英语阅读英文原著One Basket一个篮子.docx
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英语阅读英文原著One Basket一个篮子.docx
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英语阅读英文原著OneBasket一个篮子
ONEBASKET
THIRTY-ONESHORTSTORIES
EDNAFERBER
TheWomanWhoTriedtoBeGood
[1913]
Beforeshetriedtobeagoodwomanshehadbeenaverybadwoman--sobadthatshecouldtrailherwonderfulapparelupanddownMainStreet,fromtheElmTreeBakerytotherailroadtracks,withoutoncehavingamandoffhishattoherorawomanbow.Youpassedheronthestreetwithasurreptitiousglance,thoughshewaswellworthlookingat--inherfursandlacesandplumes.Shehadtheonlyfull-lengthminkcoatinourtown,andGanz'sshoestoresenttoChicagoforhershoes.Herswerethemiraculouslysmallfeetyoufrequentlyseeinstoutwomen.
Usuallyshewalkedalone;butonrareoccasions,especiallyroundChristmastime,shemighthavebeenseenaccompaniedbysomesilent,dull-eyed,stupid-lookinggirl,whowouldfollowherdumblyinandoutofstores,stoppingnowandthentoadmireacheapcomborachainsetwithflashyimitationstones--or,queerlyenough,adollwithyellowhairandblueeyesandverypinkcheeks.But,aloneorincompany,herappearanceinthestoresofourtownwasthesignalforasuddenjumpinthecostofliving.Thestorekeepersmulctedher;andsheknewitandpaidinsilence,forshewasoftheclassthathasnoredress.SheownedtheHousewiththeClosedShutters,nearthefreightdepot--didBlancheDevine.
Inalargertownthanoursshewouldhavepassedunnoticed.Shedidnotlooklikeabadwoman.Ofcoursesheusedtoomuchmake-up,andasshepassedyoucaughttheoversweetbreathofacertainheavyscent.Then,too,herdiamondeardropswouldhavemadeanywoman'sfeatureslookhard;butherplumpface,inspiteofitsheaviness,woreanexpressionofgood-humoredintelligence,andhereyeglassesgavehersomehowalookofrespectability.Wedonotassociatevicewitheyeglasses.Soinalargecityshewouldhavepassedforawell-dressed,prosperous,comfortablewifeandmotherwhowasindangeroflosingherfigurefromanoverabundanceofgoodliving;butwithusshewasatowncharacter,likeOldManGivins,thedrunkard,ortheweak-mindedBinnsgirl.
Whenshepassedthedrug-storecornertherewouldbeasniggeringamongthevacant-eyedloafersidlingthere,andtheywouldleerateachotherandjestinundertones.
So,knowingBlancheDevineaswedid,therewassomethingresemblingariotinoneofourmostrespectableneighborhoodswhenitwaslearnedthatshehadgivenupherinterestinthehousenearthefreightdepotandwasgoingtosettledowninthewhitecottageonthecornerandbegood.Allthehusbandsintheblock,urgedonbyrighteouslyindignantwives,droppedinonAldermanMooneyaftersuppertoseeifthethingcouldnotbestopped.ThefourthoftheprotestinghusbandstoarrivewastheVeryYoungHusbandwholivednextdoortothecornercottagethatBlancheDevinehadbought.TheVeryYoungHusbandhadaVeryYoungWife,andtheywerethejointownersofSnooky.Snookywasthree-going-on-four,andlookedsomethinglikeanangel--onlyhealthierandwithgrimierhands.Thewholeneighborhoodborrowedherandtriedtospoilher;butSnookywouldnotspoil.
AldermanMooneywasdowninthecellar,foolingwiththefurnace.Hewasinhisfurnaceoveralls;ashortblackpipeinhismouth.
Threeprotestinghusbandshadjustleft.AstheVeryYoungHusband,followingMrs.Mooney'sdirections,descendedthecellarstairs,AldermanMooneylookedupfromhistinkering.Hepeeredthroughahazeofpipesmoke.
"Hello!
"hecalled,andwavedthehazeawaywithhisopenpalm."Comeondown!
Beentinkeringwiththisblamedfurnacesince
supper.Shedon'tdrawlikesheought.'Longtowardspringafurnacealwaysgetsbalky.Howmanytonsyouusedthiswinter?
"
"Oh-five,"saidtheVeryYoungHusbandshortly.AldermanMooneyconsidereditthoughtfully.TheYoungHusbandleanedupagainstthesideofthewatertank,hishandsinhispockets."Say,Mooney,isthatrightaboutBlancheDevine'shavingboughtthehouseonthecorner?
"
"You'rethefourthmanthat'sbeenintoaskmethatthisevening.I'mexpectingtherestoftheblockbeforebedtime.Sheboughtitallright."
TheYoungHusbandflushedandkickedatapieceofcoalwiththetoeofhisboot.
"Well,it'sadarnedshame!
"hebeganhotly."Jenwasreadytocryatsupper.This'llbeafineneighborhoodforSnookytogrowupin!
What'sawomanlikethatwanttocomeintoarespectablestreetfor,anyway?
Iownmyhomeandpaymytaxes--"
AldermanMooneylookedup.
"Sodoesshe,"heinterrupted."She'sgoingtoimprovetheplace--paintit,andputinacellarandafurnace,andbuildaporch,andlayacementwalkallround."
TheYoungHusbandtookhishandsoutofhispocketsinordertoemphasizehisremarkswithgestures.
"Whati'sthatgottodowithit?
Idon'tcareifsheputsindiamondsforwindowsandsetsoutItaliangardensandaterracewithpeacocksonit.You'rethealdermanofthisward,aren'tyou?
Well,itwasuptoyoutokeepheroutofthisblock!
Youcouldhavefixeditwithaninjunctionorsomethng.I'mgoingtogetupapetition--that'swhatI'mgoing"
AldermanMooneyclosedthefurnacedoorwithabangthatdrownedtherestofthethreat.Heturnedthedraftinapipeoverheadandbrushedhissootypalmsbrisklytogetherlikeonewhowouldputanendtoaprofitlessconversation.
"She'sboughtthehouse,"hesaidmildly,"andpaidforit.Andit'shers.She'sgotarighttoliveinthisneighborhoodaslongassheactsrespectable."
TheVeryYoungHusbandlaughed."Shewon'tlast!
Theyneverdo."
AldermanMooneyhadtakenhispipeoutofhismouthandwasrubbinghisthumboverthesmoothbowl,lookingdownatitwithunseeingeyes.Onhisfacewasaqueerlook--thelookofonewhoisembarrassedbecauseheisabouttosaysomethinghonest.
"Lookhere!
Iwanttotellyousomething:
Ihappenedtobeupinthemayor'sofficethedayBlanchesignedfortheplace.Shehadtogothroughalotofredtapebeforeshegotit--hadquiteatimeofit,shedid!
Andsay,kid,thatwomanain'tso--bad."
TheVeryYoungHusbandexclaimedimpatiently:
"Oh,don'tgivemeanyofthat,Mooney!
BlancheDevine'satown
character.Eventhekidsknowwhatsheis.Ifshe'sgotreligionorsomething,andwantstoquitandbedecent,whydoesn'tshegotoanothertown--Chicagoorsomeplace--wherenobodyknowsher?
"
ThatmotionofAldermanMooney'sthumbagainstthesmoothpipebowlstopped.Helookedupslowly.
"That'swhatIsaid--themayortoo.ButBlancheDevinesaidshewantedtotryithere.Shesaidthiswashometoher.Funny--ain'tit?
Saidshewouldn'tbefoolinganybodyhere.Theyknowher.Andifshemovedaway,shesaid,it'dleakoutsomewaysoonerorlater.Itdoes,shesaid.Always!
Seemsshewantstolivelike--well,likeotherwomen.Sheputitlikethis:
shesaysshehasn'tgotreligion,oranyofthat.Shesaysshe'snodifferentthanshewaswhenshewastwenty.Shesaysthatforthelasttenyearstheambitionofherlifehasbeentobeabletogointoagrocerystoreandaskthepriceof,say,celery;and,iftheclerkchargedhertenwhenitoughttobeseven,tobeabletosasshimwitharegularpieceofhermind--andthensailoutandtradesomewhereelseuntilhesawthatshedidn'thavetostandanythingfromstorekeepers,anymorethananyotherwomanthatdidherownmarketing.She'sasmartwoman,Blancheis!
GodknowsIain'ttakingherpart--exactly;butshetalkedalittle,andthemayorandmegotalittleofherhistory."
AsneerappearedonthefaceoftheVeryYoungHusband.HehadbeenknownbeforehemetJenasaratherindustrioussowerofwildoats.Heknewathingortwo,didtheVeryYoungHusband,inspiteofhisyouth!
HealwaysfussedwhenJenworeevenaV-neckedsummergownonthestreet.
"Oh,shewasn'tplayingforsympathy,"wentonAldermanMooneyinanswertothesneer."Shesaidshe'dalwayspaidherwayandalwaysexpectedto.Seemsherhusbandleftherwithoutacentwhenshewaseighteen--withababy.Sheworkedforfourdollarsaweekinacheapeatinghouse.Thetwoof'emcouldn'tliveonthat.Thenthebaby"
"Goodnight!
"saidtheVeryYoungHusband."IsupposeMrs.
Mooney'sgoingtocall?
"
"Minnie!
Itwasherscoldingallthroughsupperthatdrovemedowntomonkeywiththefurnace.She'swild--Minnieis."Hepeeledoffhis
overallsandhungthemonanail.TheYoungHusbandstartedtoascendthecellarstairs.AldermanMooneylaidadetainingfingeronhissleeve."Don'tsayanythinginfrontofMinnie!
She'sboiling!
MinnieandthekidsaregoingtovisitherfolksoutWestthissummer;soIwouldn'tsomuchasdaretosay`Goodmorning!
'totheDevinewoman.Anyway,apersonwouldn'ttalktoher,Isuppose.ButIkindofthoughtI'dtellyouabouther.
"Thanks!
"saidtheVeryYoungHusbanddryly.
Intheearlyspring,beforeBlancheDevinemovedin,therecamestone-masons,whobegantobuildsomething.Itwasagreatstonefireplacethatroseinmassiveincongruityatthesideofthelittlewhitecottage.BlancheDevinewastryingtomakeahomeforherself.
BlancheDevineusedtocomeandwatchthemnowandthenastheworkprogressed.Shehadawayofwalkingroundandroundthehouse,lookingupatitandpokingatplasterandpaintwithherumbrellaorfingertip.Onedayshebroughtwithheramanwithaspade.HespadedupaneatsquareofgroundatthesideofthecottageandalongridgenearthefencethatseparatedheryardfromthatoftheVeryYoungCouplenextdoor.Theridgespelledsweetpeasandnasturtiumstooursmall-towneyes.
OnthedaythatBlancheDevinemovedintherewaswildagitationamongthewhite-ruffedbedroomcurtainsoftheneighborhood.Lateroncertainodors,asofburningdinners,pervadedtheatmosphere.BlancheDevine,flushedand
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