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Civilizing the World
- University of Michigan Press
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Civilizing the World Letter to Adelaide de Claire Thayer, September 14, 190010 Torresdale, Sept. 14, 1900 Dear Addie: This is the last day of my vacation. I have been a “half-timer” now for ten weeks, but the worship of Mammon11 declares I must start in “full time” to-morrow. So I’m taking my last day to write you, for the Keeper of Mysteries only knows whether I’ll get another chance this year or not. It has pulled me through the summer finely, and it has been a fe-r-rocious summer, just like the one when you were here; it never let go its grip till day before yesterday. Well, old girl, I’m glad your present marriage appears to be a success, and “may it continue to wave.” Why did I think you spoke of marriage without love? Well if I had your last winter’s letter here I could tell you. But I don’t want to misquote, so I leave it. In general it was because Gene wouldn’t make a good husband etc., and an intimation that a husband needed to be accompanied by a home in order to be a success. But it’s of no account; if you are satisfied and Mr. Berry is, it’s distinctly nobody else’s business. And I rather guess he’s a goodish sort from the way you write. The idea of taking a vacation up there some time is very alluring, if— I forgot what absence from the city costs me. I will have to get into a different trade before I can command “leave of absence.” And then, you know, do you think Mr. Berry, let alone yourself, would stand an anarchist in his house? A party that thinks that so long as starving people are shot, as in the streets of Milan or caged up in a state of siege as in Sicily, 168 10. Source: Ms. Houghton Library, Harvard University, bMS Am 1614 (175). 11. Riches, the search for material gain, Luke 16.13: “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” for parading the streets and crying for bread, so long will the King12 under whose orders they are shot get no worse than he deserves if he gets a bullet through him? That’s what I think, and you folks mightn’t like me around. I was real pleased to know you were going to leave the things with Mother (barring the desk) because she was kind of mourning a wee little because things were going to look empty when you took them away; especially the book-case. I wonder if “yous” have been down to see her in company yet? Do Mr. B. and Mother hit it? She and Gordon13 hit it beautifully ; he had his conservative, dignified, calm, and reasonable side out, most of the time when she saw him; and I suppose if I had been willing to do a lot of contemptible mean things for which I’d despise myself all my life I’d have the approval of both of ’em. I won’t, and so I’ve got their condemnation; but I guess it won’t cut much ice. I’m just the same friends with Gordon I always was, but he isn’t satisfied with me because I won’t agree to the regular program of married life (I don’t mean the ceremony but the rest of it—exclusive possession, home, children, all that) so we don’t see each other very often. I’m sorry, but I’ll have to stand it. I’ve done the worst of my worrying over it, and have settled down to the facts. Mother told me about her hair turning darker, but she didn’t say it was the old brown. Do you know the reason? Ayer’s Hair Vigor. I always keep it in the house since my own hair fell out so, and I made her put some on hers ’cause it was falling badly; and she took half the bottle home with her. It had already made it some darker. And I think, old girl, if I were you, I’d try the stuff according to directions , which you told me you never did, and I think likely it would bring your brown back...