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family with the same simple…hearted interest that he criticised the song
and dance artists of the vaudeville theatres。 He became an innocent but
by no means uncritical connoisseur of their attractions； and he surprised
with the constancy and variety of his experience in them a gentleman who
sat next him one night。 Boyne thought him a person of cultivation； and
consulted him upon the opinion he had formed that there was not so much
harm in such places as people said。 The gentleman distinguished in
saying that he thought you would not find more harm in them； if you did
not bring it with you； than you would in the legitimate theatres； and in
the hope of further wisdom from him； Boyne followed him out of the
theatre and helped him on with his overcoat。 The gentleman walked home
to his hotel with him； and professed a pleasure in his acquaintance which
he said he trusted they might sometime renew。
All at once the Kentons began to be acquainted in the hotel； as often
happens with people after they have long ridden up and down in the
elevator together in bonds of apparently perpetual strangeness。 From one
friendly family their acquaintance spread to others until they were；
almost without knowing it； suddenly and simultaneously on smiling and
then on speaking terms with the people of every permanent table in the
dining…room。 Lottie and Boyne burst the chains of the unnatural kindness
which bound them； and resumed their old relations of reciprocal censure。
He found a fellow of his own age in the apartment below； who had the same
country traditions and was engaged in a like inspection of the city； and
she discovered two girls on another floor； who said they received on
Saturdays and wanted her to receive with them。 They made a tea for her；
and asked some real New Yorkers； and such a round of pleasant little
events began for her that Boyne was forced to call his mother's attention
to the way Charlotte was going on with the young men whom she met and
frankly asked to call upon her without knowing anything about them； you
could not do that in New York； he said。
But by this time New York had gone to Mrs。 Kenton's head； too； and she
was less fitted to deal with Lottie than at home。 Whether she had
succeeded or not in helping Ellen take her mind off herself； she had
certainly freed her own from introspection in a dream of things which had
seemed impossible before。 She was in that moment of a woman's life which
has a certain pathos for the intelligent witness； when； having reared her
children and outgrown the more incessant cares of her motherhood； she
sometimes reverts to her girlish impulses and ideals； and confronts the
remaining opportunities of life with a joyful hope unknown to our heavier
and sullener sex in its later years。 It is this peculiar power of
rejuvenescence which perhaps makes so many women outlive their husbands；
who at the same age regard this world as an accomplished fact。 Mrs。
Kenton had kept up their reading long after Kenton found himself too busy
or too tired for it； and when he came from his office at night and fell
asleep over the book she wished him to hear； she continued it herself；
and told him about it。 When Ellen began to show the same taste； they
read together； and the mother was not jealous when the father betrayed
that he was much prouder of his daughter's culture than his wife's。 She
had her own misgivings that she was not so modern as Ellen； and she
accepted her judgment in the case of some authors whom she did not like
so well。
She now went about not only to all the places where she could make
Ellen's amusement serve as an excuse； but to others when she could not
coax or compel the melancholy girl。 She was as constant at matinees of
one kind as Boyne at another sort； she went to the exhibitions of
pictures； and got herself up in schools of painting； she frequented
galleries； public and private； and got asked to studio teas； she went to
meetings and conferences of aesthetic interest； and she paid an easy way
to parlor lectures expressive of the vague but profound ferment in
women's souls； from these her presence in intellectual clubs was a simple
and natural transition。 She met and talked with interesting people； and
now and then she got introduced to literary people。 Once； in a book…
store； she stood next to a gentleman leaning over the same counter； whom
a salesman addressed by the name of a popular author； and she remained
staring at him breathless till he left the place。 When she bragged of
the prodigious experience at home； her husband defied her to say how it
differed from meeting the lecturers who had been their guests in
Tuskingum； and she answered that none of them compared with this author；
and； besides； a lion in his own haunts was very different from a lion
going round the country on exhibition。 Kenton thought that was pretty
good； and owned that she had got him there。
He laughed at her； to the children； but all the same she believed that
she was living in an atmosphere of culture； and with every breath she was
sensible of an intellectual expansion。 She found herself in the
enjoyment of so wide and varied a sympathy with interests hitherto
strange to her experience that she could not easily make people believe
she had never been to Europe。 Nearly every one she met had been several
times； and took it for granted that she knew the Continent as well as
they themselves。
She denied it with increasing shame； she tried to make Kenton understand
how she felt； and she might have gone further if she had not seen how
homesick he was for Tuskingum。 She did her best to coax him and scold
him into a share of the pleasure they were all beginning to have in New
York。 She made him own that Ellen herself was beginning to be gayer； she
convinced him that his business was not suffering in his absence and that
he was the better from the complete rest he was having。 She defied him；
to say； then； what was the matter with him； and she bitterly reproached
herself； in the event； for not having known that it was not homesickness
alone that was the trouble。 When he was not going about with her； or
doing something to amuse the children； he went upon long； lonely walks；
and came home silent and fagged。 He had given up smoking； and he did not
care to sit about in the office of the hotel where other old fellows
passed the time over their papers and cigars； in the heat of the glowing
grates。 They looked too much like himself； with their air of
unrecognized consequence； and of personal loss in an alien environment。
He knew from their dress and bearing that they were country people； and
it wounded him in a tender place to realize that they had each left
behind him in his own town an authority and a respect which they could
not enjoy in New York。 Nobody called them judge； or general； or doctor；
or squire； nobody cared who they were； or what they thought； Kenton did
not care himself； but when he missed one of them he envied him； for then
he knew that he had gone back to the soft； warm keeping of his own
neighborhood； and resumed the intelligent regard of a community he had
grown up with。 There were men in New York whom Kenton had met in former
years； and whom he had sometimes fancied looking up； but he did not let
them know he was in town； and then he was hurt that they ignored him。
He kept away from places where he was likely to meet them； he thought
that it must have come to them that he was spending the winter in New
York； and as bitterly as his nature would suffer he resented the
indifference of the Ohio Society to the presence of an Ohio man of his
local distinction。 He had not the habit of clubs； and when one of the
pleasant younger fellows whom he met in the hotel offered to put him up
at one； he shrank from the courtesy shyly and almost dryly。 He had
outlived the period of active curiosity； and he did not explore the city
as he world once have done。 He had no resorts out of the hotel； except
the basements of the secondhand book…dealers。 He haunted these； and
picked up copies of war histories and biographies； which； as fast as he
read them； he sent off to his son at Tuskingum