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reflected that these letters invariably had to relate tales of failures； of
disappointed hopes； she wondered at her father's perennial interest in
failures；provided they were those of his family； and the next evening； as he
wrote painfully on his ruled paper； she knew that he in turn was pouring out
his soul to Alpheus； recounting； with an emotion by no means unpleasurable； to
this sympathetic but remote relative the story of his own failure！
If the city of Hampton was emblematic of our modern world in which
haphazardness has replaced order； Fillmore Street may be likened to a back eddy
of the muddy and troubled waters； in which all sorts of flotsam and jetsam had
collected。 Or； to find perhaps an even more striking illustration of the
process that made Hampton in general and Fillmore Street in particular； one had
only to take the trolley to Glendale； the Italian settlement on the road
leading to the old New England village of Shrewsbury。 Janet sometimes walked
there； alone or with her friend Eda Rawle。 Disintegration itselfin a
paradoxically pathetic attempt at reconstructionhad built Glendale。 Human
hands； Italian hands。 Nor； surprising though it may seem； were these
descendants of the people of the Renaissance in the least offended by their
handiwork。 When the southern European migration had begun and real estate
became valuable； one by one the more decorous edifices of the old American
order had been torn down and carried piecemeal by sons of Italy to the bare
hills of Glendale； there to enter into new combinations representing； to an eye
craving harmony； the last word of a chaos； of a mental indigestion； of a colour
scheme crying aloud to heaven for retribution。 Standing alone and bare amidst
its truck gardens； hideous； extreme； though typical of the entire settlement；
composed of fragments ripped from once…appropriate settings； is a house with a
tiny body painted strawberry…red； with scroll…work shutters a tender green；
surmounting the structure and almost equalling it in size is a sky…blue cupola；
once the white crown of the Sutter mansion； the pride of old Hampton。 The
walls of this dwelling were wrested from the sides of Mackey's Tavern； while
the shutters for many years adorned the parsonage of the old First Church。
Similarly； in Hampton and in Fillmore Street； lived in enforced neighbourliness
human fragments once having their places in crystallized communities where
existence had been regarded as solved。 Here there was but one order；if such
it may be called；one relationship； direct； or indirect； one necessity
claiming them allthe mills。
Like the boards forming the walls of the shacks at Glendale； these human planks
torn from an earlier social structure were likewise warped； which is to say
they were dominated by obsessions。 Edward's was the Bumpus family； and Chris
Auermann； who lived in the flat below； was convinced that the history of
mankind is a deplorable record of havoc caused by women。 Perhaps he was right；
but the conviction was none the less an obsession。 He came from a little
village near Wittenburg that has scarcely changed since Luther's time。 Like
most residents of Hampton who did not work in the mills； he ministered to those
who did； or to those who sold merchandise to the workers； cutting their hair in
his barber shop on Faber Street。
The Bumpuses； save Lise； clinging to a native individualism and pride；
preferred isolation to companionship with the other pieces of driftwood by
which they were surrounded； and with which the summer season compelled a
certain enforced contact。 When the heat in the little dining…room grew
unbearable； they were driven to take refuge on the front steps shared in common
with the household of the barber。 It is true that the barber's wife was a mild
hausfrau who had little to say； and that their lodgers； two young Germans who
worked in the mills； spent most of their evenings at a bowling club； but
Auermann himself； exhaling a strong odour of bay rum； would arrive promptly at
quarter past eight； take off his coat； and thus； as it were stripped for
action； would turn upon the defenceless Edward。
〃Vill you mention one great manyoost onewho is not greater if the vimmen
leave him alone？〃 he would demand。 〃Is it Anthony； the conqueror of Egypt and
the East？ I vill show you Cleopatra。 Und Burns； and Napoleon； the greatest
man what ever livedvimmen again。 I tell you there is no Elba； no St。 Helena
if it is not for the vimmen。 Und vat vill you say of Goethe？〃
Poor Edward could think of nothing to say of Goethe。
〃He is great； I grant you；〃 Chris would admit； 〃but vat is he if the vimmen
leave him alone？ Divine yoost that。〃 And he would proceed to cite endless
examples of generals and statesmen whose wives or mistresses had been their
bane。 Futile Edward's attempts to shift the conversation to the subject of his
own obsession； the German was by far the more aggressive； he would have none of
it。 Perhaps if Edward had been willing to concede that the Bumpuses had been
brought to their present lowly estate by the sinister agency of the fair sex
Chris might conditionally have accepted the theme。 Hannah； contemptuously
waving a tattered palm leaf fan； was silent； but on one occasion Janet took
away the barber's breath by suddenly observing：
〃You never seem to think of the women whose lives are ruined by men； Mr。
Auermann。〃
It was unheard…of； this invasion of a man's argument by a woman； and by a young
woman at that。 He glared at her through his spectacles； took them off； wiped
them； replaced them； and glared at her again。 He did not like Janet； she was
capable of what may be called a speaking silence； and he had never been wholly
unaware of her disapproval and ridicule。 Perhaps he recognized in her；
instinctively； the potential qualities of that emerging modern woman who to him
was anathema。
〃It is somethings I don't think about；〃 he said。
He was a wizened little man with faience…blue eyes； and sat habitually hunched
up with his hands folded across his shins。
〃Nam fuit ante Helenam〃as Darwin quotes。 Toward all the masculine residents
of Fillmore Street； save one； the barber's attitude was one of unconcealed
scorn for an inability to recognize female perfidy。 With Johnny Tiernan alone
he refused to enter the lists。 When the popular proprietor of the tin shop
came sauntering along the sidewalk with nose uptilted； waving genial greetings
to the various groups on the steps； Chris Auermann's expression would suddenly
change to one of fatuous playfulness。
〃What's this I hear about giving the girls the vote； Chris？〃 Johnny would
innocently inquire； winking at Janet； invariably running his hand through the
wiry red hair that resumed its corkscrew twist as soon as he released it。 And
Chris would as invariably reply：
〃You have the dandruffsyes？ You come to my shop； I give you somethings。。。。〃
Sometimes the barber； in search of a more aggressive adversary than Edward；
would pay visits； when as likely as not another neighbour with profound
convictions and a craving for proselytes would swoop down on the defenceless
Bumpuses： Joe Shivers； for instance； who lived in one of the tenements above
the cleaning and dyeing establishment kept by the Pappas Bros。； and known as
〃The Gentleman。〃 In the daytime Mr。 Shivers was a model of acquiescence in a
system he would have designated as one of industrial feudalism； his duty being
to examine the rolls of cloth as they came from the looms of the Arundel Mill；
in case of imperfections handing them over to the women menders： at night； to
borrow a vivid expression from Lise； he was 〃batty in the belfry〃 on the
subject of socialism。 Unlike the barber； whom he could not abide； for him the
cleavage of the world was between labour and capital instead of man and woman；
his philosophy was stern and naturalistic； the universethe origin of which he
did not discussjust an accidental assemblage of capricious forces over which
human intelligence was one day to triumph。 Squatting on the lowest step； his
face upturned； by the light of the arc sputtering above the street he looked
like a yellow frog； his eager eyes directed toward Janet； whom he suspected of
intelligence。
〃If there was a God； a nice； kind； all…powerful God； would he permit what
happened in one of the loom…rooms last week？ A Polak girl gets her hair caught
in the belt pfff！〃 He had a marvellously realistic gift when it came to
horrors： Janet felt her hair coming out by the roots。 Although she never went
to church； she did not like to think that no God existed。 Of this Mr。 Shivers
was very positive。 Edward； too； listened uneasily； hemmed and hawed； making
ineffectual attempts to combat Mr。 Shivers's socialism with a deeply…rooted
native individualism that Shivers declared as defunct as Christianity。
〃If it is possible for the workingman to rise under a capitalistic system； why
do you not rise； then？ Why do I not rise？ I'm as good as Ditmar； I'm better
educated； but we're all slaves。 What right has a man to make you and me work
for him just because he has capital？〃
〃Why； the right of capital；〃 Edward would reply。
Mr。 Shivers；