ThoughthearmisticewithGermanywassignedafewweeksafterhercomingtoWashington,theworkofthebureaucontinued.
ShediscoveredthatanofficeisasfullofcliquesandscandalsasaGopherPrairieShediscoveredthatmostofthewomeninthegovernmentbureauslivedunhealthfully,diningonsnatchesintheircrammedapartments.
Butshealsodiscoveredthatbusinesswomenmayhavefriendshipsandenmitiesasfranklyasmenandmayrevelinablisswhichnohousewifeattains—afreeSunday.
ItdidnotappearthattheGreatWorldneededherinspiration,butshefeltthatherletters,hercontactwiththeanxietiesofmenandwomenalloverthecountry,wereapartofvastaffairs,notconfinedtoMainStreetandakitchenbutlinkedwithParis,Bangkok,Madrid.
Sheperceivedthatshecoulddoofficeworkwithoutlosinganyoftheputativefemininevirtueofdomesticity;thatcookingandcleaning,whendivestedofthefussingofanAuntBessie,takebutatenthofthetimewhich,inaGopherPrairie,itisbutdecenttodevotetothem.
NottohavetoapologizeforherthoughtstotheJollySeventeen,nottohavetoreporttoKennicottattheendofthedayallthatshehaddoneormightdo,wasareliefwhichmadeupfortheofficeweariness.
Washingtongaveherallthegraciousnessinwhichshehadhadfaith:whitecolumnsseenacrossleafyparks,spaciousavenues,twistyalleys.
Dailyshepassedadarksquarehousewithahintofmagnoliasandacourtyardbehindit,andatallcurtainedsecond–storywindowthroughwhichawomanwasalwayspeering.
Thewomanwasmystery,romance,astorywhichtolditselfdifferentlyeveryday;nowshewasamurderess,nowtheneglectedwifeofanambassador.
ItwasmysterywhichCarolhadmostlackedinGopherPrairie,whereeveryhousewasopentoview,whereeverypersonwasbuttooeasytomeet,wheretherewerenosecretgatesopeninguponmoorsoverwhichonemightwalkbymoss–deadenedpathstostrangehighadventuresinanancientgarden.
AssheflittedupSixteenthStreetafteraKreislerrecital,givenlateintheafternoonforthegovernmentclerks,asthelampskindledinspheresofsoftfire,asthebreezeflowedintothestreet,freshasprairiewindsandkindlier,assheglanceduptheelmalleyofMassachusettsAvenue,asshewasrestedbytheintegrityoftheScottishRiteTemple,shelovedthecityasshelovednoonesaveHugh.
Sheencounterednegroshantiesturnedintostudios,withorangecurtainsandpotsofmignonette;marblehousesonNewHampshireAvenue,withbutlersandlimousines;andmenwholookedlikefictionalexplorersandaviators.
Shehadtoroostinahall–roominamoldymansionconductedbyanindignantdecayedgentlewoman,andleaveHughtothecareofadoubtfulnurse.Butlatershemadeahome.
VidaSherwinhadgivenheralettertoanearnestwomanwitheye–glasses,plaidsilkwaist,andabeliefinBibleClasses,whointroducedhertothePastorandtheNicerMembersofTincomb.
Thechurchwastheirsocietyandtheirstandard;theywenttoSundayservice,SundaySchool,ChristianEndeavor,missionarylectures,churchsuppers,preciselyastheyhadathome;theyagreedthatambassadorsandflippantnewspapermenandinfidelscientistsofthebureauswereequallywickedandtobeavoided;andbycleavingtoTincombChurchtheykepttheiridealsfromallcontamination.
TheywelcomedCarol,askedaboutherhusband,gaveheradviceregardingcolicinbabies,passedherthegingerbreadandscallopedpotatoesatchurchsuppers,andingeneralmadeherveryunhappyandlonely,sothatshewonderedifshemightnotenlistinthemilitantsuffrageorganizationandbeallowedtogotojail.
AlwaysshewastoperceiveinWashington(asdoubtlessshewouldhaveperceivedinNewYorkorLondon)athickstreakofMainStreet.
ThecautiousdullnessofaGopherPrairieappearedinboarding–houseswhereladylikebureau–clerksgossipedtopoliteyoungarmyofficersaboutthemovies;athousandSamClarksandafewWidowBogartsweretobeidentifiedintheSundaymotorprocession,intheaterparties,andatthedinnersofStateSocieties,towhichtheemigresfromTexasorMichigansurgedthattheymightconfirmthemselvesinthefaiththattheirseveralGopherPrairieswerenotoriously"awholelotpeppierandchummierthanthisstuck–upEast."
GuyPollockwrotetoacousin,atemporaryarmycaptain,aconfidingandbuoyantladwhotookCaroltotea–dances,andlaughed,asshehadalwayswantedsomeonetolaugh,aboutnothinginparticular.
Thecaptainintroducedhertothesecretaryofacongressman,acynicalyoungwidowwithmanyacquaintancesinthenavy.
ThroughherCarolmetcommandersandmajors,newspapermen,chemistsandgeographersandfiscalexpertsfromthebureaus,andateacherwhowasafamiliarofthemilitantsuffrageheadquarters.Theteachertookhertoheadquarters.
Butshewascasuallyadoptedbythisfamilyoffriendlywomenwho,whentheywerenotbeingmobbedorarrested,tookdancinglessonsorwentpicnickinguptheChesapeakeCanalortalkedaboutthepoliticsoftheAmericanFederationofLabor.
Therewerewalkswithhim,thereweremotionlesseveningsofreading,butchieflyWashingtonwasassociatedwithpeople,scoresofthem,sittingabouttheflat,talking,talking,talking,notalwayswiselybutalwaysexcitedly.
ShewassometimesshockedquiteasshehadshockedGopherPrairiebythesegirlswiththeircigarettesandelfishknowledge.
Whentheyweremosteageraboutsovietsorcanoeing,shelistened,longedtohavesomespeciallearningwhichwoulddistinguishher,andsighedthatheradventurehadcomesolate.
Butthefactthatshecouldneverbeeminentamongthesescoffingenthusiastsdidnotkeepherfrombeingproudofthem,fromdefendingtheminimaginaryconversationswithKennicott,whogrunted(shecouldhearhisvoice),"They'resimplyabunchofwildimpracticaltheoristssittin'roundchewingtherag,"and"Ihaven'tgotthetimetochaseafteralotofthesefoolfads;I'mtoobusyputtingasideastakeforouroldage."
Mostofthemenwhocametotheflat,whethertheywerearmyofficersorradicalswhohatedthearmy,hadtheeasygentleness,theacceptanceofwomenwithoutembarrassedbanter,forwhichshehadlongedinGopherPrairie.
Yetthesearmyandnavymen,thesebureauexperts,andorganizersofmultitudinousleagues,werecheerfulonthreeorfourthousandayear,whileKennicotthad,outsideofhislandspeculations,sixthousandormore,andSamhadeight.
ThatinstitutionisreservedformenlikeKennicottwho,afterdevotingfiftyyearsto"puttingasideastake,"incontinentlyinvestthestakeinspuriousoil–stocks.
ShewasencouragedtobelievethatshehadnotbeenabnormalinviewingGopherPrairieasundulytediousandslatternly.
Shefoundthesamefaithnotonlyingirlsescapedfromdomesticitybutalsoindemureoldladieswho,tragicallydeprivedofesteemedhusbandsandhugeoldhouses,yetmanagedtomakeaverycomfortablethingofitbylivinginsmallflatsandhavingtimetoread.
ButshealsolearnedthatbycomparisonGopherPrairiewasamodelofdaringcolor,cleverplanning,andfrenziedintellectuality.
Fromherteacher–housemateshehadasardonicdescriptionofaMiddlewesternrailroad–divisiontown,ofthesamesizeasGopherPrairiebutdevoidoflawnsandtrees,atownwherethetrackssprawledalongthecinder–scabbedMainStreet,andtherailroadshops,drippingsootfromeavesanddoorway,rolledoutsmokeingreasycoils.
Othertownsshecametoknowbyanecdote:aprairievillagewherethewindblewalldaylong,andthemudwastwofeetthickinspring,andinsummertheflyingsandscarrednew–paintedhousesanddustcoveredthefewflowerssetoutinpots.
Arichfarming–centerinNewJersey,offtherailroad,furiouslypious,ruledbyoldmen,unbelievablyignorantoldmen,sittingaboutthegrocerytalkingofJamesG.Blaine.
ASoutherntown,fullofthemagnoliasandwhitecolumnswhichCarolhadacceptedasproofofromance,buthatingthenegroes,obsequioustotheOldFamilies.
Aboomingsemi–citywithparksandcleverarchitects,visitedbyfamouspianistsandunctuouslecturers,butirritablefromastrugglebetweenunionlaborandthemanufacturers'association,sothatineventhegayestofthenewhousestherewasaceaselessandintimidatingheresy–hunt.
Thelinesarebrokenanduncertainofdirection;ofteninsteadofrisingtheysinkinwaveringscrawls;andthecolorsarewateryblueandpinkandthedimgrayofrubbedpencilmarks.Afewlinesaretraceable.
Unhappywomenaregiventoprotectingtheirsensitivenessbycynicalgossip,bywhining,byhigh–churchandnew–thoughtreligions,orbyafogofvagueness.
Carolhadhiddeninnoneoftheserefugesfromreality,butshe,whowastenderandmerry,hadbeenmadetimorousbyGopherPrairie.
ThethingshegainedinWashingtonwasnotinformationaboutoffice–systemsandlaborunionsbutrenewedcourage,thatamiablecontemptcalledpoise.
HerglimpseoftasksinvolvingmillionsofpeopleandascoreofnationsreducedMainStreetfrombloatedimportancetoitsactualpettiness.
ShecouldneveragainbequitesoawedbythepowerwithwhichsheherselfhadendowedtheVidasandBlaussersandBogarts.
Fromherworkandfromherassociationwithwomenwhohadorganizedsuffrageassociationsinhostilecities,orhaddefendedpoliticalprisoners,shecaughtsomethingofanimpersonalattitude;sawthatshehadbeenastouchilypersonalasMaudDyer.
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