lena, but that ain't any way to be going round so untidy Lena,
even if you have got all that trouble. You never see me do like that
Lena, though sometimes I got a headache so I can't see to stand to
be working hardly, and nothing comes right with all my cooking, but I
always see Lena, I look decent. That's the only way a german girl can
make things come out right Lena. You hear me what I am saying to you
Lena. Now you eat something nice Lena, I got it all ready for you, and
you wash up and be careful Lena and the baby will come all right to
you, and then I make your Aunt Mathilda see that you live in a house
soon all alone with Herman and your baby, and then everything go
better for you. You hear me what I say to you Lena. Now don't let me
ever see you come looking like this any more Lena, and you just stop
with that always crying. You ain't got no reason to be sitting there
now with all that crying, I never see anybody have trouble it did them
any good to do the way you are doing, Lena. You hear me Lena. You go
home now and you be good the way I tell you Lena, and I see what I can
do. I make your Aunt Mathilda make old Mrs. Kreder let you be till you
get your baby all right. Now don't you be scared and so silly Lena. I
don't like to see you act so Lena when really you got a nice man and
so many things really any girl should be grateful to be having. Now
you go home Lena to-day and you do the way I say, to you, and I see
what I can do to help you."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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