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Jennie Gerhardt Chapter 3 · The Theodore Dreiser Library

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  Speaker 1: CHAPTER III. OF JENNY GEARHART. BY THEODORE DREISER. This LibriVox
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  Speaker 1: recording is in the public domain. The junior senator, George
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  Speaker 1: Sylvester Brander, was a man of peculiar mold. In him
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  Speaker 1: there were joined, to a remarkable degree, the wisdom of
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  Speaker 1: the opportunist and the sympathetic nature of the true representative
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  Speaker 1: of the people. Born a native of southern Ohio, He
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  Speaker 1: had been raised and educated there, if one might accept,
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  Speaker 1: the two years in which he had studied law at
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  Speaker 1: Columbia University. He knew common and criminal law, perhaps, as
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  Speaker 1: well as any citizen of his state, but he had
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  Speaker 1: never practiced with the assiduity which makes for preeminent success
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  Speaker 1: at the bar. He had made money, and had had
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  Speaker 1: splendid opportunities to make a great deal more if he
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  Speaker 1: had been willing to stultify his conscience, but that he
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  Speaker 1: had never been able to do, and yet his integrity
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  Speaker 1: had not been at all times proof against the claims
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  Speaker 1: of friendship. Only in the last presidential election had he
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  Speaker 1: thrown his support to a man for governor who, he
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  Speaker 1: well knew, had no claim which a strictly honorable conscience
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  Speaker 1: could have recognized. In the same way, he had been
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  Speaker 1: guilty of some very questionable and and one or two
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  Speaker 1: actually unsavory appointments. Whenever his conscience pricked him too keenly,
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  Speaker 1: he would endeavor to hearten himself with his pet phrase,
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  Speaker 1: all in a lifetime. Thinking over things quite alone in
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  Speaker 1: his easy chair, he would sometimes rise up with these
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  Speaker 1: words on his lips, and smile sheepishly as he did so.
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  Speaker 1: Conscience was not by means dead in him, his sympathies
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  Speaker 1: of anything were keener than ever. This man, three times
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  Speaker 1: congressman from the district of which Columbus was a part,
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  Speaker 1: and twice United States Senator, had never married. In his
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  Speaker 1: youth he had had a serious love affair, but there
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  Speaker 1: was nothing discreditable to him in the fact that it
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  Speaker 1: came to nothing. The lady found it inconvenient to wait
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  Speaker 1: for him. He was too long in earning a competence
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  Speaker 1: upon which they might subsist. Tall, straight-shouldered, neither lean nor stout,
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  Speaker 1: he was to-day an imposing figure. Having received his hard
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  Speaker 1: knocks and endured his losses, there was that about him
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  Speaker 1: which touched and awakened the sympathies of the imaginative. People
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  Speaker 1: thought him naturally agreeable, and his senatorial peers looked upon
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  Speaker 1: him as not any too heavy mentally, but personally a
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  Speaker 1: fine man. His presence in Columbus at this particular time
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  Speaker 1: was due to the fact that his political fences needed
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  Speaker 1: careful repairing. The general election had weakened his party in
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  Speaker 1: the state legislature. There were enough votes to re-elect him,
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  Speaker 1: but it would require the most careful political manipulation to
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  Speaker 1: hold them together. Other men were ambitious. There were a
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  Speaker 1: half a dozen available candidates, any one of whom would
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  Speaker 1: have rejoiced to step into his shoes. He realized the
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  Speaker 1: exigencies of the occasion. They could not well beat him,
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  Speaker 1: he thought, but even if this should happen, surely the
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  Speaker 1: President could be induced to give him a ministry abroad. Yet,
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  Speaker 1: he might be called a successful man, but for all that,
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  Speaker 1: Senator Brander felt that he had missed something. He wanted
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  Speaker 1: to do so many things. Here he was, fifty-two years
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  Speaker 1: of age, clean, honorable, highly distinguished, as the world takes it,
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  Speaker 1: but single. He could not help looking about him now
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  Speaker 1: and then, and speculating upon the fact that he had
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  Speaker 1: no one to care for him. His chamber seemed strangely
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  Speaker 1: hollow at times, his own personality exceedingly disagreeable. Fifty, he
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  Speaker 1: often thought to himself, alone, absolutely alone. Sitting in his
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  Speaker 1: chamber that Saturday afternoon, a rap at his door aroused him.
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  Speaker 1: He had been speculating upon the futility of his political
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  Speaker 1: energy in the light of the impermanence of life and fame.
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  Speaker 1: What a great fight we make to sustain ourselves, he thought.
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  Speaker 1: How little difference it will make to me a few
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  Speaker 1: years hence. He arose, and opening wide his door, perceived Jenny.
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  Speaker 1: She had come, as she had suggested to her mother
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  Speaker 1: at this time, instead of on Monday, in order to
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  Speaker 1: give a more favorable impression of promptness.' Come right in,'
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  Speaker 1: said the Senator, and, as on the first occasion, he
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  Speaker 1: graciously made way for her. Jenny passed in, momentarily expecting
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  Speaker 1: some compliment upon the promptitude with which the washing had
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  Speaker 1: been done. The Senator never noticed it at all.' Well,
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  Speaker 1: my young lady,' he said, when she had put the
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  Speaker 1: bundle down,' how do you find yourself this evening?'' Very well,'
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  Speaker 1: replied Jenny.' We thought we'd better bring your clothes to-day
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  Speaker 1: instead of Monday.'' Oh, that would not have made any difference,'
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  Speaker 1: replied Bander lightly.' Just leave them on the chair.' Jenny,
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  Speaker 1: without considering the fact that she had been offered no
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  Speaker 1: payment for the service rendered, was about to retire had
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  Speaker 1: not the Senator detained her.' How is your mother?' he
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  Speaker 1: asked pleasantly.' She' s very well,' said Jenny simply. And your
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  Speaker 1: little sister, is she any better? The doctor thinks so,
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  Speaker 1: she replied. Sit down, he continued graciously. I want to
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  Speaker 1: talk to you. Moving to a nearby chair, the young
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  Speaker 1: girl seated herself. He went on, clearing his throat lightly.
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  Speaker 1: What seems to be the matter with her? She has
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  Speaker 1: the measles returned, Jenny. We thought once that she was
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  Speaker 1: going to die. Brander studied her face as she said this,
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  Speaker 1: and he thought he saw something exceedingly pathetic there. The
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  Speaker 1: girl's poor clothes and her wondering admiration for his exalted
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  Speaker 1: station in life affected him. It made him feel almost
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  Speaker 1: ashamed of the comfort and luxury that surrounded him. How
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  Speaker 1: high up he was in the world, indeed. I'm glad
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  Speaker 1: she is better now, he said kindly. How old is
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  Speaker 1: your father? Fifty-seven. And is he any better? Oh, yes, sir,
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  Speaker 1: he's around now. although he can't go out just yet.
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  Speaker 1: I believe your mother said he was a glass-blower by trade? Yes, sir.
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  Speaker 1: Brander well knew the depressed local conditions in this branch
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  Speaker 1: of manufacture. It had been part of the political issue
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  Speaker 1: in the last campaign. They must be in a bad way, truly.
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  Speaker 1: Do all of the children go to school? he inquired. Why, yes, sir,
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  Speaker 1: returned Jenny, stammering. She was too shamefaced to own that
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  Speaker 1: one of the children had been obliged to leave school
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  Speaker 1: for the lack of shoes. The utterance of the falsehood
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  Speaker 1: troubled her. He reflected a while, then realizing that he
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  Speaker 1: had no good excuse for further detaining her, he arose
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  Speaker 1: and came over to her. From his pocket he took
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  Speaker 1: a thin layer of bills, and, removing one, handed it
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  Speaker 1: to her.' You take that,' he said,' and tell your
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  Speaker 1: mother—' that I said she should use it for whatever
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  Speaker 1: she wants. Jenny accepted the money with mingled feelings. It
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  Speaker 1: did not occur to her to look and see how
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  Speaker 1: much it was. The great man was so near her,
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  Speaker 1: the wonderful chamber in which he dwelt so impressive that
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  Speaker 1: she scarcely realized what she was doing.' Thank you,' she said.'
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  Speaker 1: Is there any day you want your washing called for?'
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  Speaker 1: she added.' Oh, yes,' he answered.' Monday.' MONDAY EVENINGS. She
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  Speaker 1: went away, and in a half reverie he closed the
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  Speaker 1: door behind her. The interest that he felt in these
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  Speaker 1: people was unusual. Poverty and beauty certainly made up an
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  Speaker 1: affecting combination. He sat down in his chair and gave
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  Speaker 1: himself over to the pleasant speculation which her coming had aroused.
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  Speaker 1: Why should he not help them? I'll find out where
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  Speaker 1: they live, he finally resolved. In the days that followed,
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  Speaker 1: Jenny regularly came for the clothes. Senator Brander found himself
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  Speaker 1: more and more interested in her, and in time he
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  Speaker 1: managed to remove from her mind that timidity and fear
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  Speaker 1: which had made her feel uncomfortable in his presence. One
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  Speaker 1: thing which helped toward this was his calling her by
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  Speaker 1: her first name. This began with her third visit, and
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  Speaker 1: thereafter he used it with almost unconscious frequency. IT COULD
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  Speaker 1: SCARCELY BE SAID THAT HE DID THIS IN A FATHERLY SPIRIT,
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  Speaker 1: FOR HE HAD LITTLE OF THAT ATTITUDE TOWARD ANYONE. HE
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  Speaker 1: FELT EXCEEDINGLY YOUNG AS HE TALKED TO THIS GIRL, AND
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  Speaker 1: HE OFTEN WONDERED WHETHER IT WERE NOT POSSIBLE FOR HER
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  Speaker 1: TO PERCEIVE AND APPRECIATE HIM ON HIS YOUTHFUL SIDE. AS
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  Speaker 1: FOR JENNY, SHE WAS IMMENSELY TAKEN WITH THE COMFORT AND
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  Speaker 1: LUXURY SURROUNDING THIS MAN, AND SUBCONSCIOUSLY WITH THE MAN HIMSELF
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  Speaker 1: the most attractive she had ever known. Everything he had
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  Speaker 1: was fine, everything he did was gentle, distinguished and considerate.
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  Speaker 1: From some far source, perhaps some old German ancestors, she
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  Speaker 1: had inherited an understanding and appreciation. of all this. Life
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  Speaker 1: ought to be lived as he lived it. The privilege
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  Speaker 1: of being generous, particularly, appealed to her. Part of her
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  Speaker 1: attitude was due to that of her mother, in whose
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  Speaker 1: mind sympathy was always a more potent factor than reason.
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  Speaker 1: When she brought to her the ten dollars, Mrs. Gerhardt
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  Speaker 1: was transported with joy. Oh, said Jenny, I didn't know
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  Speaker 1: until I got outside that it was so much. He
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  Speaker 1: said I should give it to you. Mrs. Gerhardt took it,
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  Speaker 1: and holding it loosely in her folded hands, saw distinctly
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  Speaker 1: before her the tall senator with his fine manners. What
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  Speaker 1: a fine man he is, she said. He has a
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  Speaker 1: good heart. Frequently, throughout the evening and the next day, Mrs.
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  Speaker 1: Gerhardt commented upon this wonderful treasure trove, repeating again and
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  Speaker 1: again how good he must be, or how large must
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  Speaker 1: be his heart. When it came to washing his clothes,
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  Speaker 1: she almost rubbed them to pieces, feeling that, whatever she did,
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  Speaker 1: she could scarcely do enough. Gerhardt was not to know.
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  Speaker 1: He had such stern views about accepting money without earning it,
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  Speaker 1: that even in their distress she would have experienced some
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  Speaker 1: difficulty in getting him to take it. Consequently, she said nothing,
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  Speaker 1: but used it to buy bread and meat, and going
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  Speaker 1: as it did, such a little way, the sudden windfall
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  Speaker 1: was never noticed. Jenny, from now on, reflected this attitude
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  Speaker 1: towards the Senator, and, feeling so grateful toward him, she
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  Speaker 1: began to talk more freely. They came to be, on
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  Speaker 1: such good terms, that he gave her a little leather
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  Speaker 1: picture-case from his dresser, which he had observed her admiring.
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  Speaker 1: Every time she came he found excuse to detain her,
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  Speaker 1: and soon discovered that for all her soft girlishness there
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  Speaker 1: lay deep-seated in her a conscious deprecation of poverty, and
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  Speaker 1: a shame of having to own any need. He honestly
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  Speaker 1: admired her for this, and seeing that her clothes were
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  Speaker 1: poor and her shoes worn, HE BEGAN TO WONDER HOW
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  Speaker 1: HE COULD HELP HER WITHOUT OFFENDING. NOT INFREQUENTLY, HE THOUGHT
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  Speaker 1: TO FOLLOW HER SOME EVENING AND SEE FOR HIMSELF WHAT
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  Speaker 1: THE CONDITION OF THE FAMILY MIGHT BE. HE WAS A
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  Speaker 1: UNITED STATES SENATOR, HOWEVER. THE NEIGHBORHOOD THEY LIVED IN MUST
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  Speaker 1: BE VERY POOR. HE STOPPED TO CONSIDER, AND FOR THE
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  Speaker 1: TIME THE COUNCILS OF PRUDENCE PREVAILED. CONSEQUENTLY, THE CONTEMPLATED VISIT
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  Speaker 1: WAS PUT OFF. Early in December, Senator Brander returned to
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  Speaker 1: Washington for three weeks, and both Mrs. Gerhardt and Jenny
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  Speaker 1: were surprised to learn one day that he had gone.
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  Speaker 1: Never had he given them less than two dollars a
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  Speaker 1: week for his washing, and several times it had been five.
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  Speaker 1: He had not realized, perhaps, what a breach his absence
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  Speaker 1: would make in their finances. But there was nothing to
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  Speaker 1: do about it. They managed to pinch along. Gerhardt, now
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  Speaker 1: better searched for work at the various mills, and finding nothing,
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  Speaker 1: procured a sawbuck and a saw, and going from door
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  Speaker 1: to door, sought for the privilege of sawing wood. There
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  Speaker 1: was not a great deal of this to do, but
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  Speaker 1: he managed, by the most earnest labor, to earn two
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  Speaker 1: and sometimes three dollars a week. This added to what
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  Speaker 1: his wife earned, and what Sebastian gave was enough to
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  Speaker 1: keep bread in their mouths, but scarcely more. It was
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  Speaker 1: at the opening of the joyous Christmas time that the
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  Speaker 1: bitterness of their poverty affected them most. The Germans love
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  Speaker 1: to make a great display at Christmas. It is the
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  Speaker 1: one season of the year when the fullness of their
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  Speaker 1: large family affection manifests itself. Warm in the appreciation of
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  Speaker 1: the joys of childhood, they love to see the little
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  Speaker 1: ones enjoy their toys and games. Father Gerhardt, at his
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  Speaker 1: sawbuck during the week before Christmas, THOUGHT OF THIS VERY OFTEN.
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  Speaker 1: WHAT WOULD LITTLE VERONICA NOT DESERVE AFTER HER LONG ILLNESS?
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  Speaker 1: HOW HE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO GIVE EACH OF THE
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  Speaker 1: CHILDREN A STOUT PAIR OF SHOES, THE BOYS A WARM CAP,
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  Speaker 1: THE GIRLS A PRETTY HOOD, TOYS AND GAMES AND CANDY
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  Speaker 1: THEY ALWAYS HAD HAD BEFORE. HE HATED TO THINK OF
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  Speaker 1: THE SNOW-COVERED CHRISTMAS MORNING, AND NO TABLE RICHLY PILED WITH
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  Speaker 1: WHAT THEIR YOUNG HEARTS WOULD MOST DESIRE. As for Mrs. Gerhardt,
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  Speaker 1: one could better imagine than describe her feelings. She felt
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  Speaker 1: so keenly about it that she could hardly bring herself
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  Speaker 1: to speak of the dreaded hour to her husband. She
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  Speaker 1: had managed to lay aside three dollars in the hope
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  Speaker 1: of getting enough to buy a ton of coal, and
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  Speaker 1: so put an end to poor George's daily pilgrimage to
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  Speaker 1: the coal-yard. But now, as the Christmas week drew near,
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  Speaker 1: she decided to use it for gifts. Father Gerhardt was
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  Speaker 1: also secreting two dollars, without the knowledge of his wife,
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  Speaker 1: thinking that on Christmas Eve he could produce it at
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  Speaker 1: a critical moment, and so relieve her maternal anxiety. When
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  Speaker 1: the actual time arrived, however, there was very little to
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  Speaker 1: be said for the comfort they got out of the occasion.
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  Speaker 1: The whole city was rife with Christmas atmosphere. Grocery stores
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  Speaker 1: and meat markets were strung with hollies. The toy shops
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  Speaker 1: and candy stores were radiant with fine displays of everything
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  Speaker 1: that a self-respecting Santa Claus should have about him. Both
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  Speaker 1: parents and children observed it all, the former with serious
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  Speaker 1: thoughts of need and anxiety, the latter with wild fancy
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  Speaker 1: and only partially suppressed longings. Frequently had Gerhardt said in
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  Speaker 1: her presence, Chris Kringle is very poor this year. He
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  Speaker 1: hasn't so very much to give. but no child, however poverty-stricken,
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  Speaker 1: could be made to believe this. Every time, after so saying,
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  Speaker 1: he looked into their eyes, but in spite of the warning,
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  Speaker 1: expectation flamed in them undiminished. Christmas coming on Tuesday, the
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  Speaker 1: Monday before, there was no school. Before going to the hotel, Mrs.
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  Speaker 1: Gerhardt had cautioned George that he must bring enough coal
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  Speaker 1: from the yard's to last over Christmas Day. The latter
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  Speaker 1: went at once with his two younger sisters, but there
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  Speaker 1: being a dearth of good picking, it took them a
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  Speaker 1: long time to fill their baskets, and by night they
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  Speaker 1: had gathered only a scanty supply. Did you go for
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  Speaker 1: the coal? asked Mrs. Gerhardt, the first thing when she
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  Speaker 1: returned from the hotel that evening. Yes, said George. Did
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  Speaker 1: you get enough for to-morrow? Yes, he replied, I guess so,' Well, now,
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  Speaker 1: I'll go and look,' she replied. Taking the lamp, they
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  Speaker 1: went out into the woodshed where the coal was deposited.' Oh, my!'
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  Speaker 1: she exclaimed when she saw it.' Why, that isn't near enough.
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  Speaker 1: You must go right off and get some more.'' Oh,'
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  Speaker 1: said George, pouting his lips,' I don't want to go.
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  Speaker 1: Let Bass go.' Bass, who had returned promptly at a
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  Speaker 1: quarter past six, was already busy in the back-bedroom WASHING
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  Speaker 1: AND DRESSING PREPARATORY TO GOING DOWNTOWN. NO, SAID MRS. GEARHART.
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  Speaker 1: BASS HAS WORKED HARD ALL DAY. YOU MUST GO. I
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  Speaker 1: DON'T WANT TO, POWDERED GEORGE. ALL RIGHT, SAID MRS. GEARHART.
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  Speaker 1: MAYBE TOMORROW YOU'LL BE WITHOUT A FIRE, AND THEN WHAT?
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  Speaker 1: THEY WENT BACK TO THE HOUSE, BUT GEORGE'S CONSCIENCE WAS
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  Speaker 1: TOO TROUBLED TO ALLOW HIM TO CONSIDER THE CASES CLOSED. BASS,
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  Speaker 1: YOU COME TOO, HE CALLED TO HIS ELDER BROTHER, when
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  Speaker 1: he was inside.' Go where?' said Bass.' To get some coal.'' No,'
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  Speaker 1: said the former.' I guess not. What do you take
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  Speaker 1: me for?'' Well, then, I'll not,' said George, with an
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  Speaker 1: obstinate jerk of his head.' Why didn't you get it
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  Speaker 1: this afternoon?' questioned his brother sharply.' You' ve had all day
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  Speaker 1: to do it.'' Oh, I did try,' said George.' We
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  Speaker 1: couldn't find enough. I can't get any. Where there ain't any,
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  Speaker 1: can I?' I guess you didn't try very hard, said
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  Speaker 1: the dandy. What's the matter now, asked Jenny, who, coming in,
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  Speaker 1: after having stopped at the grocer's for her mother, saw
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  Speaker 1: George with a solemn pout on his face. Old Bass
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  Speaker 1: won't go with me to get any coal. Didn't you
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  Speaker 1: get any this afternoon? Yes, said George, but Ma says
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  Speaker 1: I didn't get enough. I'll go with you, said his sister. Bass,
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  Speaker 1: will you come along? No, said the young man indifferently.
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  Speaker 1: I won't. He was adjusting his necktie, and felt irritated.
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  Speaker 1: There ain't any, said George, unless we get it off
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  Speaker 1: the cars. There wasn't any cars where I was. There are, too,
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  Speaker 1: exclaimed Bass. There ain't, said George. Oh, don't quarrel, said Jenny.
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  Speaker 1: Get the baskets and let's go right now, before it
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  Speaker 1: gets too late. The other children, who had a fondness
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  Speaker 1: for their big sister, got out the implements of supply,
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  Speaker 1: Veronica a basket, Martha and William, buckets, and George, a
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  Speaker 1: big clothes-basket, which he and Jenny were to fill and
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  Speaker 1: carry between them. Bass, moved by his sister's willingness, and
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  Speaker 1: the little regard he still maintained for her, now made
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  Speaker 1: a suggestion.' I' ll tell you what you do, Jen,' he said.'
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  Speaker 1: You go over there with the kids to Eighth Street
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  Speaker 1: and wait around those cars. I'll be along in a minute.
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  Speaker 1: When I come by, don't any of you pretend to
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  Speaker 1: know me.' Just you say. Mister, won't you please throw
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  Speaker 1: us some coal down, and then I'll get up on
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  Speaker 1: the cars and pitch off enough to fill the baskets.
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  Speaker 1: Do you understand? All right, said Jenny, very much pleased.
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  Speaker 1: Out into the snowy night they went, and made their
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  Speaker 1: way to the railroad tracks. At the intersection of the
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  Speaker 1: street and the broad railroad yard were many heavily laden
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  Speaker 1: cars of bituminous coal newly backed in. All of the
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  Speaker 1: children gathered within the shadow of one. While they were
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  Speaker 1: standing there, waiting the arrival of their brother, the Washington
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  Speaker 1: Special arrived, a long, fine train, with several of the
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  Speaker 1: new-style drawing-room cars, the big plate-glass windows shining, and the
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  Speaker 1: passengers looking out from the depths of their comfortable chairs.
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  Speaker 1: The children instinctively drew back as it thundered past.' Oh,
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  Speaker 1: wasn't it long,' said George. Wouldn't I like to be
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: a brakeman, though? sighed William. Jenny alone kept silent, but
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: to her particularly the suggestion of travel and comfort had appealed.
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: How beautiful life must be for the rich! Sebastian now
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: appeared in the distance, a mannish spring in his stride, and,
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: with every evidence, that he took himself seriously. He was
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: of that peculiar stubbornness and determination to that had the
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: children failed to carry out his plan of procedure, he
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: would have gone deliberately by and refused to help them
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: at all. Martha, however, took the situation as it needed
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: to be taken, and piped out childishly,' Mister, won't you
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: please throw us down some coal?' Sebastian stopped abruptly, and
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: looking sharply at them, as though he were really a stranger, exclaimed,' Why, certainly!'
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: and proceeded to climb up on the car, from whence
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: he cast down, with remarkable celerity, more than enough chunks
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: to fill their baskets. Then, as though not caring to
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: linger any longer amid such plebeian company, he hastened back
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: across a network of tracks, and was lost to view.
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: On their way home, they encountered another gentleman, this time
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: a real one, with high hat and distinguished cape coat,
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: whom Jenny immediately recognized. This was the Honorable Senator himself,
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: newly returned from Washington, and anticipating a very unprofitable Christmas.
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: He had arrived upon the express, which had enlisted the
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: attention of the children, and was carrying his light grip,
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: for the pleasure of it, to the hotel. As he passed,
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: he thought that he recognized Jenny.' Is that you, Jenny?'
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: he said, and paused to be more certain. The latter,
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: who had discovered him even more quickly than he had her, exclaimed, Oh,
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: there's Mr. Brander. Then, dropping her end of the basket,
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: with a caution to the children to take it right home,
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: she hurried away in the opposite direction. The Senator followed vainly,
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: calling three or four times, Jenny, Jenny, losing hope of
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: overtaking her, and suddenly recognizing, and thereupon respecting, her simple
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: girlish shame, he stopped, and turning back, decided to follow
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: the children. Again he felt the same sensation which he
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: seemed always to get from this girl, the far cry
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: between her estate and his. It was something to be
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: a senator to-night, here where these children were picking coal.
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: What could the joyous holiday of the morrow hold for them?
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: He tramped along sympathetically, an honest lightness coming into his step,
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: and soon he saw them enter the gateway of the
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: low cottage. Crossing the street, he stood in the weak
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: shade of the snow-laden trees. The light was burning with
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: a yellow glow in a rear window. All about was
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: the white snow. In the woodshed, he could hear the
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: voices of the children, and once he thought he detected
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: the form of Mrs. Gerhardt. After a time, another form
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: came shadow-like, through the side gate. He knew who it was.
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: It touched him to the quick, and he bit his
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: lip sharply to suppress any further show of emotion. Then
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: he turned vigorously on his heel and walked away. The
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: chief grocery of the city was conducted by one Manning,
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: a staunch adherent of Brander, and one who felt honored
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: by the senator's acquaintance. To him at his busy desk
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: came the senator the same night. MANNING, HE SAID, COULD
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: I GET YOU TO UNDERTAKE A LITTLE WORK FOR ME
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: THIS EVENING? WHY, CERTAINLY, SENATOR, CERTAINLY, SAID THE GROCERY MAN.
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: WHEN DID YOU GET BACK? GLAD TO SEE YOU, CERTAINLY.
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: I WANT YOU TO GET EVERYTHING TOGETHER THAT WOULD MAKE
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: A NICE CHRISTMAS FOR A FAMILY OF EIGHT, FATHER AND
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: MOTHER AND SIX CHILDREN. CHRISTMAS TREE, GROCERIES, TOYS, YOU KNOW
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: WHAT I MEAN. CERTAINLY, CERTAINLY, SENATOR. NEVER MIND THE COSTS NOW.
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: Send plenty of everything. I'll give you the address. And
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: he picked up a notebook to write it. Why, I'll
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: be delighted, Senator, went on Manning, rather affected himself. I'll
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: be delighted. You always were generous. Here you are, Manning,
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: said the Senator, grimly, from the mere necessity of preserving
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: his senatorial dignity. Send everything at once, and the bill
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: to me. I'll be delighted. I'll be delighted. was all
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: the astonished and approving grocery man could say. The senator
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: passed out, but remembering the old people, visited a clothier
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: and a shoeman, and finding that he could only guess
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: what sizes might be required, ordered the several articles with
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: the privilege of exchange. When his labors were over, he
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: returned to his room. Carrying coal, he thought over and over, really,
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: It was very thoughtless in me. I mustn't forget them
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: any more. End of chapter 3