"And, John, I've had a revelation. St. John's was nothin' compared to
mine. A lot of young men come in, men with no chins and high collars,
and young girls that had ought to have had gimps put in their dresses;
and the way they slithered around that room hugging each other--well,
for once in my life, I couldn't talk. I just looked. It wasn't only the
young men with soft heads and loud laughs that danced. By the way, they
was some of them the descendants of the big men we read about in the
papers, and, between you and me, John, great descent was what most of
'em was sufferin' with. But old men and women danced--old men
especially that had ought to been at home rubbin' their backs with
goose grease. I just thought as I saw them old men foolin' around,
'It's hard for an old dog to learn new tricks, but an old man hasn't
got sense enough not to try.' And what do you think, one of them young
nin-com-poops come and asked me if I wouldn't like to turkey trot.
That's what he said, turkey trot. When I got my breath, I said, 'Young
man, there's two things in life I ain't never prepared for. One's
twins, the other's to turkey trot--whatever that is--so you run along
to the chicken yard; you've mistook the place.'
"Then I moved over to a corner by some paam trees, as I was afraid one
of them old men'd come and ask me to bunny hug next, and I always been
respectable. As I was a settin' there, some one come and set down, and
I couldn't help hearin' what they said. He wanted to go home and she
didn't want to go, and he said he was tired and had to git up early and
that he'd been out four nights this week, and she said he was selfish
and didn't want her to enjoy herself, and they talked a lot and then he
got up in a huff and went away. I heard a little sniffle and I looked
around the paams and there set that pretty girl that got married about
three months ago and lives in the Red House. I smiled at her and she
stopped cryin' and tried to pretend she hadn't been, and then I got up
and went and set down by her and took her hand an' kind of patted it,
and let her dry her eyes. When she seemed better I said, 'Every wise
woman buildeth her own home, but the foolish one plucketh it down with
her own hands.' Isn't that what you are doin', my dear?
"She sniffed again and I thought she was going to begin all over, but
she didn't. She said, 'Bert used to love to be at dances with me, but
now he always says he's tired and wants to go home.'
"'Well, dear,' I said, 'you're his wife now, and it's different. He can
see you at home, and have you to himself. You're not just the girl he
dances with. The things a man wants in his wife ain't the things he
wants in the girl he just dances with, any more than the vittles he
wants for breakfast is like them he wants for dinner. It's all
different when you're married.'
"'But Bert is selfish; he isn't trying to make me happy.'
"'Does this give you happiness?' I asked.
"'Why, of course; it's so gay,' she said.