EverymonthhesentHomeallhecouldpossiblyspareforhiswife——
andforanotherreasonwhichwasexpectedtoexplainitselfshortlyandwouldrequiremoremoney。
Aboutthistime，Dickywasovertakenwiththenervous，hauntingfearthatbesetsmarriedmenwhentheyareoutofsortsHehadnopensiontolooktoWhatifheshoulddiesuddenly，andleavehiswifeunprovidedfor？Thethoughtusedtolayholdofhiminthestill，hotnightsontheroof，tilltheshakingofhisheartmadehimthinkthathewasgoingtodiethenandthereofheart-disease。
NowthisisaframeofmindwhichnoboyhasarighttoknowItisastrongman’strouble；but，comingwhenitdid，itnearlydrovepoorpunkah-less，perspiringDickyHattmadHecouldtellnooneaboutit。
Acertainamountof“screw“isasnecessaryforamanasforabilliard-ballItmakesthembothdowonderfulthingsDickyneededmoneybadly，andheworkedforitlikeahorseBut，naturally，themenwhoownedhimknewthataboycanliveverycomfortablyonacertainincome——payinIndiaisamatterofage，notmerit，yousee，andiftheirparticularboywishedtoworkliketwoboys，Businessforbidthattheyshouldstophim！ButBusinessforbidthattheyshouldgivehimanincreaseofpayathispresentridiculouslyimmatureage！SoDickywoncertainrisesofsalary——
ampleforaboy——notenoughforawifeandchild——certainlytoolittlefortheseven-hundred-rupeepassagethatheandMrsHatthaddiscussedsolightlyonceuponatimeAndwiththishewasforcedtobecontent。
Somehow，allhismoneyseemedtofadeawayinHomedraftsandthecrushingExchange，andthetoneoftheHomeletterschangedandgrewquerulous“Whywouldn’tDickyhavehiswifeandthebabyout？
Surelyhehadasalary——afinesalary——anditwastoobadofhimtoenjoyhimselfinIndiaButwouldhe——couldhe——makethenextdraftalittlemoreelastic？”Herefollowedalistofbaby’skit，aslongasaParsee’sbillThenDicky，whoseheartyearnedtohiswifeandthelittlesonhehadneverseen——which，again，isafeelingnoboyisentitledto——enlargedthedraftandwrotequeerhalf-boy，half-
manletters，sayingthatlifewasnotsoenjoyableafterallandwouldthelittlewifewaityetalittlelonger？Butthelittlewife，howevermuchsheapprovedofmoney，objectedtowaiting，andtherewasastrange，hardsortofringinherlettersthatDickydidn’tunderstandHowcouldhe，poorboy？
Lateronstill——justasDickyhadbeentold——aproposofanotheryoungsterwhohad“madeafoolofhimself。”asthesayingis——thatmatrimonywouldnotonlyruinhisfurtherchancesofadvancement，butwouldlosehimhispresentappointment——camethenewsthatthebaby，hisownlittle，littleson，haddied，and，behindthis，fortylinesofanangrywoman’sscrawl，sayingthatdeathmighthavebeenavertedifcertainthings，allcostingmoney，hadbeendone，orifthemotherandthebabyhadbeenwithDickyTheletterstruckatDicky’snakedheart；but，notbeingofficiallyentitledtoababy，hecouldshownosignoftrouble。
HowDickywonthroughthenextfourmonths，andwhathopehekeptalighttoforcehimintohiswork，noonedaresayHepoundedon，theseven-hundred-rupeepassageasfarawayasever，andhisstyleoflivingunchanged，exceptwhenhelaunchedintoanewfilter。
Therewasthestrainofhisoffice-work，andthestrainofhisremittances，andtheknowledgeofhisboy’sdeath，whichtouchedtheboymore，perhaps，thanitwouldhavetouchedaman；and，beyondall，theenduringstrainofhisdailylifeGray-headedseniors，whoapprovedofhisthriftandhisfashionofdenyinghimselfeverythingpleasant，remindedhimoftheoldsawthatsays：
“Ifayouthwouldbedistinguishedinhisart，art，art，Hemustkeepthegirlsawayfromhisheart，heart，heart。”
AndDicky，whofanciedhehadbeenthrougheverytroublethatamanispermittedtoknow，hadtolaughandagree；withthelastlineofhisbalancedBank-bookjinglinginhisheaddayandnight。
ButhehadonemoresorrowtodigestbeforetheendTherearrivedaletterfromthelittlewife——thenaturalsequenceoftheothersifDickyhadonlyknownit——andtheburdenofthatletterwas“gonewithahandsomermanthanyou。”Itwasarathercuriousproduction，withoutstops，somethinglikethis：——“Shewasnotgoingtowaitforeverandthebabywasd...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：