tanceshipwasentirelyamatterofthedoctor'sownmaking。
　　InthelateafternoonWillHenderson，ownerandeditoroftheEagle，wentovertoTomWilly'ssaloon。
　　Alonganalleywayhewentandslippinginatthebackdoorofthesaloonbegandrinkingadrinkmadeofacombinationofsloeginandsodawater。WillHendersonwasasensualistandhadreachedtheageofforty-five。Heimaginedtheginrenewedtheyouthinhim。Likemostsensualistsheenjoyedtalk-
　　ingofwomen，andforanhourhelingeredaboutgossipingwithTomWilly。Thesaloonkeeperwasashort，broad-shoulderedmanwithpeculiarlymarkedhands。Thatflamingkindofbirthmarkthatsome-
　　timespaintswithredthefacesofmenandwomenhadtouchedwithredTomWilly'sfingersandthebacksofhishands。AshestoodbythebartalkingtoWillHendersonherubbedthehandstogether。
　　Ashegrewmoreandmoreexcitedtheredofhisfingersdeepened。Itwasasthoughthehandshadbeendippedinbloodthathaddriedandfaded。
　　AsWillHendersonstoodatthebarlookingattheredhandsandtalkingofwomen，hisassistant，GeorgeWillard，satintheofficeoftheWinesburgEagleandlistenedtothetalkofDoctorParcival。
　　DoctorParcivalappearedimmediatelyafterWillHendersonhaddisappeared。Onemighthavesup-
　　posedthatthedoctorhadbeenwatchingfromhisofficewindowandhadseentheeditorgoingalongthealleyway。Cominginatthefrontdoorandfind-
　　inghimselfachair，helightedoneofthestogiesandcrossinghislegsbegantotalk。Heseemedintentuponconvincingtheboyoftheadvisabilityofadopt-
　　ingalineofconductthathewashimselfunabletodefine。
　　"IfyouhaveyoureyesopenyouwillseethatalthoughIcallmyselfadoctorIhavemightyfewpatients，"hebegan。"Thereisareasonforthat。ItisnotanaccidentanditisnotbecauseIdonotknowasmuchofmedicineasanyonehere。Idonotwantpatients。Thereason，yousee，doesnotappearonthesurface。Itliesinfactinmycharacter，whichhas，ifyouthinkaboutit，manystrangeturns。WhyIwanttotalktoyouofthematterIdon'tknow。I
　　mightkeepstillandgetmorecreditinyoureyes。I
　　haveadesiretomakeyouadmireme，that'safact。
　　Idon'tknowwhy。That'swhyItalk。It'sveryamus-
　　ing，eh？"
　　Sometimesthedoctorlaunchedintolongtalesconcerninghimself。Totheboythetaleswereveryrealandfullofmeaning。Hebegantoadmirethefatunclean-lookingmanand，intheafternoonwhenWillHendersonhadgone，lookedforwardwithkeeninteresttothedoctor'scoming。
　　DoctorParcivalhadbeeninWinesburgaboutfiveyears。HecamefromChicagoandwhenhearrivedwasdrunkandgotintoafightwithAlbertLong-
　　worth，thebaggageman。Thefightconcernedatrunkandendedbythedoctor'sbeingescortedtothevil-
　　lagelockup。Whenhewasreleasedherentedaroomaboveashoe-repairingshopatthelowerendofMainStreetandputoutthesignthatannouncedhimselfasadoctor。Althoughhehadbutfewpa-
　　tientsandtheseofthepoorersortwhowereunabletopay，heseemedtohaveplentyofmoneyforhisneeds。HesleptintheofficethatwasunspeakablydirtyanddinedatBiffCarter'slunchroominasmallframebuildingoppositetherailroadstation。InthesummerthelunchroomwasfilledwithfliesandBiffCarter'swhiteapronwasmoredirtythanhisfloor。
　　DoctorParcivaldidnotmind。Intothelunchroomhestalkedanddepositedtwentycentsuponthecounter。"Feedmewhatyouwishforthat，"hesaidlaughing。"Useupfoodthatyouwouldn'totherwisesell。Itmakesnodifferencetome。Iamamanofdistinction，yousee。WhyshouldIconcernmyselfwithwhatIeat。"
　　ThetalesthatDoctorParcivaltoldGeorgeWillardbegannowhereandendednowhere。Sometimestheboythoughttheymustallbeinventions，apackoflies。Andthenagainhewasconvincedthattheycontainedtheveryessenceoftruth。
　　"Iwasareporterlikeyouhere，"DoctorParcivalbegan。"ItwasinatowninIowa——orwasitinIlli-
　　nois？Idon'trememberandanywayitmakesnodifference。PerhapsIamtryingtoconcealmyiden-
　　tityanddon'twanttobeverydefinite。HaveyoueverthoughtitstrangethatIhavemoneyformyneedsalthoughIdonothing？ImayhavestolenagreatsumofmoneyorbeeninvolvedinamurderbeforeIcamehere。Thereisfoodforthoughtinthat，eh？Ifyouwereareallysmartnewspaperreporteryouwouldlookmeup。InChicagotherewasaDoc-
　　torCroninwhowasmurdered。Haveyouheardofthat？Somemenmurderedhimandputhiminatrunk。Intheearlymorningtheyhauledthetrunkacrossthecity。Itsatonthebackofanexpresswagonandtheywereontheseatasunconcernedasanything。Alongtheywentthroughquietstreetswhereeveryonewasasleep。Thesunwasjustcom-
　　ingupoverthelake。Funny，eh——justtothinkofthemsmokingpipesandchatteringastheydrovealongasunconcernedasIamnow。PerhapsIwasoneofthosemen。Thatwouldbeastrangeturnofthings，nowwouldn'tit，eh？"AgainDoctorParcivalbeganhistale:"Well，anywaythereIwas，areporteronapaperjustasyouarehere，runningaboutandgettinglittleitemstoprint。Mymotherwaspoor。
　　Shetookinwashing。HerdreamwastomakemeaPresbyterianministerandIwasstudyingwiththatendinview。
　　"Myfatherhadbeeninsaneforanumberofyears。
　　HewasinanasylumoveratDayton，Ohio。ThereyouseeIhaveletitslipout!AllofthistookplaceinOhio，righthereinOhio。Thereisaclewifyouevergetthenotionoflookingmeup。
　　"Iwasgoingtotellyouofmybrother。That'stheobjectofallthis。That'swhatI'mgettingat。MybrotherwasarailroadpainterandhadajobontheBigFour。YouknowthatroadrunsthroughOhiohere。Withothermenhelivedinaboxcarandawaytheywentfromtowntotownpaintingtherailroadproperty-switches，crossinggates，bridges，andstations。
　　"TheBigFourpaintsitsstationsanastyorangecolor。HowIhatedthatcolor!Mybrotherwasal-
　　wayscoveredwithit。Onpaydaysheusedtogetdrunkandcomehomewearinghispaint-coveredclothesandbringinghismoneywithhim。Hedidnotgiveittomotherbutlaiditinapileonourkitchentable。
　　"Aboutthehousehewentintheclothescoveredwiththenastyorangecoloredpaint。Icanseethepicture。Mymother，whowassmallandhadred，sad-lookingeyes，wouldcomeintothehousefromalittleshedattheback。That'swhereshespenthertimeoverthewashtubscrubbingpeople'sdirtyclothes。Inshewouldcomeandstandbythetable，rubbinghereyeswithherapronthatwascoveredwithsoap-suds。
　　"'Don'ttouchit!Don'tyoudaretouchthatmoney，'mybrotherroared，andthenhehimselftookfiveortendollarsandwenttrampingofftothesaloons。Whenhehadspentwhathehadtakenhecamebackformore。Henevergavemymotheranymoneyatallbutstayedaboutuntilhehadspentitall，alittleatatime。Thenhewentbacktohisjobwiththepaintingcrewontherailroad。Afterhehadgonethingsbegantoarriveatourhouse，groceriesandsuchthings。Sometimestherewouldbeadressformotherorapairofshoesforme。
　　"Strange，eh？Mymotherlovedmybrothermuchmorethanshedidme，althoughheneversaidakindwordtoeitherofusandalwaysravedupanddownthreateningusifwedaredsomuchastouchthemoneythatsometimeslayonthetablethreedays。
　　"Wegotalongprettywell。Istudiedtobeaminis-
　　terandprayed。Iwasaregularassaboutsayingprayers。Youshouldhaveheardme。Whenmyfa-
　　therdiedIprayedallnight，justasIdidsometimeswhenmybrotherwasintowndrinkingandgoingaboutbuyingthethingsforus。IntheeveningaftersupperIkneltbythetablewherethemoneylayandprayedforhours。WhennoonewaslookingIstoleadollarortwoandputitinmypocket。Thatmakesmelaughnowbutthenitwasterrible。Itwasonmymindallthetime。Igotsixdollarsaweekfrommyjobonthepaperandalwaystookitstraighthometomother。ThefewdollarsIstolefrommybrother'spileIspentonmyself，youknow，fortrifles，candyandcigarettesandsuchthings。
　　"WhenmyfatherdiedattheasylumoveratDay-
　　ton，Iwentoverthere。IborrowedsomemoneyfromthemanforwhomIworkedandwentonthetrainatnight。Itwasraining。IntheasylumtheytreatedmeasthoughIwereaking。
　　"ThemenwhohadjobsintheasylumhadfoundoutIwasanewspaperreporter。Thatmadethemafraid。Therehadbeensomenegligence，somecare-
　　lessness，yousee，whenfatherwasill。TheythoughtperhapsIwouldwriteitupinthepaperandmakeafuss。Ineverintendedtodoanythingofthekind。
　　"Anyway，inIwenttotheroomwheremyfatherlaydeadandblessedthedeadbody。Iwonderwhatputthatnotionintomyhead。Wouldn'tmybrother，thepainter，havelaughed，though。ThereIstoodoverthedeadbodyandspreadoutmyhands。Thesuperintendentoftheasylumandsomeofhishelp-
　　erscameinandstoodaboutlookingsheepish。Itwasveryamusing。Ispreadoutmyhandsandsaid，'Letpeacebroodoverthiscarcass。'That'swhatI
　　said。"
　　Jumpingtohisfeetandbreakingoffthetale，Doc-
　　torParcivalbegantowalkupanddownintheofficeoftheWinesburgEaglewhereGeorgeWillardsatlis-
　　tening。Hewasawkwardand，astheofficewassmall，continuallyknockedagainstthings。"WhatafoolIamtobetalking，"hesaid。"Thatisnotmyobjectincominghereandforcingmyacquaintance-
　　shipuponyou。Ihavesomethingelseinmind。YouareareporterjustasIwasonceandyouhaveat-
　　tractedmyattention。Youmayendbybecomingjustsuchanotherfool。Iwanttowarnyouandkeeponwarningyou。That'swhyIseekyouout。"
　　DoctorParcivalbegantalkingofGeorgeWillard'sattitudetowardmen。Itseemedtotheboythatthemanhadbutoneobjectinview，tomakeeveryoneseemdespicable。"Iwanttofillyouwithhatredandcontemptsothatyouwillbeasuperiorbeing，"hedeclared。"Lookatmybrother。Therewasafellow，eh？Hedespisedeveryone，yousee。Youhavenoideawithwhatcontempthelookeduponmotherandme。Andwashenotoursuperior？Youknowhewas。YouhavenotseenhimandyetIhavemadeyoufeelthat。Ihavegivenyouasenseofit。Heisdead。Oncewhenhewasdrunkhelaydownonthetracksandthecarinwhichhelivedwiththeotherpaintersranoverhim。"
　　OnedayinAugustDoctorParcivalhadanadven-
　　tureinWinesburg。ForamonthGeorgeWillardhadbeengoingeachmorningtospendanhourinthedoctor'soffice。Thevisitscameaboutthroughade-
　　sireonthepartofthedoctortoreadtotheboyfromthepagesofabookhewasintheprocessofwriting。
　　TowritethebookDoctorParcivaldeclaredwastheobjectofhiscomingtoWinesburgtolive。
　　OnthemorninginAugustbeforethecomingoftheboy，anincidenthadhappenedinthedoctor'soffice。TherehadbeenanaccidentonMainStreet。
　　Ateamofhorseshadbeenfrightenedbyatrainandhadrunaway。Alittlegirl，thedaughterofafarmer，hadbeenthrownfromabuggyandkilled。
　　OnMainStreeteveryonehadbecomeexcitedandacryfordoctorshadgoneup。Allthreeoftheactivepractitionersofthetownhadcomequicklybuthadfoundthechilddead。FromthecrowdsomeonehadruntotheofficeofDoctorParcivalwhohadbluntlyrefusedtogodownoutofhisofficetothedeadchild。Theuselesscrueltyofhisrefusalhadpassedunnoticed。Indeed，themanwhohadcomeupthestairwaytosummonhimhadhurriedawaywithouthearingtherefusal。
　　Allofthis，DoctorParcivaldidnotknowandwhenGeorgeWillardcametohisofficehefoundthemanshakingwithterror。"WhatIhavedonewillarousethepeopleofthistown，"hedeclaredexcitedly。"DoInotknowhumannature？DoInotknowwhatwillhappen？Wordofmyrefusalwillbewhisperedabout。Presentlymenwillgettogetheringroupsandtalkofit。Theywillcomehere。Wewillquarrelandtherewillbetalkofhanging。Thentheywillcomeagainbearingaropeintheirhands。"
　　DoctorParcivalshookwithfright。"Ihaveapre-
　　sentiment，"hedeclaredemphatically。"ItmaybethatwhatIamtalkingaboutwillnotoccurthismorning。ItmaybeputoffuntiltonightbutIwillbehanged。Everyonewillgetexcited。Iwillbehangedtoalamp-postonMainStreet。"
　　Goingtothedoorofhisdirtyoffice，DoctorParci-
　　vallookedtimidlydownthestairwayleadingtothestreet。Whenhereturnedthefrightthathadbeeninhiseyeswasbeginningtobereplacedbydoubt。
　　ComingontiptoeacrosstheroomhetappedGeorgeWillardontheshoulder。"Ifnotnow，sometime，"
　　hewhispered，shakinghishead。"IntheendIwillbecrucified，uselesslycrucified。"
　　DoctorParcivalbegantopleadwithGeorgeWil-
　　lard。"Youmustpayattentiontome，"heurged。"IfsomethinghappensperhapsyouwillbeabletowritethebookthatImaynevergetwritten。Theideaisverysimple，sosimplethatifyouarenotcarefulyouwillforgetit。Itisthis——thateveryoneintheworldisChristandtheyareallcrucified。That'swhatIwanttosay。Don'tyouforgetthat。Whateverhappens，don'tyoudareletyourselfforget。"
　　NOBODYKNOWS
　　LOOKINGCAUTIOUSLYABOUT，GeorgeWillardarosefromhisdeskintheofficeoftheWinesburgEagleandwenthurriedlyoutatthebackdoor。Thenightwaswarmandcloudyandalthoughitwasnotyeteighto'clock，thealleywaybackoftheEagleofficewaspitchdark。Ateamofhorsestiedtoapostsomewhereinthedarknessstampedonthehard-
　　bakedground。AcatsprangfromunderGeorgeWil-
　　lard'sfeetandranawayintothenight。Theyoungmanwasnervous。Alldayhehadgoneabouthisworklikeonedazedbyablow。Inthealleywayhetrembledasthoughwithfright。
　　InthedarknessGeorgeWillardwalkedalongthealleyway，goingcarefullyandcautiously。ThebackdoorsoftheWinesburgstoreswereopenandhecouldseemensittingaboutunderthestorelamps。
　　InMyerbaum'sNotionStoreMrs。Willythesaloonkeeper'swifestoodbythecounterwithabasketonherarm。SidGreentheclerkwaswaitingonher。
　　Heleanedoverthecounterandtalkedearnestly。
　　GeorgeWillardcrouchedandthenjumpedthroughthepathoflightthatcameoutatthedoor。
　　Hebegantorunforwardinthedarkness。BehindEdGriffith'ssaloonoldJerryBirdthetowndrunkardlayasleepontheground。Therunnerstumbledoverthesprawlinglegs。Helaughedbrokenly。
　　GeorgeWillardhadsetforthuponanadventure。
　　Alldayhehadbeentryingtomakeuphismindtogothroughwiththeadventureandnowhewasact-
　　ing。IntheofficeoftheWinesburgEaglehehadbeensittingsincesixo'clocktryingtothink。
　　Therehadbeennodecision。Hehadjustjumpedtohisfeet，hurriedpastWillHendersonwhowasreadingproofintheprintshopandstartedtorunalongthealleyway。
　　ThroughstreetafterstreetwentGeorgeWillard，avoidingthepeoplewhopassed。Hecrossedandrecrossedtheroad。Whenhepassedastreetlamphepulledhishatdownoverhisface。Hedidnotdarethink。Inhismindtherewasafearbutitwasanewkindoffear。Hewasafraidtheadventureonwhichhehadsetoutwouldbespoiled，thathewouldlosecourageandturnback。
　　GeorgeWillardfoundLouiseTrunnioninthekitchenofherfather'shouse。Shewaswashingdishesbythelightofakerosenelamp。Thereshestoodbehindthescreendoorinthelittleshedlikekitchenatthebackofthehouse。GeorgeWillardstoppedbyapicketfenceandtriedtocontroltheshakingofhisbody。Onlyanarrowpotatopatchseparatedhimfromtheadventure。Fiveminutespassedbeforehefeltsureenoughofhimselftocalltoher。"Louise!Oh，Louise!"hecalled。Thecrystuckinhisthroat。Hisvoicebecameahoarsewhisper。
　　LouiseTrunnioncameoutacrossthepotatopatchholdingthedishclothinherhand。"HowdoyouknowIwanttogooutwithyou，"shesaidsulkily。
　　"Whatmakesyousosure？"
　　GeorgeWillarddidnotanswer。Insilencethetwostoodinthedarknesswiththefencebetweenthem。
　　"Yougoonalong，"shesaid。"Pa'sinthere。I'llcomealong。YouwaitbyWilliams'barn。"
　　Theyoungnewspaperreporterhadreceivedalet-
　　terfromLouiseTrunnion。IthadcomethatmorningtotheofficeoftheWinesburgEagle。Theletterwasbrief。"I'myoursifyouwantme，"itsaid。Hethoughtitannoyingthatinthedarknessbythefenceshehadpretendedtherewasnothingbetweenthem。"Shehasanerve!Well，gracioussakes，shehasanerve，"hemutteredashewentalongthestreetandpassedarowofvacantlotswherecorngrew。Thecornwasshoulderhighandhadbeenplantedrightdowntothesidewalk。
　　WhenLouiseTrunnioncameoutofthefrontdoorofherhouseshestillworetheginghamdressinwhichshehadbeenwashingdishes。Therewasnohatonherhead。Theboycouldseeherstandingwiththedoorknobinherhandtalkingtosomeonewithin，nodoubttooldJakeTrunnion，herfather。
　　OldJakewashalfdeafandsheshouted。Thedoorclosedandeverythingwasdarkandsilentinthelittlesidestreet。GeorgeWillardtrembledmorevio-
　　lentlythanever。
　　IntheshadowsbyWilliams'barnGeorgeandLouisestood，notdaringtotalk。Shewasnotpartic-
　　ularlycomelyandtherewasablacksmudgeonthesideofhernose。Georgethoughtshemusthaverubbedhernosewithherfingeraftershehadbeenhandlingsomeofthekitchenpots。
　　Theyoungmanbegantolaughnervously。"It'swarm，"hesaid。Hewantedtotouchherwithhishand。"I'mnotverybold，"hethought。Justtotouchthefoldsofthesoiledginghamdresswould，hede-
　　cided，beanexquisitepleasure。Shebegantoquib-
　　ble。"Youthinkyou'rebetterthanIam。Don'ttellme，IguessIknow，"shesaiddrawingclosertohim。
　　AfloodofwordsburstfromGeorgeWillard。Herememberedthelookthathadlurkedinthegirl'seyeswhentheyhadmetonthestreetsandthoughtofthenoteshehadwritten。Doubtlefthim。Thewhisperedtalesconcerningherthathadgoneabouttowngavehimconfidence。Hebecamewhollythemale，boldandaggressive。Inhishearttherewasnosympathyforher。"Ah，comeon，it'llbeallright。
　　Therewon'tbeanyoneknowanything。Howcantheyknow？"heurged。
　　Theybegantowalkalonganarrowbricksidewalkbetweenthecracksofwhichtallweedsgrew。Someofthebricksweremissingandthesidewalkwasroughandirregular。Hetookholdofherhandthatwasalsoroughandthoughtitdelightfullysmall。
　　"Ican'tgofar，"shesaidandhervoicewasquiet，unperturbed。
　　Theycrossedabridgethatranoveratinystreamandpassedanothervacantlotinwhichcorngrew。
　　Thestreetended。Inthepathatthesideoftheroadtheywerecompelledtowalkonebehindtheother。
　　WillOverton'sberryfieldlaybesidetheroadandtherewasapileofboards。"Willisgoingtobuildashedtostoreberrycrateshere，"saidGeorgeandtheysatdownupontheboards。
　　WhenGeorgeWillardgotbackintoMainStreetitwaspastteno'clockandhadbeguntorain。ThreetimeshewalkedupanddownthelengthofMainStreet。SylvesterWest'sDrugStorewasstillopenandhewentinandboughtacigar。WhenShortyCrandalltheclerkcameoutatthedoorwithhimhewaspleased。Forfiveminutesthetwostoodintheshelterofthestoreawningandtalked。GeorgeWil-
　　lardfeltsatisfied。Hehadwantedmorethanany-
　　thingelsetotalktosomeman。AroundacornertowardtheNewWillardHousehewentwhistlingsoftly。
　　OnthesidewalkatthesideofWinney'sDryGoodsStorewheretherewasahighboardfencecoveredwithcircuspictures，hestoppedwhistlingandstoodperfectlystillinthedarkness，attentive，listeningasthoughforavoicecallinghisname。
　　Thenagainhelaughednervously。"Shehasn'tgotanythingonme。Nobodyknows，"hemuttereddog-
　　gedlyandwentonhisway。
　　GODLINESS
　　ATaleinFourPartsTHEREWEREALWAYSthreeorfouroldpeoplesittingonthefrontporchofthehouseorputteringaboutthegardenoftheBentleyfarm。ThreeoftheoldpeoplewerewomenandsisterstoJesse。Theywereacolorless，softvoicedlot。ThentherewasasilentoldmanwiththinwhitehairwhowasJesse'suncle。
　　Thefarmhousewasbuiltofwood，aboardouter-
　　coveringoveraframeworkoflogs。Itwasinrealitynotonehousebutaclusterofhousesjoinedto-
　　getherinaratherhaphazardmanner。Inside，theplacewasfullofsurprises。Onewentupstepsfromthelivingroomintothediningroomandtherewerealwaysstepstobeascendedordescendedinpassingfromoneroomtoanother。Atmealtimestheplacewaslikeabeehive。Atonemomentallwasquiet，thendoorsbegantoopen，feetclatteredonstairs，amurmurofsoftvoicesaroseandpeopleappearedfromadozenobscurecorners。
　　Besidestheoldpeople，alreadymentioned，manyotherslivedintheBentleyhouse。Therewerefourhiredmen，awomannamedAuntCallieBeebe，whowasinchargeofthehousekeeping，adull-wittedgirlnamedElizaStoughton，whomadebedsandhelpedwiththemilking，aboywhoworkedinthestables，andJesseBentleyhimself，theownerandoverlordofitall。
　　BythetimetheAmericanCivilWarhadbeenoverfortwentyyears，thatpartofNorthernOhiowheretheBentleyfarmslayhadbeguntoemergefrompioneerlife。Jessethenownedmachineryforhar-
　　vestinggrain。Hehadbuiltmodernbarnsandmostofhislandwasdrainedwithcarefullylaidtiledrain，butinordertounderstandthemanwewillhavetogobacktoanearlierday。
　　TheBentleyfamilyhadbeeninNorthernOhioforseveralgenerationsbeforeJesse'stime。TheycamefromNewYorkStateandtookuplandwhenthecountrywasnewandlandcouldbehadatalowprice。Foralongtimethey，incommonwithalltheotherMiddleWesternpeople，wereverypoor。Thelandtheyhadsettleduponwasheavilywoodedandcoveredwithfallenlogsandunderbrush。Afterthelonghardlaborofclearingtheseawayandcuttingthetimber，therewerestillthestumpstobereck-
　　onedwith。Plowsrunthroughthefieldscaughtonhiddenroots，stoneslayallabout，onthelowplaceswatergathered，andtheyoungcornturnedyellow，sickenedanddied。
　　WhenJesseBentley'sfatherandbrothershadcomeintotheirownershipoftheplace，muchoftheharderpartoftheworkofclearinghadbeendone，buttheyclungtooldtraditionsandworkedlikedrivenanimals。Theylivedaspracticallyallofthefarmingpeopleofthetimelived。InthespringandthroughmostofthewinterthehighwaysleadingintothetownofWinesburgwereaseaofmud。Thefouryoungmenofthefamilyworkedhardalldayinthefields，theyateheavilyofcoarse，greasyfood，andatnightsleptliketiredbeastsonbedsofstraw。
　　Intotheirlivescamelittlethatwasnotcoarseandbrutalandoutwardlytheywerethemselvescoarseandbrutal。OnSaturdayafternoonstheyhitchedateamofhorsestoathree-seatedwagonandwentofftotown。Intowntheystoodaboutthestovesinthestorestalkingtootherfarmersortothestorekeepers。Theyweredressedinoverallsandinthewinterworeheavycoatsthatwerefleckedwithmud。Theirhandsastheystretchedthemouttotheheatofthestoveswerecrackedandred。Itwasdif-
　　ficultforthemtotalkandsotheyforthemostpartkeptsilent。Whentheyhadboughtmeat，flour，sugar，andsalt，theywentintooneoftheWinesburgsaloonsanddrankbeer。Undertheinfluenceofdrinkthenaturallystronglustsoftheirnatures，keptsuppressedbytheheroiclaborofbreakingupnewground，werereleased。Akindofcrudeandanimal-
　　likepoeticfervortookpossessionofthem。Ontheroadhometheystooduponthewagonseatsandshoutedatthestars。Sometimestheyfoughtlongandbitterlyandatothertimestheybrokeforthintosongs。OnceEnochBentley，theolderoneoftheboys，struckhisfather，oldTomBentley，withthebuttofateamster'swhip，andtheoldmanseemedlikelytodie。FordaysEnochlayhidinthestrawintheloftofthestablereadytofleeiftheresultofhismomentarypassionturnedouttobemurder。Hewaskeptalivewithfoodbroughtbyhismother，whoalsokepthiminformedoftheinjuredman'scondition。Whenallturnedoutwellheemergedfromhishidingplaceandwentbacktotheworkofclearinglandasthoughnothinghadhappened。
　　TheCivilWarbroughtasharpturntothefortunesoftheBentleysandwasresponsiblefortheriseoftheyoungestson，Jesse。Enoch，Edward，Harry，andWillBentleyallenlistedandbeforethelongwarendedtheywereallkilled。ForatimeaftertheywentawaytotheSouth，oldTomtriedtoruntheplace，buthewasnotsuccessful。WhenthelastofthefourhadbeenkilledhesentwordtoJessethathewouldhavetocomehome。
　　Thenthemother，whohadnotbeenwellforayear，diedsuddenly，andthefatherbecamealto-
　　getherdiscouraged。Hetalkedofsellingthefarmandmovingintotown。Alldayhewentaboutshak-
　　inghisheadandmuttering。Theworkinthefieldswasneglectedandweedsgrewhighinthecorn。OldTimhiredmenbuthedidnotusethemintelligently。
　　Whentheyhadgoneawaytothefieldsinthemorn-
　　inghewanderedintothewoodsandsatdownonalog。Sometimesheforgottocomehomeatnightandoneofthedaughtershadtogoinsearchofhim。
　　WhenJesseBentleycamehometothefarmandbegantotakechargeofthingshewasaslight，sensitive-lookingmanoftwenty-two。AteighteenhehadlefthometogotoschooltobecomeascholarandeventuallytobecomeaministerofthePresbyte-
　　rianChurch。Allthroughhisboyhoodhehadbeenwhatinourcountrywascalledan"oddsheep"andhadnotgotonwithhisbrothers。Ofallthefamilyonlyhismotherhadunderstoodhimandshewasnowdead。Whenhecamehometotakechargeofthefarm，thathadatthattimegrowntomorethansixhundredacres，everyoneonthefarmsaboutandinthenearbytownofWinesburgsmiledattheideaofhistryingtohandletheworkthathadbeendonebyhisfourstrongbrothers。
　　Therewasindeedgoodcausetosmile。BythestandardsofhisdayJessedidnotlooklikeamanatall。Hewassmallandveryslenderandwomanishofbodyand，truetothetraditionsofyoungminis-
　　ters，worealongblackcoatandanarrowblackstringtie。Theneighborswereamusedwhentheysawhim，aftertheyearsaway，andtheywereevenmoreamusedwhentheysawthewomanhehadmarriedinthecity。
　　Asamatteroffact，Jesse'swifedidsoongounder。
　　ThatwasperhapsJesse'sfault。AfarminNorthernOhiointhehardyearsaftertheCivilWarwasnoplaceforadelicatewoman，andKatherineBentleywasdelicate。Jessewashardwithherashewaswitheverybodyabouthiminthosedays。Shetriedtodosuchworkasalltheneighborwomenaboutherdidandhelethergoonwithoutinterference。Shehelpedtodothemilkinganddidpartofthehouse-
　　work；shemadethebedsforthemenandpreparedtheirfood。Forayearsheworkedeverydayfromsunriseuntillateatnightandthenaftergivingbirthtoachildshedied。
　　AsforJesseBentley——althoughhewasadelicatelybuiltmantherewassomethingwithinhimthatcouldnoteasilybekilled。Hehadbrowncurlyhairandgreyeyesthatwereattimeshardanddirect，attimeswaveringanduncertain。Notonlywasheslen-
　　derbuthewasalsoshortofstature。Hismouthwaslikethemouthofasensitiveandverydeterminedchild。JesseBentleywasafanatic。Hewasamanbornoutofhistimeandplaceandforthishesuf-
　　feredandmadeotherssuffer。Neverdidhesucceedingettingwhathewantedoutoffifeandhedidnotknowwhathewanted。WithinaveryshorttimeafterhecamehometotheBentleyfarmhemadeeveryonetherealittleafraidofhim，andhiswife，whoshouldhavebeenclosetohimashismotherhadbeen，wasafraidalso。Attheendoftwoweeksafterhiscoming，oldTomBentleymadeovertohimtheentireownershipoftheplaceandretiredintothebackground。Everyoneretiredintotheback-
　　ground。Inspiteofhisyouthandinexperience，Jessehadthetrickofmasteringthesoulsofhispeople。
　　Hewassoinearnestineverythinghedidandsaidthatnooneunderstoodhim。Hemadeeveryoneonthefarmworkastheyhadneverworkedbeforeandyettherewasnojoyinthework。IfthingswentwelltheywentwellforJesseandneverforthepeoplewhowerehisdependents。LikeathousandotherstrongmenwhohavecomeintotheworldhereinAmericaintheselatertimes，Jessewasbuthalfstrong。Hecouldmasterothersbuthecouldnotmasterhimself。Therunningofthefarmasithadneverbeenrunbeforewaseasyforhim。WhenhecamehomefromClevelandwherehehadbeeninschool，heshuthimselfofffromallofhispeopleandbegantomakeplans。Hethoughtaboutthefarmnightanddayandthatmadehimsuccessful。
　　Othermenonthefarmsabouthimworkedtoohardandweretoofiredtothink，buttothinkofthefarmandtobeeverlastinglymakingplansforitssuccesswasarelieftoJesse。Itpartiallysatisfiedsomethinginhispassionatenature。Immediatelyafterhecamehomehehadawingbuiltontotheoldhouseandinalargeroomfacingthewesthehadwindowsthatlookedintothebarnyardandotherwindowsthatlookedoffacrossthefields。Bythewindowhesatdowntothink。Hourafterhouranddayafterdayhesatandlookedoverthelandandthoughtouthisnewplaceinlife。Thepassionateburningthinginhisnatureflamedupandhiseyesbecamehard。Hewantedtomakethefarmproduceasnofarminhisstatehadeverproducedbeforeandthenhewantedsomethingelse。Itwastheindefinablehungerwithinthatmadehiseyeswaverandthatkepthimalwaysmoreandmoresilentbeforepeople。Hewouldhavegivenmuchtoachievepeaceandinhimwasafearthatpeacewasthethinghecouldnotachieve。
　　AlloverhisbodyJesseBentleywasalive。Inhissmallframewasgatheredtheforceofalonglineofstrongmen。Hehadalwaysbeenextraordinarilyalivewhenhewasasmallboyonthefarmandlaterwhenhewasayoungmaninschool。IntheschoolhehadstudiedandthoughtofGodandtheBiblewithhiswholemindandheart。Astimepassedandhegrewtoknowpeoplebetter，hebegantothinkofhimselfasanextraordinaryman，onesetapartfromhisfellows。Hewantedterriblytomakehislifeathingofgreatimportance，andashelookedaboutathisfellowmenandsawhowlikeclodstheyliveditseemedtohimthathecouldnotbeartobecomealsosuchaclod。Althoughinhisabsorptioninhim-
　　selfandinhisowndestinyhewasblindtothefactthathisyoungwifewasdoingastrongwoman'sworkevenaftershehadbecomelargewithchildandthatshewaskillingherselfinhisservice，hedidnotintendtobeunkindtoher。Whenhisfather，whowasoldandtwistedwithtoil，madeovertohimtheownershipofthefarmandseemedcontenttocreepawaytoacornerandwaitfordeath，heshruggedhisshouldersanddismissedtheoldmanfromhismind。
　　IntheroombythewindowoverlookingthelandthathadcomedowntohimsatJessethinkingofhisownaffairs。Inthestableshecouldhearthetramp-
　　ingofhishorsesandtherestlessmovementofhiscattle。Awayinthefieldshecouldseeothercattlewanderingovergreenhills。Thevoicesofmen，hismenwhoworkedforhim，cameintohimthroughthewindow。Fromthemilkhousetherewasthesteadythump，thumpofachurnbeingmanipulatedbythehalf-wittedgirl，ElizaStoughton。Jesse'smindwentbacktothemenofOldTestamentdayswhohadalsoownedlandsandherds。HerememberedhowGodhadcomedownoutoftheskiesandtalkedtothesemenandhewantedGodtonoticeandtotalktohimalso。Akindoffeverishboyisheagernesstoinsomewayachieveinhisownlifetheflavorofsignificancethathadhungoverthesementookpossessionofhim。BeingaprayerfulmanhespokeofthematteraloudtoGodandthesoundofhisownwordsstrengthenedandfedhiseagerness。
　　"Iamanewkindofmancomeintopossessionofthesefields，"hedeclared。"Lookuponme，OGod，andlookThoualsouponmyneighborsandallthemenwhohavegonebeforemehere!OGod，createinmeanotherJesse，likethatoneofold，toruleovermenandtobethefatherofsonswhoshallberul-
　　ers!"Jessegrewexcitedashetalkedaloudandjumpingtohisfeetwalkedupanddownintheroom。Infancyhesawhimselflivinginoldtimesandamongoldpeoples。Thelandthatlaystretchedoutbeforehimbecameofvastsignificance，aplacepeopledbyhisfancywithanewraceofmensprungfromhimself。Itseemedtohimthatinhisdayasinthoseotherandolderdays，kingdomsmightbecre-
　　atedandnewimpulsesgiventothelivesofmenbythepowerofGodspeakingthroughachosenser-
　　vant。Helongedtobesuchaservant。"ItisGod'sworkIhavecometothelandtodo，"hedeclaredinaloudvoiceandhisshortfigurestraightenedandhethoughtthatsomethinglikeahaloofGodlyap-
　　provalhungoverhim。
　　ItwillperhapsbesomewhatdifficultforthemenandwomenofalaterdaytounderstandJesseBent-
　　ley。Inthelastfiftyyearsavastchangehastakenplaceinthelivesofourpeople。Arevolutionhasinfacttakenplace。Thecomingofindustrialism，at-
　　tendedbyalltheroarandrattleofaffairs，theshrillcriesofmillionsofnewvoicesthathavecomeamongusfromoverseas，thegoingandcomingoftrains，thegrowthofcities，thebuildingoftheinter-
　　urbancarlinesthatweaveinandoutoftownsandpastfarmhouses，andnowintheselaterdaysthecomingoftheautomobileshasworkedatremen-
　　douschangeinthelivesandinthehabitsofthoughtofourpeopleofMid-America。Books，badlyimag-
　　inedandwrittenthoughtheymaybeinthehurryofourtimes，areineveryhousehold，magazinescir-
　　culatebythemillionsofcopies，newspapersareev-
　　erywhere。Inourdayafarmerstandingbythestoveinthestoreinhisvillagehashismindfilledtoover-
　　flowingwiththewordsofothermen。Thenewspa-
　　persandthemagazineshavepumpedhimfull。
　　Muchoftheoldbrutalignorancethathadinitalsoakindofbeautifulchildlikeinnocenceisgonefor-
　　ever。Thefarmerbythestoveisbrothertothemenofthecities，andifyoulistenyouwillfindhimtalkingasgliblyandassenselesslyasthebestcitymanofusall。
　　InJesseBentley'stimeandinthecountrydistrictsofthewholeMiddleWestintheyearsaftertheCivilWaritwasnotso。Menlaboredtoohardandweretootiredtoread。Inthemwasnodesireforwordsprinteduponpaper。Astheyworkedinthefields，vague，half-formedthoughtstookpossessionofthem。TheybelievedinGodandinGod'spowertocontroltheirlives。InthelittleProtestantchurchestheygatheredonSundaytohearofGodandhisworks。Thechurcheswerethecenterofthesocialandintellectuallifeofthetimes。ThefigureofGodwasbigintheheartsofmen。
　　Andso，havingbeenbornanimaginativechildandhavingwithinhimagreatintellectualeagerness，JesseBentleyhadturnedwholeheartedlytowardGod。Whenthewartookhisbrothersaway，hesawthehandofGodinthat。Whenhisfatherbecameillandcouldnolongerattendtotherunningofthefarm，hetookthatalsoasasignfromGod。Inthecity，whenthewordcametohim，hewalkedaboutatnightthroughthestreetsthinkingofthematterandwhenhehadcomehomeandhadgottheworkonthefarmwellunderway，hewentagainatnighttowalkthroughtheforestsandoverthelowhillsandtothinkofGod。
　　Ashewalkedtheimportanceofhisownfigureinsomedivineplangrewinhismind。Hegrewavari-
　　ciousandwasimpatientthatthefarmcontainedonlysixhundredacres。Kneelinginafencecornerattheedgeofsomemeadow，hesenthisvoiceabroadintothesilenceandlookinguphesawthestarsshiningdownathim。
　　Oneevening，somemonthsafterhisfather'sdeath，andwhenhiswifeKatherinewasexpectingatanymomenttobelaidabedofchildbirth，Jesselefthishouseandwentforalongwalk。TheBentleyfarmwassituatedinatinyvalleywateredbyWineCreek，andJessewalkedalongthebanksofthestreamtotheendofhisownlandandonthroughthefieldsofhisneighbors。Ashewalkedthevalleybroadenedandthennarrowedagain。Greatopenstretchesoffieldandwoodlaybeforehim。Themooncameoutfrombehindclouds，and，climbingalowhill，hesatdowntothink。
　　JessethoughtthatasthetrueservantofGodtheentirestretchofcountrythroughwhichhehadwalkedshouldhavecomeintohispossession。Hethoughtofhisdeadbrothersandblamedthemthattheyhadnotworkedharderandachievedmore。Be-
　　forehiminthemoonlightthetinystreamrandownoverstones，andhebegantothinkofthemenofoldtimeswholikehimselfhadownedflocksandlands。
　　Afantasticimpulse，halffear，halfgreediness，tookpossessionofJesseBentley。HerememberedhowintheoldBiblestorytheLordhadappearedtothatotherJesseandtoldhimtosendhissonDavidtowhereSaulandthemenofIsraelwerefightingthePhilistinesintheValleyofElah。IntoJesse'smindcametheconvictionthatalloftheOhiofarmerswhoownedlandinthevalleyofWineCreekwerePhilistinesandenemiesofGod。"Suppose，"
　　hewhisperedtohimself，"thereshouldcomefromamongthemonewho，likeGoliaththePhilistineofGath，coulddefeatmeandtakefrommemyposses-
　　sions。"InfancyhefeltthesickeningdreadthathethoughtmusthavelainheavyontheheartofSaulbeforethecomingofDavid。Jumpingtohisfeet，hebegantorunthroughthenight。AsheranhecalledtoGod。Hisvoicecarriedfaroverthelowhills。
　　"JehovahofHosts，"hecried，"sendtomethisnightoutofthewombofKatherine，ason。LetThygracealightuponme。SendmeasontobecalledDavidwhoshallhelpmetopluckatlastalloftheselandsoutofthehandsofthePhilistinesandturnthemtoThyserviceandtothebuildingofThykingdomonearth。"
　　II
　　DAVIDHARDYOFWinesburg，Ohio，wasthegrand-
　　sonofJesseBentley，theownerofBentleyfarms。
　　WhenhewastwelveyearsoldhewenttotheoldBentleyplacetolive。Hismother，LouiseBentley，thegirlwhocameintotheworldonthatnightwhenJesseranthroughthefieldscryingtoGodthathebegivenason，hadgrowntowomanhoodonthefarmandhadmarriedyoungJohnHardyofWines-
　　burg，whobecameabanker。Louiseandherhus-
　　banddidnotlivehappilytogetherandeveryoneagreedthatshewastoblame。Shewasasmallwomanwithsharpgreyeyesandblackhair。Fromchildhoodshehadbeeninclinedtofitsoftemperandwhennotangryshewasoftenmoroseandsi-
　　lent。InWinesburgitwassaidthatshedrank。Herhusband，thebanker，whowasacareful，shrewdman，triedhardtomakeherhappy。WhenhebegantomakemoneyheboughtforheralargebrickhouseonElmStreetinWinesburgandhewasthefirstmaninthattowntokeepamanservanttodrivehiswife'scarriage。
　　ButLouisecouldnotbemadehappy。Sheflewintohalfinsanefitsoftemperduringwhichshewassometimessilent，sometimesnoisyandquarrelsome。
　　Shesworeandcriedoutinheranger。Shegotaknifefromthekitchenandthreatenedherhusband'slife。Onceshedeliberatelysetfiretothehouse，andoftenshehidherselfawayfordaysinherownroomandwouldseenoone。Herlife，livedasahalfre-
　　cluse，gaverisetoallsortsofstoriesconcerningher。
　　Itwassaidthatshetookdrugsandthatshehidherselfawayfrompeoplebecauseshewasoftensoundertheinfluenceofdrinkthatherconditioncouldnotbeconcealed。Sometimesonsummerafternoonsshecameoutofthehouseandgotintohercarriage。