the kentons-第1章

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The　Kentons


By　William　Dean　Howells







I。

The　Kentons　were　not　rich；　but　they　were　certainly　richer　than　the
average　in　the　pleasant　county　town　of　the　Middle　West；　where　they　had
spent　nearly　their　whole　married　life。　　As　their　circumstances　had　grown
easier；　they　had　mellowed　more　and　more　in　the　keeping　of　their
comfortable　home；　until　they　hated　to　leave　it　even　for　the　short
outings；　which　their　children　made　them　take；　to　Niagara　or　the　Upper
Lakes　in　the　hot　weather。　　They　believed　that　they　could　not　be　so　well
anywhere　as　in　the　great　square　brick　house　which　still　kept　its　four
acres　about　it；　in　the　heart　of　the　growing　town；　where　the　trees　they
had　planted　with　their　own　hands　topped　it　on　three　aides；　and　a　spacious
garden　opened　southward　behind　it　to　the　summer　wind。　　Kenton　had　his
library；　where　he　transacted　by　day　such　law　business　as　he　had　retained
in　his　own　hands；　but　at　night　he　liked　to　go　to　his　wife's　room　and　sit
with　her　there。　　They　left　the　parlors　and　piazzas　to　their　girls；　where
they　could　hear　them　laughing　with　the　young　fellows　who　came　to　make　the
morning　calls；　long　since　disused　in　the　centres　of　fashion；　or　the
evening　calls；　scarcely　more　authorized　by　the　great　world。　　She　sewed；
and　he　read　his　paper　in　her　satisfactory　silence；　or　they　played
checkers　together。　　She　did　not　like　him　to　win；　and　when　she　found
herself　unable　to　bear　the　prospect　of　defeat；　she　refused　to　let　him
make　the　move　that　threatened　the　safety　of　her　men。　　Sometimes　he
laughed　at　her；　and　sometimes　he　scolded；　but　they　were　very　good
comrades；　as　elderly　married　people　are　apt　to　be。　　They　had　long　ago
quarrelled　out　their　serious　differences；　which　mostly　arose　from　such
differences　of　temperament　as　had　first　drawn　them　together；　they
criticised　each　other　to　their　children　from　time　to　time；　but　they
atoned　for　this　defection　by　complaining　of　the　children　to　each　other；
and　they　united　in　giving　way　to　them　on　all　points　concerning　their
happiness；　not　to　say　their　pleasure。

They　had　both　been　teachers　in　their　youth　before　he　went　into　the　war；
and　they　had　not　married　until　he　had　settled　himself　in　the　practice　of
the　law　after　he　left　the　army。　　He　was　then　a　man　of　thirty；　and　five
years　older　than　she；　five　children　were　born　to　them；　but　the　second　son
died　when　he　was　yet　a　babe　in　his　mother's　arms；　and　there　was　an
interval　of　six　years　between　the　first　boy　and　the　first　girl。　　Their
eldest　son　was　already　married；　and　settled　next　them　in　a　house　which
was　brick；　like　their　own；　but　not　square；　and　had　grounds　so　much　less
ample　that　he　got　most　of　his　vegetables　from　their　garden。　　He　had　grown
naturally　into　a　share　of　his　father's　law　practice；　and　he　had　taken　it
all　over　when　Renton　was　elected　to　the　bench。　　He　made　a　show　of　giving
it　back　after　the　judge　retired；　but　by　that　time　Kenton　was　well　on　in
the　fifties。　　The　practice　itself　had　changed；　and　had　become　mainly　the
legal　business　of　a　large　corporation。　　In　this　form　it　was　distasteful
to　him；　he　kept　the　affairs　of　some　of　his　old　clients　in　his　hands；　but
he　gave　much　of　his　time；　which　he　saved　his　self…respect　by　calling　his
leisure；　to　a　history　of　his　regiment　in…the　war。

In　his　later　life　he　had　reverted　to　many　of　the　preoccupations　of　his
youth；　and　he　believed　that　Tuskingum　enjoyed　the　best　climate；　on　the
whole；　in　the　union；　that　its　people　of　mingled　Virginian；　Pennsylvanian；
and　Connecticut　origin；　with　little　recent　admixture　of　foreign　strains；
were　of　the　purest　American　stock；　and　spoke　the　best　English　in　the
world；　they　enjoyed　obviously　the　greatest　sum　of　happiness；　and　had
incontestibly　the　lowest　death　rate　and　divorce　rate　in　the　State。　　The
growth　of　the　place　was　normal　and　healthy；　it　had　increased　only　to　five
thousand　during　the　time　he　had　known　it；　which　was　almost　an　ideal
figure　for　a　county…town。　　There　was　a　higher　average　of　intelligence
than　in　any　other　place　of　its　size；　and　a　wider　and　evener　diffusion　of
prosperity。　　Its　record　in　the　civil　war　was　less　brilliant；　perhaps；
than　that　of　some　other　localities；　but　it　was　fully　up　to　the　general
Ohio　level；　which　was　the　high…water　mark　of　the　national　achievement　in
the　greatest　war　of　the　greatest　people　under　the　sun。　　It；　was　Kenton's
pride　and　glory　that　he　had　been　a　part　of　the　finest　army　known　in
history。　　He　believed　that　the　men　who　made　history　ought　to　write　it；
and　in　his　first　Commemoration…Day　oration　he　urged　his　companions　in
arms　to　set　down　everything　they　could　remember　of　their　soldiering；　and
to　save　the　letters　they　had　written　home；　so　that　they　might　each
contribute　to　a　collective　autobiography　of　the　regiment。　　It　was　only　in
this　way；　he　held；　that　the　intensely　personal　character　of　the　struggle
could　be　recorded。　　He　had　felt　his　way　to　the　fact　that　every　battle　is
essentially　episodical；　very　campaign　a　sum　of　fortuities；　and　it　was　not
strange　that　he　should　suppose；　with　his　want　of　perspective；　that　this
universal　fact　was　purely　national　and　American。　　His　zeal　made　him　the
repository　of　a　vast　mass　of　material　which　he　could　not　have　refused　to
keep　for　the　soldiers　who　brought　it　to　him；　more　or　less　in　a　humorous
indulgence　of　his　whim。　　But　he　even　offered　to　receive　it；　and　in　a
community　where　everything　took　the　complexion　of　a　joke；　he　came　to　be
affectionately　regarded　as　a　crank　on　that　point；　the　shabbily　aging
veterans；　whom　he　pursued　to　their　workbenches　and　cornfields；　for；　the
documents　of　the　regimental　history；　liked　to　ask　the　colonel　if　he　had
brought　his　gun。　　They；　always　give　him　the　title　with　which　he　had　been
breveted　at　the　close　of　the　war；　but　he　was　known　to　the；　younger；
generation　of　his　fellow…citizens　as　the　judge。　　His　wife　called　him　Mr。
Kenton　in　the　presence　of　strangers；　and　sometimes　to　himself；　but　to　his
children　she　called　him　Poppa；　as　they　did。

The　steady…going　eldest　son；　who　had　succeeded　to　his　father's　affairs
without　giving　him　the　sense　of　dispossession；　loyally　accepted　the
popular　belief　that　he　would　never　be　the　man　his　father　was。　　He　joined
with　his　mother　in　a　respect　for　Kenton's　theory　of　the　regimental
history　which　was　none　the　less　sincere　because　it　was　unconsciously　a
little　sceptical　of　the　outcome；　and　the　eldest　daughter　was　of　their
party。　　The　youngest　said　frankly　that　she　had　no　use　for　any　history；
but　she　said　the　same　of　nearly　everything　which　had　not　directly　or
indirectly　to　do　with　dancing。　　In　this　regulation　she　had　use　for
parties　and　picnics；　for　buggy…rides　and　sleigh…rides；　for　calls　from
young　men　and　visits　to　and　from　other　girls；　for　concerts；　for　plays；
for　circuses　and　church　sociables；　for　everything　but　lectures；　and　she
devoted　herself　to　her　pleasures　without　the　shadow　of　chaperonage；　which
was；　indeed；　a　thing　still　unheard　of　in　Tuskingum。

In　the　expansion　which　no　one　else　ventured；　or；　perhaps；　wished　to　set
bounds　to；　she　came　under　the　criticism　of　her　younger　brother；　who；　upon
the　rare　occasions　when　he　deigned　to　mingle　in　the　family　affairs；　drew
their　mother's　notice　to　his　sister's　excesses　in　carrying…on；　and
required　some　action　that　should　keep　her　from　bringing　the　name；　of
Kenton　to　disgrace。　　From　being　himself　a　boy　of　very　slovenly　and
lawless　life　he　had　suddenly；　at　the　age　of　fourteen；　caught　himself　up
from　the　street；　reformed　his　dress　and　conduct；　and　confined　himself　in
his　large　room　at　the　top　of　the　house；　where；　on　the　pursuits　to　which
he　gave　his　spare　time；　the　friends　who　frequented　his　society；　and　the
literature　which　nourished　his　darkling　spirit；　might　fitly　have　been
written　Mystery。　　The　sister　whom　he　reprobated　was　only　two　years　his
elder；　but　since　that　difference　in　a　girl　accounts　for　a　great　deal；　it
apparently　authorized　her　to　take　him　more　lightly　than　he　was　able　to
take　himself。　　She　said　that　he　was　in　love；　and　she　achieved　an
importance　with　him　through　his　speechless　rage　and　scorn　which　none　of
the　rest　of　his　family　enjoyed。　　With　his　father　and　mother　he　had　a
bearing　of　repressed　superiority　which　a　strenuous　conscience　kept　from
unmasking　itself　in　open　contempt　when　they　failed　to　make　his　sister
promise　to　behave　herself。　　Sometimes　he　had　lapses　from　his　dignified
gloom　with　his　mother；　when；　for　no　reason　that　could　be　given；　he　fell
from　his　habitual　majesty　to　the　tender　dependence　of　a　little　boy；　just
as　his　voice　broke　from　its　nascent　base　to　its　earlier　treble　at　moments
when　he　least　expected　or　wished　such　a　thing　to　happen。　　His　stately　but
vague　ideal　of　himself　was　supported　by　a　stature　beyond　his　years；　but
this　rendered　it　the　more　difficult　for　him　to　bear　the　humiliation　of
his　sudden　collapses；　and　made　him　at　other　times　the　easier　prey　of
Lottie's　ridicule。　　He　got　on　best；　or　at　least　most　evenly；　with　his
eldest　sister。　　She　took　him　seriously；　perhaps　because　she　took　all　life
so；　and　she　was　able　to　interpret　him　to　his　father　when　his　intolerable
dignity　forbade　a　common　understanding　between　them。　　When　he　got　so　far
beyond　his　depth　that　he　did　not　know　what　he　meant　himself；　as　sometimes
happened；　she　gently　found　him　a　safe　footing　nearer　shore。

Kenton's　theory　was　that　he　did　not　distinguish　among　his　children。
He　said　that　he　did　not　suppose　they　were　the　best　children　in　the　world；
but　they　suited　him；　and　he　would　not　have　known　how　to　change　them　for
the　better。　　He　saw　no　harm　in　the　behavior　of　Lottie　when　it　most
shocked　her　brother；　he　liked　her　to　have　a　good　time；　but　it　flattered
his　nerves　to　have　Ellen　about　him。　　Lottie　was　a　great　deal　more
accomplished；　he　allowed　that；　she　could　play　and　sing；　and　she　had
social　gifts　far　beyond　her　sister；　but　he　easily　proved　to　his　wife　that
Nelly　knew　ten　times　as　much。

Nelly　read　a　great　deal；　she　kept　up　with　all　the　magazines；　and　knew　all
the　books　in　his　library。　　He　believed　that　she　was　a　fine　German
scholar；　and　in　fact　she　had　taken　up　that　language　after　leaving　school；
when；　if　she　had　been　better　advised　than　she　could　have　been　in
Tuskingum；　she　would　have　kept　on　with　her　French。　　She　started　the　first
book　club　in　the　place；　and　she　helped　her　father　do　the　intellectual
honors　of　the　house　to　the　Eastern　lecturers；　who　always　stayed　with　the
judge　when　they　came　to　Tuskingum。　　She　was　faithfully　present　at　the
moments；　which　her　sister　shunned　in　derision；　when　her　father　explained
to　them　respectively　his　theory　of　regimental　history；　and　would　just；
as　he　said；　show　them　a　few　of　the　documents　he　had　collected。　　He　made
Ellen　show　them；　she　knew　where　to　put　her　hand　on　the　most
characteristic　and　illustrative；　and　Lottie　offered　to　bet　what　one　dared
that　Ellen　would　marry　some　of　those　lecturers　yet；　she　was　literary
enough。

She　boasted　that　she　was　not　literary　herself；　and　had　no　use　for　any　one
who　was；　and　it　could　not　have　been　her　culture　that　drew　the　most
cultivated　young　man　in　Tuskingum　to　her。　　Ellen　was　really　more
beautiful；　Lottie　was　merely　very　pretty；　but　she　had　charm　for　them；　and
Ellen；　who　had　their　honor　and　friendship；　had　no　charm　for　them