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whole city； but Kenton was used to the stillness of Tuskingum； where；
since people no longer kept hens； the nights were stiller than in the
country itself； and for a week he slept badly。 Otherwise； as soon as
they got used to living in six rooms instead of seventeen； they were
really very comfortable。
He could see that his wife was glad of the release from housekeeping； and
she was growing gayer and seemed to be growing younger in the inspiration
of the great； good…natured town。 They had first come to New York on
their wedding journey； but since that visit she had always let him go
alone on his business errands to the East； these had grown less and less
frequent； and he had not seen New York for ten or twelve years。 He could
have waited as much longer； but he liked her pleasure in the place； and
with the homesickness always lurking at his heart he went about with her
to the amusements which she frequented； as she said； to help Ellen take
her mind off herself。 At the play and the opera he sat thinking of the
silent； lonely house at Tuakingum； dark among its leafless maples； and
the life that was no more in it than if they had all died out of it； and
he could not keep down a certain resentment； senseless and cruel； as if
the poor girl were somehow to blame for their exile。 When he betrayed
this feeling to his wife； as he sometimes must； she scolded him for it；
and then offered； if he really thought anything like that； to go back to
Tuskingum at once； and it ended in his having to own himself wrong； and
humbly promise that he never would let the child dream how he felt；
unless he really wished to kill her。 He was obliged to carry his self…
punishment so far as to take Lottie very sharply to task when she broke
out in hot rebellion； and declared that it was all Ellen's fault； she was
not afraid of killing her sister； and though she did not say it to her；
she said it of her； that anybody else could have got rid of that fellow
without turning the whole family out of house and home。
Lottie； in fact； was not having a bit good time in New York； which she
did not find equal in any way to Tuskingum for fun。 She hated the dull
propriety of the hotel； where nobody got acquainted； and every one was as
afraid as death of every one else； and in her desolation she was thrown
back upon the society of her brother Boyne。 They became friends in their
common dislike of New York； and pending some chance of bringing each
other under condemnation they lamented their banishment from Tuskingum
together。 But even Boyne contrived to make the heavy time pass more
lightly than she in the lessons he had with a tutor； and the studies of
the city which he carried on。 When the skating was not good in Central
Park he spent most of his afternoons and evenings at the vaudeville
theatres。 None of the dime museums escaped his research； and he
conversed with freaks and monsters of all sorts upon terms of friendly
confidence。 He reported their different theories of themselves to his
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