HANDS，concerningWingBiddlebaumPAPERPILLS，concerningDoctorReefyMOTHER，concerningElizabethWillardTHEPHILOSOPHER，concerningDoctorParcivalNOBODYKNOWS，concerningLouiseTrunnionGODLINESS，aTaleinFourPartsI，concerningJesseBentleyII，alsoconcerningJesseBentleyIIISurrender，concerningLouiseBentleyIVTerror，concerningDavidHardyAMANOFIDEAS，concerningJoeWellingADVENTURE，concerningAliceHindmanRESPECTABILITY，concerningWashWilliamsTHETHINKER，concerningSethRichmondTANDY，concerningTandyHardTHESTRENGTHOFGOD，concerningtheReverendCurtisHartmanTHETEACHER，concerningKateSwiftLONELINESS，concerningEnochRobinson。
ANAWAKENING，concerningBelleCarpenter\"QUEER，\"concerningElmerCowleyTHEUNTOLDLIE，concerningRayPearsonDRINK，concerningTomFosterDEATH，concerningDoctorReefyandElizabethWillardSOPHISTICATION，concerningHelenWhiteDEPARTURE，concerningGeorgeWillardTothememoryofmymother，EMMASMITHANDERSON，whosekeenobservationsonthelifeaboutherfirstawokeinmethehungertoseebeneaththesurfaceoflives，thisbookisdedicated。
THEWRITER，anoldmanwithawhitemustache，hadsomedifficultyingettingintobed。Thewindowsofthehouseinwhichhelivedwerehighandhewantedtolookatthetreeswhenheawokeinthemorning。Acarpentercametofixthebedsothatitwouldbeonalevelwiththewindow。
Quiteafusswasmadeaboutthematter。Thecar-
penter，whohadbeenasoldierintheCivilWar，cameintothewriter\'sroomandsatdowntotalkofbuildingaplatformforthepurposeofraisingthebed。Thewriterhadcigarslyingaboutandthecar-
pentersmoked。
Foratimethetwomentalkedoftheraisingofthebedandthentheytalkedofotherthings。Thesoldiergotonthesubjectofthewar。Thewriter，infact，ledhimtothatsubject。ThecarpenterhadoncebeenaprisonerinAndersonvilleprisonandhadlostabrother。Thebrotherhaddiedofstarvation，andwheneverthecarpentergotuponthatsubjecthecried。He，liketheoldwriter，hadawhitemustache，andwhenhecriedhepuckereduphislipsandthemustachebobbedupanddown。Theweepingoldmanwiththecigarinhismouthwasludicrous。Theplanthewriterhadfortheraisingofhisbedwasforgottenandlaterthecarpenterdiditinhisownwayandthewriter，whowaspastsixty，hadtohelphimselfwithachairwhenhewenttobedatnight。
Inhisbedthewriterrolledoveronhissideandlayquitestill。Foryearshehadbeenbesetwithno-
tionsconcerninghisheart。Hewasahardsmokerandhisheartfluttered。Theideahadgotintohismindthathewouldsometimedieunexpectedlyandalwayswhenhegotintobedhethoughtofthat。Itdidnotalarmhim。Theeffectinfactwasquiteaspecialthingandnoteasilyexplained。Itmadehimmorealive，thereinbed，thanatanyothertime。
Perfectlystillhelayandhisbodywasoldandnotofmuchuseanymore，butsomethinginsidehimwasaltogetheryoung。Hewaslikeapregnantwoman，onlythatthethinginsidehimwasnotababybutayouth。No，itwasn\'tayouth，itwasawoman，young，andwearingacoatofmaillikeaknight。Itisabsurd，yousee，totrytotellwhatwasinsidetheoldwriterashelayonhishighbedandlistenedtotheflutteringofhisheart。Thethingtogetatiswhatthewriter，ortheyoungthingwithinthewriter，wasthinkingabout。
Theoldwriter，likeallofthepeopleintheworld，hadgot，duringhislongfife，agreatmanynotionsinhishead。Hehadoncebeenquitehandsomeandanumberofwomenhadbeeninlovewithhim。
Andthen，ofcourse，hehadknownpeople，manypeople，knowntheminapeculiarlyintimatewaythatwasdifferentfromthewayinwhichyouandI
knowpeople。Atleastthatiswhatthewriterthoughtandthethoughtpleasedhim。Whyquarrelwithanoldmanconcerninghisthoughts？
Inthebedthewriterhadadreamthatwasnotadream。Ashegrewsomewhatsleepybutwasstillconscious，figuresbegantoappearbeforehiseyes。
Heimaginedtheyoungindescribablethingwithinhimselfwasdrivingalongprocessionoffiguresbe-
forehiseyes。
Youseetheinterestinallthisliesinthefiguresthatwentbeforetheeyesofthewriter。Theywereallgrotesques。Allofthemenandwomenthewriterhadeverknownhadbecomegrotesques。
Thegrotesqueswerenotallhorrible。Somewereamusing，somealmostbeautiful，andone，awomanalldrawnoutofshape，hurttheoldmanbyhergrotesqueness。Whenshepassedhemadeanoiselikeasmalldogwhimpering。Hadyoucomeintotheroomyoumighthavesupposedtheoldmanhadunpleasantdreamsorperhapsindigestion。
Foranhourtheprocessionofgrotesquespassedbeforetheeyesoftheoldman，andthen，althoughitwasapainfulthingtodo，hecreptoutofbedandbegantowrite。Someoneofthegrotesqueshadmadeadeepimpressiononhismindandhewantedtodescribeit。
Athisdeskthewriterworkedforanhour。Intheendhewroteabookwhichhecalled\"TheBookoftheGrotesque。\"Itwasneverpublished，butIsawitonceanditmadeanindelibleimpressiononmymind。Thebookhadonecentralthoughtthatisverystrangeandhasalwaysremainedwithme。Byre-
memberingitIhavebeenabletounderstandmanypeopleandthingsthatIwasneverabletounder-
standbefore。Thethoughtwasinvolvedbutasimplestatementofitwouldbesomethinglikethis:
Thatinthebeginningwhentheworldwasyoungtherewereagreatmanythoughtsbutnosuchthingasatruth。Manmadethetruthshimselfandeachtruthwasacompositeofagreatmanyvaguethoughts。Allaboutintheworldwerethetruthsandtheywereallbeautiful。
Theoldmanhadlistedhundredsofthetruthsinhisbook。Iwillnottrytotellyouofallofthem。
Therewasthetruthofvirginityandthetruthofpassion，thetruthofwealthandofpoverty，ofthriftandofprofligacy，ofcarelessnessandabandon。
Hundredsandhundredswerethetruthsandtheywereallbeautiful。
Andthenthepeoplecamealong。Eachasheap-
pearedsnatcheduponeofthetruthsandsomewhowerequitestrongsnatchedupadozenofthem。
Itwasthetruthsthatmadethepeoplegrotesques。
Theoldmanhadquiteanelaboratetheoryconcern-
ingthematter。Itwashisnotionthatthemomentoneofthepeopletookoneofthetruthstohimself，calledithistruth，andtriedtolivehislifebyit，hebecameagrotesqueandthetruthheembracedbecameafalsehood。
Youcanseeforyourselfhowtheoldman，whohadspentallofhislifewritingandwasfilledwithwords，wouldwritehundredsofpagesconcerningthismatter。Thesubjectwouldbecomesobiginhismindthathehimselfwouldbeindangerofbecom-
ingagrotesque。Hedidn\'t，Isuppose，forthesamereasonthatheneverpublishedthebook。Itwastheyoungthinginsidehimthatsavedtheoldman。
Concerningtheoldcarpenterwhofixedthebedforthewriter，Ionlymentionedhimbecausehe，THEBOOKOFTHEGROTESQUE7
likemanyofwhatarecalledverycommonpeople，becamethenearestthingtowhatisunderstandableandlovableofallthegrotesquesinthewriter\'sbook。
HANDS
UPONTHEHALFdecayedverandaofasmallframehousethatstoodneartheedgeofaravinenearthetownofWinesburg，Ohio，afatlittleoldmanwalkednervouslyupanddown。Acrossalongfieldthathadbeenseededforcloverbutthathadproducedonlyadensecropofyellowmustardweeds，hecouldseethepublichighwayalongwhichwentawagonfilledwithberrypickersreturningfromthefields。Theberrypickers，youthsandmaidens，laughedandshoutedboisterously。Aboycladinablueshirtleapedfromthewagonandattemptedtodragafterhimoneofthemaidens，whoscreamedandprotestedshrilly。Thefeetoftheboyintheroadkickedupacloudofdustthatfloatedacrossthefaceofthedepartingsun。Overthelongfieldcameathingirlishvoice。\"Oh，youWingBiddlebaum，combyourhair，it\'sfallingintoyoureyes，\"commandedthevoicetotheman，whowasbaldandwhosener-
vouslittlehandsfiddledaboutthebarewhitefore-
headasthougharrangingamassoftangledlocks。
WingBiddlebaum，foreverfrightenedandbesetbyaghostlybandofdoubts，didnotthinkofhimselfasinanywayapartofthelifeofthetownwherehehadlivedfortwentyyears。AmongallthepeopleofWinesburgbutonehadcomeclosetohim。WithGeorgeWillard，sonofTomWillard，theproprietoroftheNewWillardHouse，hehadformedsome-
thinglikeafriendship。GeorgeWillardwasthere-
porterontheWinesburgEagleandsometimesintheeveningshewalkedoutalongthehighwaytoWingBiddlebaum\'shouse。Nowastheoldmanwalkedupanddownontheveranda，hishandsmovingnervouslyabout，hewashopingthatGeorgeWillardwouldcomeandspendtheeveningwithhim。Afterthewagoncontainingtheberrypickershadpassed，hewentacrossthefieldthroughthetallmustardweedsandclimbingarailfencepeeredanxiouslyalongtheroadtothetown。Foramomenthestoodthus，rubbinghishandstogetherandlookingupanddowntheroad，andthen，fearovercominghim，ranbacktowalkagainupontheporchonhisownhouse。
InthepresenceofGeorgeWillard，WingBid-
dlebaum，whofortwentyyearshadbeenthetownmystery，lostsomethingofhistimidity，andhisshadowypersonality，submergedinaseaofdoubts，cameforthtolookattheworld。Withtheyoungreporterathisside，heventuredinthelightofdayintoMainStreetorstrodeupanddownontherick-
etyfrontporchofhisownhouse，talkingexcitedly。
Thevoicethathadbeenlowandtremblingbecameshrillandloud。Thebentfigurestraightened。Withakindofwriggle，likeafishreturnedtothebrookbythefisherman，Biddlebaumthesilentbegantotalk，strivingtoputintowordstheideasthathadbeenaccumulatedbyhismindduringlongyearsofsilence。
WingBiddlebaumtalkedmuchwithhishands。
Theslenderexpressivefingers，foreveractive，for-
everstrivingtoconcealthemselvesinhispocketsorbehindhisback，cameforthandbecamethepistonrodsofhismachineryofexpression。
ThestoryofWingBiddlebaumisastoryofhands。
Theirrestlessactivity，likeuntothebeatingofthewingsofanimprisonedbird，hadgivenhimhisname。Someobscurepoetofthetownhadthoughtofit。Thehandsalarmedtheirowner。Hewantedtokeepthemhiddenawayandlookedwithamaze-
mentatthequietinexpressivehandsofothermenwhoworkedbesidehiminthefields，orpassed，drivingsleepyteamsoncountryroads。
WhenhetalkedtoGeorgeWillard，WingBid-
dlebaumclosedhisfistsandbeatwiththemuponatableoronthewallsofhishouse。Theactionmadehimmorecomfortable。Ifthedesiretotalkcametohimwhenthetwowerewalkinginthefields，hesoughtoutastumporthetopboardofafenceandwithhishandspoundingbusilytalkedwithre-
newedease。
ThestoryofWingBiddlebaum\'shandsisworthabookinitself。Sympatheticallysetforthitwouldtapmanystrange，beautifulqualitiesinobscuremen。Itisajobforapoet。InWinesburgthehandshadattractedattentionmerelybecauseoftheiractivity。
WiththemWingBiddlebaumhadpickedashighasahundredandfortyquartsofstrawberriesinaday。
Theybecamehisdistinguishingfeature，thesourceofhisfame。Alsotheymademoregrotesqueanal-
readygrotesqueandelusiveindividuality。Wines-
burgwasproudofthehandsofWingBiddlebauminthesamespiritinwhichitwasproudofBankerWhite\'snewstonehouseandWesleyMoyer\'sbaystallion，TonyTip，thathadwonthetwo-fifteentrotatthefallracesinCleveland。
AsforGeorgeWillard，hehadmanytimeswantedtoaskaboutthehands。Attimesanalmostover-
whelmingcuriosityhadtakenholdofhim。HefeltthattheremustbeareasonfortheirstrangeactivityandtheirinclinationtokeephiddenawayandonlyagrowingrespectforWingBiddlebaumkepthimfromblurtingoutthequestionsthatwereofteninhismind。
Oncehehadbeenonthepointofasking。Thetwowerewalkinginthefieldsonasummerafternoonandhadstoppedtosituponagrassybank。Allafter-
noonWingBiddlebaumhadtalkedasoneinspired。
ByafencehehadstoppedandbeatinglikeagiantwoodpeckeruponthetopboardhadshoutedatGeorgeWillard，condemninghistendencytobetoomuchinfluencedbythepeopleabouthim，\"Youaredestroyingyourself，\"hecried。\"Youhavetheincli-
nationtobealoneandtodreamandyouareafraidofdreams。Youwanttobelikeothersintownhere。
Youhearthemtalkandyoutrytoimitatethem。\"
OnthegrassybankWingBiddlebaumhadtriedagaintodrivehispointhome。Hisvoicebecamesoftandreminiscent，andwithasighofcontentmenthelaunchedintoalongramblingtalk，speakingasonelostinadream。
OutofthedreamWingBiddlebaummadeapic-
tureforGeorgeWillard。Inthepicturemenlivedagaininakindofpastoralgoldenage。Acrossagreenopencountrycameclean-limbedyoungmen，someafoot，somemounteduponhorses。Incrowdstheyoungmencametogatheraboutthefeetofanoldmanwhosatbeneathatreeinatinygardenandwhotalkedtothem。
WingBiddlebaumbecamewhollyinspired。Foronceheforgotthehands。SlowlytheystoleforthandlayuponGeorgeWillard\'sshoulders。Some-
thingnewandboldcameintothevoicethattalked。
\"Youmusttrytoforgetallyouhavelearned，\"saidtheoldman。\"Youmustbegintodream。Fromthistimeonyoumustshutyourearstotheroaringofthevoices。\"
Pausinginhisspeech，WingBiddlebaumlookedlongandearnestlyatGeorgeWillard。Hiseyesglowed。Againheraisedthehandstocaresstheboyandthenalookofhorrorsweptoverhisface。
Withaconvulsivemovementofhisbody，WingBiddlebaumsprangtohisfeetandthrusthishandsdeepintohistrouserspockets。Tearscametohiseyes。\"Imustbegettingalonghome。Icantalknomorewithyou，\"hesaidnervously。
Withoutlookingback，theoldmanhadhurrieddownthehillsideandacrossameadow，leavingGeorgeWillardperplexedandfrighteneduponthegrassyslope。Withashiverofdreadtheboyaroseandwentalongtheroadtowardtown。\"I\'llnotaskhimabouthishands，\"hethought，touchedbythememoryoftheterrorhehadseenintheman\'seyes。
\"There\'ssomethingwrong，butIdon\'twanttoknowwhatitis。Hishandshavesomethingtodowithhisfearofmeandofeveryone。\"
AndGeorgeWillardwasright。Letuslookbrieflyintothestoryofthehands。Perhapsourtalkingofthemwillarousethepoetwhowilltellthehiddenwonderstoryoftheinfluenceforwhichthehandswerebutflutteringpennantsofpromise。
InhisyouthWingBiddlebaumhadbeenaschoolteacherinatowninPennsylvania。HewasnotthenknownasWingBiddlebaum，butwentbythelesseuphonicnameofAdolphMyers。AsAdolphMyershewasmuchlovedbytheboysofhisschool。
AdolphMyerswasmeantbynaturetobeateacherofyouth。Hewasoneofthoserare，little-
understoodmenwhorulebyapowersogentlethatitpassesasalovableweakness。Intheirfeelingfortheboysundertheirchargesuchmenarenotunlikethefinersortofwomenintheirloveofmen。
Andyetthatisbutcrudelystated。Itneedsthepoetthere。Withtheboysofhisschool，AdolphMyershadwalkedintheeveningorhadsattalkinguntilduskupontheschoolhousestepslostinakindofdream。Hereandtherewenthishands，caressingtheshouldersoftheboys，playingaboutthetousledheads。Ashetalkedhisvoicebecamesoftandmusi-
cal。Therewasacaressinthatalso。Inawaythevoiceandthehands，thestrokingoftheshouldersandthetouchingofthehairwereapartoftheschoolmaster\'sefforttocarryadreamintotheyoungminds。Bythecaressthatwasinhisfingersheex-
pressedhimself。Hewasoneofthosemeninwhomtheforcethatcreateslifeisdiffused，notcentralized。
Underthecaressofhishandsdoubtanddisbeliefwentoutofthemindsoftheboysandtheybeganalsotodream。
Andthenthetragedy。Ahalf-wittedboyoftheschoolbecameenamoredoftheyoungmaster。Inhisbedatnightheimaginedunspeakablethingsandinthemorningwentforthtotellhisdreamsasfacts。
Strange，hideousaccusationsfellfromhisloose-
hunglips。ThroughthePennsylvaniatownwentashiver。Hidden，shadowydoubtsthathadbeeninmen\'smindsconcerningAdolphMyersweregalva-
nizedintobeliefs。
Thetragedydidnotlinger。Tremblingladswerejerkedoutofbedandquestioned。\"Heputhisarmsaboutme，\"saidone。\"Hisfingerswerealwaysplay-
inginmyhair，\"saidanother。
Oneafternoonamanofthetown，HenryBrad-
ford，whokeptasaloon，cametotheschoolhousedoor。CallingAdolphMyersintotheschoolyardhebegantobeathimwithhisfists。Ashishardknuck-
lesbeatdownintothefrightenedfaceoftheschool-
master，hiswrathbecamemoreandmoreterrible。
Screamingwithdismay，thechildrenranhereandtherelikedisturbedinsects。\"I\'llteachyoutoputyourhandsonmyboy，youbeast，\"roaredthesa-
loonkeeper，who，tiredofbeatingthemaster，hadbeguntokickhimabouttheyard。
AdolphMyerswasdrivenfromthePennsylvaniatowninthenight。Withlanternsintheirhandsadozenmencametothedoorofthehousewherehelivedaloneandcommandedthathedressandcomeforth。Itwasrainingandoneofthemenhadaropeinhishands。Theyhadintendedtohangtheschool-
master，butsomethinginhisfigure，sosmall，white，andpitiful，touchedtheirheartsandtheylethimescape。Asheranawayintothedarknesstheyre-
pentedoftheirweaknessandranafterhim，swear-
ingandthrowingsticksandgreatballsofsoftmudatthefigurethatscreamedandranfasterandfasterintothedarkness。
FortwentyyearsAdolphMyershadlivedaloneinWinesburg。Hewasbutfortybutlookedsixty-
five。ThenameofBiddlebaumhegotfromaboxofgoodsseenatafreightstationashehurriedthroughaneasternOhiotown。HehadanauntinWines-
burg，ablack-toothedoldwomanwhoraisedchick-
ens，andwithherheliveduntilshedied。HehadbeenillforayearaftertheexperienceinPennsylva-
nia，andafterhisrecoveryworkedasadaylaborerinthefields，goingtimidlyaboutandstrivingtocon-
cealhishands。Althoughhedidnotunderstandwhathadhappenedhefeltthatthehandsmustbetoblame。Againandagainthefathersoftheboyshadtalkedofthehands。\"Keepyourhandstoyour-
self，\"thesaloonkeeperhadroared，dancing，withfuryintheschoolhouseyard。
Upontheverandaofhishousebytheravine，WingBiddlebaumcontinuedtowalkupanddownuntilthesunhaddisappearedandtheroadbeyondthefieldwaslostinthegreyshadows。Goingintohishousehecutslicesofbreadandspreadhoneyuponthem。Whentherumbleoftheeveningtrainthattookawaytheexpresscarsloadedwiththeday\'sharvestofberrieshadpassedandrestoredthesilenceofthesummernight，hewentagaintowalkupontheveranda。Inthedarknesshecouldnotseethehandsandtheybecamequiet。Althoughhestillhungeredforthepresenceoftheboy，whowasthemediumthroughwhichheexpressedhisloveofman，thehungerbecameagainapartofhisloneli-
nessandhiswaiting。Lightingalamp，WingBid-
dlebaumwashedthefewdishessoiledbyhissimplemealand，settingupafoldingcotbythescreendoorthatledtotheporch，preparedtoundressforthenight。Afewstraywhitebreadcrumbslayonthecleanlywashedfloorbythetable；puttingthelampuponalowstoolhebegantopickupthecrumbs，carryingthemtohismouthonebyonewithunbe-
lievablerapidity。Inthedenseblotchoflightbeneaththetable，thekneelingfigurelookedlikeapriestengagedinsomeserviceofhischurch。Thenervousexpressivefingers，flashinginandoutofthelight，mightwellhavebeenmistakenforthefingersofthedevoteegoingswiftlythroughdecadeafterdecadeofhisrosary。
PAPERPILLS
HEWASANoldmanwithawhitebeardandhugenoseandhands。Longbeforethetimeduringwhichwewillknowhim，hewasadoctoranddroveajadedwhitehorsefromhousetohousethroughthestreetsofWinesburg。Laterhemarriedagirlwhohadmoney。Shehadbeenleftalargefertilefarmwhenherfatherdied。Thegirlwasquiet，tall，anddark，andtomanypeoplesheseemedverybeauti-
ful。EveryoneinWinesburgwonderedwhyshemar-
riedthedoctor。Withinayearafterthemarriageshedied。
Theknucklesofthedoctor\'shandswereextraordi-
narilylarge。Whenthehandswereclosedtheylookedlikeclustersofunpaintedwoodenballsaslargeaswalnutsfastenedtogetherbysteelrods。Hesmokedacobpipeandafterhiswife\'sdeathsatalldayinhisemptyofficeclosebyawindowthatwascoveredwithcobwebs。Heneveropenedthewin-
dow。OnceonahotdayinAugusthetriedbutfounditstuckfastandafterthatheforgotallaboutit。
Winesburghadforgottentheoldman，butinDoc-
torReefythereweretheseedsofsomethingveryfine。AloneinhismustyofficeintheHeffnerBlockabovetheParisDryGoodsCompany\'sstore，heworkedceaselessly，buildingupsomethingthathehimselfdestroyed。Littlepyramidsoftruthheerectedandaftererectingknockedthemdownagainthathemighthavethetruthstoerectotherpyramids。
DoctorReefywasatallmanwhohadwornonesuitofclothesfortenyears。Itwasfrayedatthesleevesandlittleholeshadappearedatthekneesandelbows。Intheofficeheworealsoalinendusterwithhugepocketsintowhichhecontinuallystuffedscrapsofpaper。Aftersomeweeksthescrapsofpaperbecamelittlehardroundballs，andwhenthepocketswerefilledhedumpedthemoutuponthefloor。Fortenyearshehadbutonefriend，anotheroldmannamedJohnSpaniardwhoownedatreenursery。Sometimes，inaplayfulmood，oldDoctorReefytookfromhispocketsahandfulofthepaperballsandthrewthematthenurseryman。\"Thatistoconfoundyou，youblatheringoldsentimentalist，\"
hecried，shakingwithlaughter。
ThestoryofDoctorReefyandhiscourtshipofthetalldarkgirlwhobecamehiswifeandlefthermoneytohimisaverycuriousstory。Itisdelicious，likethetwistedlittleapplesthatgrowintheor-
chardsofWinesburg。Inthefallonewalksintheorchardsandthegroundishardwithfrostunder-
foot。Theappleshavebeentakenfromthetreesbythepickers。Theyhavebeenputinbarrelsandshippedtothecitieswheretheywillbeeateninapartmentsthatarefilledwithbooks，magazines，furniture，andpeople。Onthetreesareonlyafewgnarledapplesthatthepickershaverejected。TheylookliketheknucklesofDoctorReefy\'shands。Onenibblesatthemandtheyaredelicious。Intoalittleroundplaceatthesideoftheapplehasbeengath-
eredallofitssweetness。Onerunsfromtreetotreeoverthefrostedgroundpickingthegnarled，twistedapplesandfillinghispocketswiththem。Onlythefewknowthesweetnessofthetwistedapples。
ThegirlandDoctorReefybegantheircourtshiponasummerafternoon。Hewasforty-fivethenandalreadyhehadbegunthepracticeoffillinghispock-
etswiththescrapsofpaperthatbecamehardballsandwerethrownaway。Thehabithadbeenformedashesatinhisbuggybehindthejadedwhitehorseandwentslowlyalongcountryroads。Onthepaperswerewrittenthoughts，endsofthoughts，beginningsofthoughts。
OnebyonethemindofDoctorReefyhadmadethethoughts。Outofmanyofthemheformedatruththatarosegiganticinhismind。Thetruthcloudedtheworld。Itbecameterribleandthenfadedawayandthelittlethoughtsbeganagain。
ThetalldarkgirlcametoseeDoctorReefybecauseshewasinthefamilywayandhadbecomefright-
ened。Shewasinthatconditionbecauseofaseriesofcircumstancesalsocurious。
Thedeathofherfatherandmotherandtherichacresoflandthathadcomedowntoherhadsetatrainofsuitorsonherheels。Fortwoyearsshesawsuitorsalmosteveryevening。Excepttwotheywereallalike。Theytalkedtoherofpassionandtherewasastrainedeagerqualityintheirvoicesandintheireyeswhentheylookedather。Thetwowhoweredifferentweremuchunlikeeachother。Oneofthem，aslenderyoungmanwithwhitehands，thesonofajewelerinWinesburg，talkedcontinuallyofvirginity。Whenhewaswithherhewasneveroffthesubject。Theother，ablack-hairedboywithlargeears，saidnothingatallbutalwaysmanagedtogetherintothedarkness，wherehebegantokissher。
Foratimethetalldarkgirlthoughtshewouldmarrythejeweler\'sson。Forhoursshesatinsilencelisteningashetalkedtoherandthenshebegantobeafraidofsomething。Beneathhistalkofvirginityshebegantothinktherewasalustgreaterthaninalltheothers。Attimesitseemedtoherthatashetalkedhewasholdingherbodyinhishands。Sheimaginedhimturningitslowlyaboutinthewhitehandsandstaringatit。Atnightshedreamedthathehadbittenintoherbodyandthathisjawsweredripping。Shehadthedreamthreetimes，thenshebecameinthefamilywaytotheonewhosaidnoth-
ingatallbutwhointhemomentofhispassionactuallydidbitehershouldersothatfordaysthemarksofhisteethshowed。
AfterthetalldarkgirlcametoknowDoctorReefyitseemedtoherthatsheneverwantedtoleavehimagain。Shewentintohisofficeonemorningandwithouthersayinganythingheseemedtoknowwhathadhappenedtoher。
Intheofficeofthedoctortherewasawoman，thewifeofthemanwhokeptthebookstoreinWines-
burg。Likeallold-fashionedcountrypractitioners，DoctorReefypulledteeth，andthewomanwhowaitedheldahandkerchieftoherteethandgroaned。
Herhusbandwaswithherandwhenthetoothwastakenouttheybothscreamedandbloodrandownonthewoman\'swhitedress。Thetalldarkgirldidnotpayanyattention。Whenthewomanandthemanhadgonethedoctorsmiled。\"Iwilltakeyoudrivingintothecountrywithme，\"hesaid。
Forseveralweeksthetalldarkgirlandthedoctorweretogetheralmosteveryday。Theconditionthathadbroughthertohimpassedinanillness，butshewaslikeonewhohasdiscoveredthesweetnessofthetwistedapples，shecouldnotgethermindfixedagainupontheroundperfectfruitthatiseateninthecityapartments。InthefallafterthebeginningofheracquaintanceshipwithhimshemarriedDoc-
torReefyandinthefollowingspringshedied。Dur-
ingthewinterhereadtoheralloftheoddsandendsofthoughtshehadscribbledonthebitsofpaper。Afterhehadreadthemhelaughedandstuffedthemawayinhispocketstobecomeroundhardballs。
MOTHER
ELIZABETHWILLARD，themotherofGeorgeWillard，wastallandgauntandherfacewasmarkedwithsmallpoxscars。Althoughshewasbutforty-five，someobscurediseasehadtakenthefireoutofherfigure。Listlesslyshewentaboutthedisorderlyoldhotellookingatthefadedwall-paperandtheraggedcarpetsand，whenshewasabletobeabout，doingtheworkofachambermaidamongbedssoiledbytheslumbersoffattravelingmen。Herhusband，TomWillard，aslender，gracefulmanwithsquareshoulders，aquickmilitarystep，andablackmus-
tachetrainedtoturnsharplyupattheends，triedtoputthewifeoutofhismind。Thepresenceofthetallghostlyfigure，movingslowlythroughthehalls，hetookasareproachtohimself。Whenhethoughtofherhegrewangryandswore。Thehotelwasun-
profitableandforeverontheedgeoffailureandhewishedhimselfoutofit。Hethoughtoftheoldhouseandthewomanwholivedtherewithhimasthingsdefeatedanddonefor。Thehotelinwhichhehadbegunlifesohopefullywasnowamereghostofwhatahotelshouldbe。Ashewentspruceandbusiness-likethroughthestreetsofWinesburg，hesometimesstoppedandturnedquicklyaboutasthoughfearingthatthespiritofthehotelandofthewomanwouldfollowhimevenintothestreets。
\"Damnsuchalife，damnit!\"hesputteredaimlessly。
TomWillardhadapassionforvillagepoliticsandforyearshadbeentheleadingDemocratinastronglyRepublicancommunity。Someday，hetoldhimself，thefideofthingspoliticalwillturninmyfavorandtheyearsofineffectualservicecountbiginthebestowalofrewards。HedreamedofgoingtoCongressandevenofbecominggovernor。Oncewhenayoungermemberofthepartyaroseatapoliticalconferenceandbegantoboastofhisfaithfulservice，TomWillardgrewwhitewithfury。\"Shutup，you，\"heroared，glaringabout。\"Whatdoyouknowofservice？Whatareyoubutaboy？LookatwhatI\'vedonehere!IwasaDemocrathereinWinesburgwhenitwasacrimetobeaDemocrat。
Intheolddaystheyfairlyhunteduswithguns。\"
BetweenElizabethandheronesonGeorgetherewasadeepunexpressedbondofsympathy，basedonagirlhooddreamthathadlongagodied。Intheson\'spresenceshewastimidandreserved，butsometimeswhilehehurriedabouttownintentuponhisdutiesasareporter，shewentintohisroomandclosingthedoorkneltbyalittledesk，madeofakitchentable，thatsatnearawindow。Intheroombythedeskshewentthroughaceremonythatwashalfaprayer，halfademand，addressedtotheskies。
Intheboyishfiguresheyearnedtoseesomethinghalfforgottenthathadoncebeenapartofherselfre-
created。Theprayerconcernedthat。\"EventhoughI
die，Iwillinsomewaykeepdefeatfromyou，\"shecried，andsodeepwasherdeterminationthatherwholebodyshook。Hereyesglowedandsheclenchedherfists。\"IfIamdeadandseehimbecomingameaninglessdrabfigurelikemyself，Iwillcomeback，\"shedeclared。\"IaskGodnowtogivemethatprivilege。Idemandit。Iwillpayforit。Godmaybeatmewithhisfists。Iwilltakeanyblowthatmaybefallifbutthismyboybeallowedtoexpresssome-
thingforusboth。\"Pausinguncertainly，thewomanstaredabouttheboy\'sroom。\"Anddonotlethimbecomesmartandsuccessfuleither，\"sheaddedvaguely。
ThecommunionbetweenGeorgeWillardandhismotherwasoutwardlyaformalthingwithoutmean-
ing。Whenshewasillandsatbythewindowinherroomhesometimeswentintheeveningtomakeheravisit。TheysatbyawindowthatlookedovertheroofofasmallframebuildingintoMainStreet。
Byturningtheirheadstheycouldseethroughan-
otherwindow，alonganalleywaythatranbehindtheMainStreetstoresandintothebackdoorofAbnerGroff\'sbakery。Sometimesastheysatthusapictureofvillagelifepresenteditselftothem。AtthebackdoorofhisshopappearedAbnerGroffwithastickoranemptymilkbottleinhishand。ForalongtimetherewasafeudbetweenthebakerandagreycatthatbelongedtoSylvesterWest，thedruggist。
Theboyandhismothersawthecatcreepintothedoorofthebakeryandpresentlyemergefollowedbythebaker，whosworeandwavedhisarmsabout。
Thebaker\'seyesweresmallandredandhisblackhairandbeardwerefilledwithflourdust。Some-
timeshewassoangrythat，althoughthecathaddisappeared，hehurledsticks，bitsofbrokenglass，andevensomeofthetoolsofhistradeabout。OncehebrokeawindowatthebackofSinning\'sHard-
wareStore。Inthealleythegreycatcrouchedbehindbarrelsfilledwithtornpaperandbrokenbottlesabovewhichflewablackswarmofflies。Oncewhenshewasalone，andafterwatchingaprolongedandineffectualoutburstonthepartofthebaker，Eliza-
bethWillardputherheaddownonherlongwhitehandsandwept。Afterthatshedidnotlookalongthealleywayanymore，buttriedtoforgetthecon-
testbetweenthebeardedmanandthecat。Itseemedlikearehearsalofherownlife，terribleinitsvividness。
Intheeveningwhenthesonsatintheroomwithhismother，thesilencemadethembothfeelawk-
ward。Darknesscameonandtheeveningtraincameinatthestation。Inthestreetbelowfeettrampedupanddownuponaboardsidewalk。Inthestationyard，aftertheeveningtrainhadgone，therewasaheavysilence。PerhapsSkinnerLeason，theexpressagent，movedatruckthelengthofthestationplat-
form。OveronMainStreetsoundedaman\'svoice，laughing。Thedooroftheexpressofficebanged。
GeorgeWillardaroseandcrossingtheroomfumbledforthedoorknob。Sometimesheknockedagainstachair，makingitscrapealongthefloor。Bythewin-
dowsatthesickwoman，perfectlystill，listless。Herlonghands，whiteandbloodless，couldbeseendroopingovertheendsofthearmsofthechair。\"I
thinkyouhadbetterbeoutamongtheboys。Youaretoomuchindoors，\"shesaid，strivingtorelievetheembarrassmentofthedeparture。\"IthoughtI
wouldtakeawalk，\"repliedGeorgeWillard，whofeltawkwardandconfused。
OneeveninginJuly，whenthetransientguestswhomadetheNewWillardHousetheirtemporaryhomehadbecomescarce，andthehallways，lightedonlybykerosenelampsturnedlow，wereplungedingloom，ElizabethWillardhadanadventure。Shehadbeenillinbedforseveraldaysandhersonhadnotcometovisither。Shewasalarmed。Thefeebleblazeoflifethatremainedinherbodywasblownintoaflamebyheranxietyandshecreptoutofbed，dressedandhurriedalongthehallwaytowardherson\'sroom，shakingwithexaggeratedfears。Asshewentalongshesteadiedherselfwithherhand，slippedalongthepaperedwallsofthehallandbreathedwithdifficulty。Theairwhistledthroughherteeth。Asshehurriedforwardshethoughthowfoolishshewas。\"Heisconcernedwithboyishaf-
fairs，\"shetoldherself。\"Perhapshehasnowbeguntowalkaboutintheeveningwithgirls。\"
ElizabethWillardhadadreadofbeingseenbyguestsinthehotelthathadoncebelongedtoherfatherandtheownershipofwhichstillstoodre-
cordedinhernameinthecountycourthouse。Thehotelwascontinuallylosingpatronagebecauseofitsshabbinessandshethoughtofherselfasalsoshabby。
Herownroomwasinanobscurecornerandwhenshefeltabletoworkshevoluntarilyworkedamongthebeds，preferringthelaborthatcouldbedonewhentheguestswereabroadseekingtradeamongthemerchantsofWinesburg。
Bythedoorofherson\'sroomthemotherkneltuponthefloorandlistenedforsomesoundfromwithin。Whensheheardtheboymovingaboutandtalkinginlowtonesasmilecametoherlips。GeorgeWillardhadahabitoftalkingaloudtohimselfandtohearhimdoingsohadalwaysgivenhismotherapeculiarpleasure。Thehabitinhim，shefelt，strengthenedthesecretbondthatexistedbetweenthem。Athousandtimesshehadwhisperedtoher-
selfofthematter。\"Heisgropingabout，tryingtofindhimself，\"shethought。\"Heisnotadullclod，allwordsandsmartness。Withinhimthereisasecretsomethingthatisstrivingtogrow。ItisthethingI
letbekilledinmyself。\"
Inthedarknessinthehallwaybythedoorthesickwomanaroseandstartedagaintowardherownroom。Shewasafraidthatthedoorwouldopenandtheboycomeuponher。Whenshehadreachedasafedistanceandwasabouttoturnacornerintoasecondhallwayshestoppedandbracingherselfwithherhandswaited，thinkingtoshakeoffatremblingfitofweaknessthathadcomeuponher。
Thepresenceoftheboyintheroomhadmadeherhappy。Inherbed，duringthelonghoursalone，thelittlefearsthathadvisitedherhadbecomegiants。
Nowtheywereallgone。\"WhenIgetbacktomyroomIshallsleep，\"shemurmuredgratefully。
ButElizabethWillardwasnottoreturntoherbedandtosleep。Asshestoodtremblinginthedarknessthedoorofherson\'sroomopenedandtheboy\'sfather，TomWillard，steppedout。Inthelightthatsteamedoutatthedoorhestoodwiththeknobinhishandandtalked。Whathesaidinfuriatedthewoman。
TomWillardwasambitiousforhisson。Hehadalwaysthoughtofhimselfasasuccessfulman，al-
thoughnothinghehadeverdonehadturnedoutsuccessfully。However，whenhewasoutofsightoftheNewWillardHouseandhadnofearofcominguponhiswife，heswaggeredandbegantodrama-
tizehimselfasoneofthechiefmenofthetown。Hewantedhissontosucceed。Heitwaswhohadse-
curedfortheboythepositionontheWinesburgEagle。Now，witharingofearnestnessinhisvoice，hewasadvisingconcerningsomecourseofconduct。
\"Itellyouwhat，George，you\'vegottowakeup，\"
hesaidsharply。\"WillHendersonhasspokentomethreetimesconcerningthematter。Hesaysyougoalongforhoursnothearingwhenyouarespokentoandactinglikeagawkygirl。Whatailsyou？\"TomWillardlaughedgood-naturedly。\"Well，Iguessyou\'llgetoverit，\"hesaid。\"ItoldWillthat。You\'renotafoolandyou\'renotawoman。You\'reTomWillard\'ssonandyou\'llwakeup。I\'mnotafraid。
Whatyousayclearsthingsup。Ifbeinganewspapermanhadputthenotionofbecomingawriterintoyourmindthat\'sallright。OnlyIguessyou\'llhavetowakeuptodothattoo，eh？\"
TomWillardwentbrisklyalongthehallwayanddownaflightofstairstotheoffice。Thewomaninthedarknesscouldhearhimlaughingandtalkingwithaguestwhowasstrivingtowearawayadulleveningbydozinginachairbytheofficedoor。Shereturnedtothedoorofherson\'sroom。Theweak-
nesshadpassedfromherbodyasbyamiracleandshesteppedboldlyalong。Athousandideasracedthroughherhead。Whensheheardthescrapingofachairandthesoundofapenscratchinguponpaper，sheagainturnedandwentbackalongthehallwaytoherownroom。
AdefinitedeterminationhadcomeintothemindofthedefeatedwifeoftheWinesburghotelkeeper。
Thedeterminationwastheresultoflongyearsofquietandratherineffectualthinking。\"Now，\"shetoldherself，\"Iwillact。Thereissomethingthreaten-
ingmyboyandIwillwarditoff。\"ThefactthattheconversationbetweenTomWillardandhissonhadbeenratherquietandnatural，asthoughanunder-
standingexistedbetweenthem，maddenedher。Al-
thoughforyearsshehadhatedherhusband，herhatredhadalwaysbeforebeenaquiteimpersonalthing。Hehadbeenmerelyapartofsomethingelsethatshehated。Now，andbythefewwordsatthedoor，hehadbecomethethingpersonified。Inthedarknessofherownroomsheclenchedherfistsandglaredabout。Goingtoaclothbagthathungonanailbythewallshetookoutalongpairofsewingscissorsandheldtheminherhandlikeadagger。\"I
willstabhim，\"shesaidaloud。\"HehaschosentobethevoiceofevilandIwillkillhim。WhenIhavekilledhimsomethingwillsnapwithinmyselfandI
willdiealso。Itwillbeareleaseforallofus。\"
InhergirlhoodandbeforehermarriagewithTomWillard，Elizabethhadborneasomewhatshakyrep-
utationinWinesburg。Foryearsshehadbeenwhatiscalled\"stage-struck\"andhadparadedthroughthestreetswithtravelingmenguestsatherfather\'shotel，wearingloudclothesandurgingthemtotellheroflifeinthecitiesoutofwhichtheyhadcome。
Onceshestartledthetownbyputtingonmen\'sclothesandridingabicycledownMainStreet。
Inherownmindthetalldarkgirlhadbeeninthosedaysmuchconfused。Agreatrestlessnesswasinheranditexpresseditselfintwoways。Firsttherewasanuneasydesireforchange，forsomebigdefi-
nitemovementtoherlife。Itwasthisfeelingthathadturnedhermindtothestage。Shedreamedofjoiningsomecompanyandwanderingovertheworld，seeingalwaysnewfacesandgivingsome-
thingoutofherselftoallpeople。Sometimesatnightshewasquitebesideherselfwiththethought，butwhenshetriedtotalkofthemattertothemembersofthetheatricalcompaniesthatcametoWinesburgandstoppedatherfather\'shotel，shegotnowhere。
Theydidnotseemtoknowwhatshemeant，orifshedidgetsomethingofherpassionexpressed，theyonlylaughed。\"It\'snotlikethat，\"theysaid。
\"It\'sasdullanduninterestingasthishere。Nothingcomesofit。\"
Withthetravelingmenwhenshewalkedaboutwiththem，andlaterwithTomWillard，itwasquitedifferent。Alwaystheyseemedtounderstandandsympathizewithher。Onthesidestreetsofthevil-
lage，inthedarknessunderthetrees，theytookholdofherhandandshethoughtthatsomethingunex-
pressedinherselfcameforthandbecameapartofanunexpressedsomethinginthem。
Andthentherewasthesecondexpressionofherrestlessness。Whenthatcameshefeltforatimere-
leasedandhappy。ShedidnotblamethemenwhowalkedwithherandlatershedidnotblameTomWillard。Itwasalwaysthesame，beginningwithkissesandending，afterstrangewildemotions，withpeaceandthensobbingrepentance。Whenshesobbedsheputherhanduponthefaceofthemanandhadalwaysthesamethought。Eventhoughhewerelargeandbeardedshethoughthehadbecomesuddenlyalittleboy。Shewonderedwhyhedidnotsobalso。
Inherroom，tuckedawayinacorneroftheoldWillardHouse，ElizabethWillardlightedalampandputitonadressingtablethatstoodbythedoor。A
thoughthadcomeintohermindandshewenttoaclosetandbroughtoutasmallsquareboxandsetitonthetable。Theboxcontainedmaterialformake-
upandhadbeenleftwithotherthingsbyatheatricalcompanythathadoncebeenstrandedinWines-
burg。ElizabethWillardhaddecidedthatshewouldbebeautiful。Herhairwasstillblackandtherewasagreatmassofitbraidedandcoiledaboutherhead。
Thescenethatwastotakeplaceintheofficebelowbegantogrowinhermind。Noghostlyworn-outfigureshouldconfrontTomWillard，butsomethingquiteunexpectedandstartling。Tallandwithduskycheeksandhairthatfellinamassfromhershoul-
ders，afigureshouldcomestridingdownthestair-
waybeforethestartledloungersinthehoteloffice。
Thefigurewouldbesilent——itwouldbeswiftandterrible。Asatigresswhosecubhadbeenthreatenedwouldsheappear，comingoutoftheshadows，steal-
ingnoiselesslyalongandholdingthelongwickedscissorsinherhand。
Withalittlebrokensobinherthroat，ElizabethWillardblewoutthelightthatstooduponthetableandstoodweakandtremblinginthedarkness。Thestrengththathadbeenasamiracleinherbodyleftandshehalfreeledacrossthefloor，clutchingatthebackofthechairinwhichshehadspentsomanylongdaysstaringoutoverthetinroofsintothemainstreetofWinesburg。InthehallwaytherewasthesoundoffootstepsandGeorgeWillardcameinatthedoor。Sittinginachairbesidehismotherhebegantotalk。\"I\'mgoingtogetoutofhere，\"hesaid。\"Idon\'tknowwhereIshallgoorwhatIshalldobutIamgoingaway。\"
Thewomaninthechairwaitedandtrembled。Animpulsecametoher。\"Isupposeyouhadbetterwakeup，\"shesaid。\"Youthinkthat？Youwillgotothecityandmakemoney，eh？Itwillbebetterforyou，youthink，tobeabusinessman，tobebriskandsmartandalive？\"Shewaitedandtrembled。
Thesonshookhishead。\"IsupposeIcan\'tmakeyouunderstand，butoh，IwishIcould，\"hesaidearnestly。\"Ican\'teventalktofatheraboutit。Idon\'ttry。Thereisn\'tanyuse。Idon\'tknowwhatIshalldo。Ijustwanttogoawayandlookatpeopleandthink。\"
Silencefellupontheroomwheretheboyandwomansattogether。Again，asontheothereve-
nings，theywereembarrassed。Afteratimetheboytriedagaintotalk。\"Isupposeitwon\'tbeforayearortwobutI\'vebeenthinkingaboutit，\"hesaid，risingandgoingtowardthedoor。\"SomethingfathersaidmakesitsurethatIshallhavetogoaway。\"Hefumbledwiththedoorknob。Intheroomthesilencebecameunbearabletothewoman。Shewantedtocryoutwithjoybecauseofthewordsthathadcomefromthelipsofherson，buttheexpressionofjoyhadbecomeimpossibletoher。\"Ithinkyouhadbet-
tergooutamongtheboys。Youaretoomuchin-
doors，\"shesaid。\"IthoughtIwouldgoforalittlewalk，\"repliedthesonsteppingawkwardlyoutoftheroomandclosingthedoor。
THEPHILOSOPHER
DOCTORPARCIVALwasalargemanwithadroopingmouthcoveredbyayellowmustache。Healwaysworeadirtywhitewaistcoatoutofthepocketsofwhichprotrudedanumberofthekindofblackci-
garsknownasstogies。Histeethwereblackandirregularandtherewassomethingstrangeabouthiseyes。Thelidofthelefteyetwitched；itfelldownandsnappedup；itwasexactlyasthoughthelidoftheeyewereawindowshadeandsomeonestoodinsidethedoctor\'sheadplayingwiththecord。
DoctorParcivalhadalikingfortheboy，GeorgeWillard。ItbeganwhenGeorgehadbeenworkingforayearontheWinesburgEagleandtheacquain-
