Jennie Gerhardt: A Novel
Page 12
CHAPTER XII
Bass was no sooner in Cleveland than the marvel of that growingcity was sufficient to completely restore his equanimity of soul andto stir up new illusions as to the possibility of rehabilitation forhimself and his family. "If only they could come here," he thought."If only they could all get work and do right." Here was no evidenceof any of their recent troubles, no acquaintances who could suggest bytheir mere presence the troubles of the past. All was business, allactivity. The very turning of the corner seemed to rid one of oldtimes and crimes. It was as if a new world existed in every block.
He soon found a place in a cigar store, and, after working a fewweeks, he began to write home the cheering ideas he had in mind.Jennie ought to come as soon as she was able, and then, if she foundsomething to do, the others might follow. There was plenty of work forgirls of her age. She could live in the same house with himtemporarily; or maybe they could take one of thefifteen-dollar-a-month cottages that were for rent. There were biggeneral furnishing houses, where one could buy everything needful fora small house on very easy monthly terms. His mother could come andkeep house for them. They would be in a clean, new atmosphere, unknownand untalked about. They could start life all over again; they couldbe decent, honorable, prosperous.
Filled with this hope and the glamor which new scenes and newenvironment invariably throw over the unsophisticated mind, he wrote afinal letter, in which he suggested that Jennie should come at once.This was when the baby was six months old. There were theaters here,he said, and beautiful streets. Vessels from the lakes came into theheart of the city. It was a wonderful city, and growing very fast. Itwas thus that the new life appealed to him.
The effect which all this had upon Mrs. Gerhardt, Jennie, and therest of the family was phenomenal. Mrs. Gerhardt, long weighed upon bythe misery which Jennie's error had entailed, was for taking measuresfor carrying out this plan at once. So buoyant was her naturaltemperament that she was completely carried away by the glory ofCleveland, and already saw fulfilled therein not only her own desiresfor a nice home, but the prosperous advancement of her children. "Ofcourse they could get work," she said. Bass was right. She had alwayswanted Gerhardt to go to some large city, but he would not. Now it wasnecessary, and they would go and become better off than they ever hadbeen.
And Gerhardt did take this view of the situation. In answer to hiswife's letter he wrote that it was not advisable for him to leave hisplace, but if Bass saw a way for them, it might be a good thing to go.He was the more ready to acquiesce in the plan for the simple reasonthat he was half distracted with the worry of supporting the familyand of paying the debts already outstanding. Every week he laid byfive dollars out of his salary, which he sent in the form of a postalorder to Mrs. Gerhardt. Three dollars he paid for board, and fiftycents he kept for spending money, church dues, a little tobacco andoccasionally a glass of beer. Every week he put a dollar and a half ina little iron bank against a rainy day. His room was a bare corner inthe topmost loft of the mill. To this he would ascend after sittingalone on the doorstep of the mill in this lonely, foresakenneighborhood, until nine o'clock of an evening; and here, amid theodor of machinery wafted up from the floor below, by the light of asingle tallow candle, he would conclude his solitary day, reading hisGerman paper, folding his hands and thinking, kneeling by an openwindow in the shadow of the night to say his prayers, and silentlystretching himself to rest. Long were the days, dreary the prospect.Still he lifted his hands in utmost faith to God, praying that hissins might be forgiven and that he might be vouchsafed a few moreyears of comfort and of happy family life.
So the momentous question was finally decided. There was thegreatest longing and impatience among the children, and Mrs. Gerhardtshared their emotions in a suppressed way. Jennie was to go first, asBass had suggested; later on they would all follow.
When the hour came for Jennie's departure there was greatexcitement in the household.
"How long you going to be 'fore you send for us?" was Martha'sinquiry, several times repeated.
"Tell Bass to hurry up," said the eager George.
"I want to go to Cleveland, I want to go to Cleveland," Veronicawas caught singing to herself.
"Listen to her," exclaimed George, sarcastically.
"Aw, you hush up," was her displeased rejoinder.
When the final hour came, however, it required all of Jennie'sstrength to go through with the farewells. Though everything was beingdone in order to bring them together again under better conditions,she could not help feeling depressed. Her little one, now six monthsold, was being left behind. The great world was to her oneundiscovered bourne. It frightened her.
"You mustn't worry, Ma," she found courage enough to say. "I'll beall right. I'll write you just as soon as I get there. It won't be sovery long."
But when it came to bending over her baby for the last time hercourage went out like a blown lamp. Stooping over the cradle in whichthe little one was resting, she looked into its face with passionate,motherly yearning.
"Is it going to be a good little girl?" she cooed.
Then she caught it up into her arms, and hugging it closely to herneck and bosom, she buried her face against its little body. Mrs.Gerhardt saw that she was trembling.
"Come now," she said, coaxingly, "you mustn't carry on so. She willbe all right with me. I'll take care of her. If you're going to actthis way, you'd better not try to go at all."
Jennie lifted her head, her blue eyes wet with tears, and handedthe little one to her mother.
"I can't help it," she said, half crying, half smiling.
Quickly she kissed her mother and the children; then she hurriedout.
As she went down the street with George she looked back and bravelywaved her hand. Mrs. Gerhardt responded, noticing how much more like awoman she looked. It had been necessary to invest some of her money innew clothes to wear on the train. She had selected a neat, ready-madesuit of brown, which fitted her nicely. She wore the skirt of thiswith a white shirt-waist, and a sailor hat with a white veil woundaround it in such fashion that it could be easily drawn over her face.As she went farther and farther away Mrs. Gerhardt followed herlovingly with her glance; and when she disappeared from view she saidtenderly, through her own tears:
"I'm glad she looked so nice, anyhow."