第4章AServiceofLove

第4章aserviceoflove

whenonelovesone'sartnoserviceseemstoohard.

thatisourpremise.thisstoryshalldrawaconclusionfromit,andshowatthesametimethatthepremiseisincorrect.thatwillbeanewthinginlogic,andafeatinstory-tellingsomewhatolderthanthegreatwallofchina.

joelarrabeecameoutofthepost-oakflatsofthemiddlewestpulsingwithageniusforpictorialart.atsixhedrewapictureofthetownpumpwithaprominentcitizenpassingithastily.thiseffortwasframedandhunginthedrugstorewindowbythesideoftheearofcornwithanunevennumberofrows.attwentyheleftfornewyorkwithaflowingnecktieandacapitaltiedupsomewhatcloser.

deliacaruthersdidthingsinsixoctavessopromisinglyinapinetreevillageinthesouththatherrelativeschippedinenoughinherchiphatforhertogo"north"and"finish."theycouldnotseeherf—,butthatisourstory.

joeanddeliametinanatelierwhereanumberofartandmusicstudentshadgatheredtodiscusschiaroscuro,wagner,music,rembraudt'sworks,pictures,waldteufel,wallpaper,chopinandoolong.

joeanddeliabecameenamoredoneoftheother,oreachoftheother,asyouplease,andinashorttimeweremarried—for(seeabove),whenonelovesone'sartnoserviceseemtoohard.

mr.andmrs.larrabeebeganhousekeepinginaflat.itwasalonesomeflat—somethingliketheasharpwaydownattheleft-handendofthekeyboard.andtheywerehappy;fortheyhadtheirartandtheyhadeachother.andmyadvicetotherichyoungmanwouldbe—sellallthouhast,andgiveittothepoor—janitorfortheprivilegeoflivinginaflatwithyourartandyourdelia.

flat-dwellersshallindorsemydictumthattheirsistheonlytruehappiness.ifahomeishappyitcannotfittooclose—letthedressercollapseandbecomeabilliardtable;letthemantelturntoarowingmachine,theescritoiretoasparebedchamber,thewashstandtoanuprightpiano;letthefourwallscometogether,iftheywill,soyouandyourdeliaarebetween.butifhomebetheotherkind,letitbewideandlong—enteryouatthegoldengate,hangyourhatonhatteras,yourcapeoncapehornandgooutbythelabrador.

joewaspaintingintheclassofthegreatmagister—youknowhisfame.hisfeesarehigh;hislessonsarelight—hishigh-lightshavebroughthimrenown.deliawasstudyingunderrosenstock—youknowhisreputeasadisturberofthepianokeys.

theyweremightyhappyaslongastheirmoneylasted.soisevery—butiwillnotbecynical.theiraimswereveryclearanddefined.joewastobecomecapableverysoonofturningoutpicturesthatoldgentlemenwiththinside-whiskersandthickpocketbookswouldsandbagoneanotherinhisstudiofortheprivilegeofbuying.deliawastobecomefamiliarandthencontemptuouswithmusic,sothatwhenshesawtheorchestraseatsandboxesunsoldshecouldhavesorethroatandlobsterinaprivatedining-roomandrefusetogoonthestage.

butthebest,inmyopinion,wasthehomelifeinthelittleflat—theardent,volublechatsaftertheday'sstudy;thecosydinnersandfresh,lightbreakfasts;theinterchangeofambitions—ambitionsinterwoveneachwiththeother'sorelseinconsiderable—themutualhelpandinspiration;and—overlookmyartlessness—stuffedolivesandcheesesandwichesat11p.m.

butafterawhilearted.itsometimesdoes,evenifsomeswitchmandoesn'tflagit.everythinggoingoutandnothingcomingin,asthevulgarianssay.moneywaslackingtopaymr.magisterandherrrosenstocktheirprices.whenonelovesone'sartnoserviceseemstoohard.so,deliasaidshemustgivemusiclessonstokeepthechafingdishbubbling.

fortwoorthreedaysshewentontcanvassingforpupils.oneeveningshecamehomeelated.

"joe,dear,"shesaid,gleefully,"i'veapupil.and,oh,theloveliestpeople!general—generala.b.pinkney'sdaughter—onseventy-firststreet.suchasplendidhouse,joe—yououghttoseethefrontdoor!byzantineithinkyouwouldcallit.andinside!oh,joe,ineversawanythinglikeitbefore.

"mypupilishisdaughterclementina.idearlyloveheralready.she'sadelicatething—dressesalwaysinwhite;andthesweetest,simplestmanners!onlyeighteenyearsold.i'mtogivethreelessonsaweek;and,justthink,joe!$5alesson.idon'tminditabit;forwhenigettwoorthreemorepupilsicanresumemylessonswithherrrosenstoek.now,smoothoutthatwrinklebetweenyourbrows,dear,andlet'shaveanicesupper."

"that'sallrightforyou,dele,"saidjoe,attackingacanofpeaswithacarvingknifeandahatchet,"buthowaboutme?doyouthinki'mgoingtoletyouhustleforwageswhileiphilanderintheregionsofhighart?notbythebonesofbanvenutocellini!iguessicansellpapersorlaycobblestones,andbringinadollarortwo."

deliacameandhungabouthisneck.

"joe,dear,youaresilly.youmustkeeponatyourstudies.itisnotasifihadquitmymusicandgonetoworkatsomethingelse.whileiteachilearn.iamalwayswithmymusic.andwecanliveashappilyasmillionaireson$15aweek.youmustn'tthinkofleavingmr.magister."

"allright,"saidjoe,reachingforthebluescallopedvegetabledish."butihateforyoutobegivinglessons.itisn'tart.butyou'reatrumpandadeartodoit."

"whenonelovesone'sartnoserviceseemstoohard,"saiddelia.

"magisterpraisedtheskyinthatsketchimadeinthepark,"saidjoe."andtinklegavemepermissiontohangtwooftheminhiswindow.imayselloneiftherightkindofamoneyedidiotseesthem."

"i'msureyouwill,"saiddeliasweetly."andnowlet'sbethankfulforgen.pinkneyandthisvealroast."

duringallofthenextweekthelarrabeeshadanearlybreakfast.joewasenthusiasticaboutsomemorning-effectsketcheshewasdoingincentralpark,anddeliapackedhimoffbreakfasted,coddled,praisedandkissedat7o'clock.artisanengagingmistress.itwasmosttimes7o'clockwhenhereturnedintheevening.

attheendoftheweekdelia,sweetlyproudbutlanguid,triumphantlytossedthreefive-dollarbillsonthe8x10(inches)centretableofthe8x10(feet)flatparlor.

"sometimes,"shesaid,alittlewearily,"clementinatriesme.i'mafraidshedoesn'tpractiseenough,andihavetotellherthesamethingssooften.andthenshealwaysdressesentirelyinwhite,andthatdoesgetmonotonous.butgen.pinkneyisthedearestoldman!iwishyoucouldknowhim,joe.hecomesinsometimswheniamwithclementinaatthepiano—heisawidower,youknow—andstandstherepullinghiswhitegoatee.'andhowarethesemiquaversandthedemisemiquaversprogressing?'"healwaysasks.

"iwishyoucouldseethewainscotinginthatdrawing-room,joe!andthoseastrakhanrugportieres.andclementinahassuchafunnylittlecough.ihopesheisstrongerthanshelooks.oh,ireallyamgettingattachedtoher,sheissogentleandhighbred.gen.pinkney'sbrotherwasonceministertobolivia."

andthenjoe,withtheairofamontecristo,drewforthaten,afive,atwoandaone—alllegaltendernotes—andlaidthembesidedelia'searnings.

"soldthatwatercoloroftheobelisktoamanfrompeoria,"heannouncedoverwhelmingly.

"don'tjokewithme,"saiddelia,"notfrompeoria!"

"alltheway.iwishyoucouldseehim,dele.fatmanwithawoolenmufflerandaquilltoothpick.hesawthesketchintinkle'swindowandthoughtitwasawindmillatfirst.hewasgame,though,andboughtitanyhow.heorderedanother—anoilsketchofthelackawannafreightdepot—totakebackwithhim.musiclessons!oh,iguessartisstillinit."

"i'msogladyou'vekepton,"saiddeliaheartily."you'reboundtowin,dear.thirty-threedollars!weneverhadsomuchtospendbefore.we'llhaveoysterstonight."

"andfiletmignonwithchampignons,"saidjoe."whereistheolivefork?"

onthenextsaturdayeveningjoereachedhomefirst.hespreadhis$18ontheparlortableandwashedwhatseemedtobeagreatdealofdarkpaintfromhishands.

halfanhourlaterdeliaarrived,herrighthandtiedupinashapelessbundleofwrapsandbandages.

"howisthis?"askedjoeaftertheusualgreetings.delialaughed,butnotveryjoyously.

"clementina,"sheexplained,"insisteduponawelshrabbitafterherlesson.sheissuchaqueergirl.welshrabbitsat5intheafternoon.thegeneralwasthere.youshouldhaveseenhimrunforthechafingdish,joe,justasiftherewasn'taservantinthehouse.iknowclementinaisn'tingoodhealth;sheissonervous.inservingtherabbitshespilledagreatlotofit,boilinghot,overmyhandandwrist.ithurtawfully,joe.andthedeargirlwassosorry!butgen.pinkney!—joe,thatoldmannearlywentdistracted.herusheddownstairsandsentsomebody—theysaidthefurnacemanorsomebodyinthebasement—outtoadrugstoreforsomeoilandthingstobinditupwith.itdoesnhurtsomuchnow."

"what'sthis?"askedjoe,takingthehandtenderlyandpullingatsomewhitestrandsbeneaththebandages.

"it'ssomethingsoft,"saiddelia,"thathadoilonit.oh,joe,didyousellanothersketch?"shehadseenthemoneyonthetable.

"didi?"saidjoe;"justaskthemanfrompeoria.megothisdepottoday,andheisn'tsurebuthethinkshewantsanotherparkscapeandaviewonthehudson.whattimethisafternoondidyouburnyourhand,dele?"

"fiveo'clock,ithink,"saiddele,plaintively."theiron—imeantherabbitcameoffthefireaboutthattime.yououghttohaveseengen.pinkney,joe,when—"

"sitdownhereamoment,dele,"saidjoe.hedrewhertothecouch,satbesideherandputhisarmacrosshershoulders.

"whathaveyoubeendoingforthelasttwoweeks,dele?"heasked.

shebraveditforamomentortwowithaneyefullofloveandstubbornness,andmurmuredaphraseortwovaguelyofgen.pinkney;butatlengthdownwentherheadandoutcamethetruthandtears.

"icouldn'tgetanypupils,"sheconfessed."andicouldn'tbeartohaveyougiveupyourlessons;andigotaplaceironingshirtsinthatbigtwenty-fourthstreetlaundry.andithinkididverywelltomakeupbothgeneralpinkneyandclementina,don'tyou,joe?andwhenagirlinthelaundrysetdownahotirononmyhandthisafternooniwasallthewayhomemakingupthatstoryaboutthewelshrabbit.you'renotangry,areyou,joe?andifihadn'tgottheworkyoumightn'thavesoldyoursketchestothatmanfrompeoria."

"hewasn'tfrompeoria,"saidjoe,slowly

"well,itdoesn'tmatterwherehewasfrom.howcleveryouare,joe—and—kissme,joe—andwhatmadeyoueversuspectthatiwasn'tgivingmusiclessonstoclementina?"

"ididn't,"saidjoe,"untiltonight.andiwouldn'thavethen,onlyisentupthiscottonwasteandoilfromtheengine-roomthisafternoonforagirlupstairswhohadherhandburnedwithasmoothing-iron.i'vebeenfiringtheengineinthatlaundryforthelasttwoweeks."

"andthenyoudidn't—"

"mypurchaserfrompeoria,"saidjoe,"andgen.pinkneyarebothcreationsofthesameart—butyouwouldn'tcalliteitherpaintingormusic.