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<v Speaker 1>This is section twenty six of The Gilded Age. This

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<v Speaker 1>LibriVox recording is in the public domain. The Gilded Age,

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<v Speaker 1>A Tale of to Day by Mark Twain and Ceed Warner,

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<v Speaker 1>Chapter twenty six. Rumors of Ruth's frivolity and worldliness at

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<v Speaker 1>Fallkill traveled to Philadelphia in due time and occasioned no

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<v Speaker 1>little under talk among the Bolton relatives. Hannah Shoecraft told

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<v Speaker 1>another cousin that, for her part, she never believed that

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<v Speaker 1>Ruth had so much more mine than other people, and

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<v Speaker 1>cousin Hulda added that she always thought Ruth was fond

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<v Speaker 1>of admiration, and that was the reason she was unwilling

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<v Speaker 1>to wear plain clothes and attend meeting. The story that

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<v Speaker 1>Ruth was engaged to a young gentleman of fortune in

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<v Speaker 1>Fallkill came with the other news and helped to give

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<v Speaker 1>point to the little satirical remarks that went round about

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<v Speaker 1>Ruth's desire to be a doctor. Margaret Bolton was too

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<v Speaker 1>wise to be either surprised or alarmed by these rumors.

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<v Speaker 1>They might be true. She knew a woman's nature too

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<v Speaker 1>well to think them improbable. But she also knew how

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<v Speaker 1>steadfast Ruth was in her purposes, and that as a

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<v Speaker 1>brook breaks into ripples and eddies and dances and sports

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<v Speaker 1>by the way, and yet keeps on to the sea.

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<v Speaker 1>It was in Ruth's nature to give back cheerful answers

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<v Speaker 1>to the solicitations of friendliness and pleasure, to appear idly, delaying,

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<v Speaker 1>even and sporting in the sunshine, while the current of

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<v Speaker 1>her resolution flowed steadily on. That Ruth had this delight

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<v Speaker 1>in the mere surface play of life, that she could,

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<v Speaker 1>for instance, be interested in that somewhat serious by play

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<v Speaker 1>called flirtation, or take any delight in the exercise of

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<v Speaker 1>those little arts of pleasing and winning, which are none

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<v Speaker 1>the less genuine and charming because they are not intellectual.

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<v Speaker 1>Ruth herself had never suspected until she went to Falkill.

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<v Speaker 1>She had believed it her duty to subdue her gaiety

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<v Speaker 1>of temperament, and let nothing divert her from what are

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<v Speaker 1>called serious pursuits. In her limited experience, she brought everything

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<v Speaker 1>to the judgment of her own conscience and settled the

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<v Speaker 1>affairs of all the world in her own serene judgment.

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<v Speaker 1>Hall Perhaps her mother saw this, and saw also that

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<v Speaker 1>there was nothing in the friends society to prevent her

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<v Speaker 1>from growing more and more opinionated. When Ruth returned to Philadelphia,

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<v Speaker 1>it must be confessed, though it would not have been

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<v Speaker 1>by her, that a medical career did seem a little

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<v Speaker 1>less necessary for her than formerly. And coming back in

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<v Speaker 1>a glow of triumph, as it were, and in the

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<v Speaker 1>consciousness of the freedom and life in a lively society

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<v Speaker 1>and in new and sympathetic friendship, she anticipated pleasure in

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<v Speaker 1>an attempt to break up the stiffness and levelness of

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<v Speaker 1>the society at home, and infusing into it something of

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<v Speaker 1>the emotion and sparkle which were so agreeable at Falkill.

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<v Speaker 1>She expected visits from her new friends, she would have company,

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<v Speaker 1>the new books and the periodicals about which all the

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<v Speaker 1>world was talking, and in short, she would have life

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<v Speaker 1>for a little while she lived in this atmosphere which

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<v Speaker 1>she had brought with her. Her mother was delighted with

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<v Speaker 1>this change in her, with the improvement in her health

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<v Speaker 1>and the interests she exhibited in home affairs. Her father

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<v Speaker 1>enjoyed the society of his favorite daughter as he did

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<v Speaker 1>few things. Besides, he liked her mirthful and teasing ways,

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<v Speaker 1>and not less a keen battle over something she had read.

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<v Speaker 1>He had been a great reader all his life, and

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<v Speaker 1>a remarkable memory had stored his mind with encyclopedic information.

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<v Speaker 1>It was one of Ruth's delights to cram herself with

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<v Speaker 1>some out of the way subject and endeavor to catch

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<v Speaker 1>her father, and she almost always failed. Mister Bolton liked company,

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<v Speaker 1>a house full of it, and the mirth of young people,

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<v Speaker 1>and he would have willingly entered into any revolutionary plans

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<v Speaker 1>Ruth might have suggested in relation to friends society. But

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<v Speaker 1>custom and the fixed order are stronger than the most

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<v Speaker 1>enthusiastic and rebellious young lady, as Ruth very soon found.

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<v Speaker 1>In spite of all her brave efforts, her frequent correspondence,

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<v Speaker 1>and her determined animation her books and her music, she

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<v Speaker 1>found herself settling into the clutches of the old monotony.

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<v Speaker 1>And as she realized the hopelessness of her endeavors, the

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<v Speaker 1>medical scheme took new hold of her and seemed to

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<v Speaker 1>her the only method of escape. Mother. THEE does not

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<v Speaker 1>know how different it is in Fallkill, how much more

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<v Speaker 1>interesting the people are, one meets, how much more life

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<v Speaker 1>there is. But THEE will find the world child pretty

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<v Speaker 1>much all the same. When THEE knows it better, I

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<v Speaker 1>thought once as THEE does now, and had as little

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<v Speaker 1>thought of being a friend as THEE has. Perhaps when

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<v Speaker 1>THEE has seen more, THEE will better appreciate a quiet life.

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<v Speaker 1>THEE married young, I shall not marry young, and perhaps

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<v Speaker 1>not at all, said Ruth, with a look of vast experience.

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<v Speaker 1>Perhaps THEE doesn't know the own mind. I have known

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<v Speaker 1>persons of thy age who did not. Did THEE see

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<v Speaker 1>anybody whom THEE would like to live with always in

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<v Speaker 1>fall Kill? Not always, replied Ruth with a little laugh. Mother,

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<v Speaker 1>I think I wouldn't say always to any one until

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<v Speaker 1>I have a profession and am as independent as he is.

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<v Speaker 1>Then my love would be a free act, and not

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<v Speaker 1>in any way a necessity. Margaret Bolton smiled at this

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<v Speaker 1>new fangled philosophy. THEE will find that love, Ruth, is

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<v Speaker 1>a thing THEE won't reason about when it comes, nor

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<v Speaker 1>make any bargains about. THEE wrote that Philip Sterling was

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<v Speaker 1>at fall Kill, Yes, and Henry Brierly a friend of his,

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<v Speaker 1>a very amusing young fellow, and not so serious minded

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<v Speaker 1>as Philip, but a bit of a fop maybe, And

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<v Speaker 1>THEE preferred the fop to the serious minded. I didn't

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<v Speaker 1>prefer anybody, but Henry Brierly was good company, which Philip wasn't.

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<v Speaker 1>Always did THEE know thee father had been in correspondence

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<v Speaker 1>with Philip? Ruth looked up, surprised and with a plain

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<v Speaker 1>question in her eyes. Oh, it's not about THEE. What then?

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<v Speaker 1>And if there was any shade of disappointment in her tone,

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<v Speaker 1>probably Ruth herself did not know it. It's about some

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<v Speaker 1>land up in the country. That man Biggler has got

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<v Speaker 1>Father into another speculation, That odious man. Why will Father

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<v Speaker 1>have anything to do with him? Is it that railroad? Yes,

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<v Speaker 1>Father advanced money and took land as security, and whatever

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<v Speaker 1>has gone with the money and the bonds. He has

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<v Speaker 1>on his hands a large tract of wild land. And

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<v Speaker 1>what has Philip to do with that? It has good

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<v Speaker 1>timber if it could ever be got out, and Father

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<v Speaker 1>says that there must be coal in it. It's in

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<v Speaker 1>a coal region. He wants Philip to survey it and

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<v Speaker 1>examine it for indications of coal. It's another of Father's fortunes,

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<v Speaker 1>I suppose, said Ruth. He has put away so many

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<v Speaker 1>fortunes for us that I'm afraid we never shall find them.

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<v Speaker 1>Ruth was interested in it nevertheless, and perhaps mainly because

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<v Speaker 1>Philip was to be connected with the enterprise. Mister Bigler

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<v Speaker 1>came to dinner with her father next day and talked

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<v Speaker 1>a great deal about mister Bolton's magnificent tract of land,

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<v Speaker 1>extolled the sagacity that led him to secure such a property,

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<v Speaker 1>and led the talk along to another railroad which would

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<v Speaker 1>open a northern communication to this very land. Pennybacker says,

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<v Speaker 1>it's full coal, he's no doubt of it, and a

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<v Speaker 1>railroad to strike the eerie would make it a fortune.

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<v Speaker 1>Suppose you take the land and work the thing up,

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<v Speaker 1>mister Bigler, you may have the tract for three dollars

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<v Speaker 1>an acre. You'd throw it away, then, replied mister Bigler.

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<v Speaker 1>And I'm not the man to take advantage of a friend,

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<v Speaker 1>but if you'll put a mortgage on it for the

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<v Speaker 1>northern road, I wouldn't mind taking an interest if Pennybackers will.

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<v Speaker 1>But Pennybacker, you know, don't go much on land. He

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<v Speaker 1>sticks to the legislature, and mister Bigler laughed. When mister

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<v Speaker 1>Biggiler had gone, Ruth asked her father about Philip's connection

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<v Speaker 1>with a land scheme there's nothing definite, said mister Bolton.

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<v Speaker 1>Philip is showing aptitude for his profession. I hear the

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<v Speaker 1>best reports of him in New York, though those sharpers

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<v Speaker 1>don't intend to do anything but use him. I've written

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<v Speaker 1>and offered him employment in surveying and examining the land.

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<v Speaker 1>We want to know what it is, and if there

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<v Speaker 1>is anything in it that his enterprise can dig out,

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<v Speaker 1>he shall have an interest. I should be glad to

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<v Speaker 1>give the young fellow a lift. All his life, Eli

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<v Speaker 1>Bolton had been giving young fellows a lift and shouldering

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<v Speaker 1>the losses when things turned out unfortunately. His ledger take

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<v Speaker 1>it altogether, would not show a balance on the right side.

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<v Speaker 1>But perhaps the losses on his books will turn out

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<v Speaker 1>to be credits. World where accounts are kept on a

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<v Speaker 1>different basis, the left hand of the ledger will appear

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<v Speaker 1>the right looked at from the other side. Philip wrote

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<v Speaker 1>to Ruth rather a comical account of the bursting up

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<v Speaker 1>of the city of Napoleon and the navigation improvement scheme,

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<v Speaker 1>of Harry's flight and the Colonel's discomfiture. Harry left in

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<v Speaker 1>such a hurry that he hadn't even time to bid

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<v Speaker 1>miss Laura Hawkins good bye, but he had no doubt

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<v Speaker 1>that Harry would console himself with the next pretty face.

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<v Speaker 1>He saw a remark which was thrown in for Ruth's benefit.

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<v Speaker 1>Colonel Sellers had, in all probability by this time some

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<v Speaker 1>other equally brilliant speculation in his brain. As to the railroad.

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<v Speaker 1>Philip had made up his mind that it was merely

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<v Speaker 1>kept on foot for speculative purposes in Wall Street, and

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<v Speaker 1>he was about to quit it. Would Ruth be glad

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<v Speaker 1>to hear? He wondered that he was coming yeast, for

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<v Speaker 1>he was coming in spite of a letter from Harry

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<v Speaker 1>in New York advising him to hold on until he

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<v Speaker 1>had made so some arrangements in regard to contracts. He

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<v Speaker 1>to be a little careful about Sellers, who was somewhat visionary,

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<v Speaker 1>Harry said. The summer went on without much excitement for Ruth.

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<v Speaker 1>She kept up a correspondence with Alice, who promised a

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<v Speaker 1>visit in the fall. She read. She earnestly tried to

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<v Speaker 1>interest herself in home affairs and such people as came

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<v Speaker 1>to the house, but she found herself falling more and

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<v Speaker 1>more into reveries and growing weary of things. As they were,

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<v Speaker 1>she felt that everybody might become in time like two

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<v Speaker 1>relatives from a Shaker establishment in Ohio who visited the

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<v Speaker 1>Boltons about this time, a father and son clad exactly

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<v Speaker 1>alike and alike in manners. The son, however, who was

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<v Speaker 1>not of age, was more unworldly and sanctimonious than his father.

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<v Speaker 1>He always addressed his parent as brother Plum, and bore

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<v Speaker 1>himself altogether in such a superior manner that Ruth longed

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<v Speaker 1>to put bent pins in his chair. Both father and

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<v Speaker 1>son wore the long, single breasted, collarless coats of their society,

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<v Speaker 1>without buttons before or behind, but with a row of

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<v Speaker 1>hooks and eyes on either side in front. It was

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<v Speaker 1>Ruth's suggestion that the coats would be improved by a

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<v Speaker 1>single hook and eye sewed on in the smaller the back,

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<v Speaker 1>where the buttons usually are. Amusing as this Shaker caricature

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<v Speaker 1>of the friends was, it oppressed Ruth beyond measure and

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<v Speaker 1>increased her feeling of being stifled. It was a most

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<v Speaker 1>unreasonable feeling. No home could be pleasanter than Ruth. The house,

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<v Speaker 1>a little out of the city, was one of those

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<v Speaker 1>elegant country residences which so much charm visitors to the

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<v Speaker 1>suburbs of Philadelphia, a modern dwelling and luxurious in everything

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<v Speaker 1>that wealth could suggest for comfort. It stood in the

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<v Speaker 1>midst of exquisitely kept lawns, with groups of trees, parterres

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<v Speaker 1>of flowers, massed in colors, with greenhouse drapery and gardens,

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<v Speaker 1>and on one side the garden sloped away in undulations

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<v Speaker 1>to a shallow brook that ran over a pebbly bottom

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<v Speaker 1>and sang under forest trees. The country about was the

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<v Speaker 1>perfection of cultivated landscape, dotted with cottages and stately mansions,

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<v Speaker 1>of revolutionary date, and sweet as an English countryside, Whether

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<v Speaker 1>seen in the soft bloom of may or in the

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<v Speaker 1>mellow ripeness of late October, it needed only the peace

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<v Speaker 1>of the mind within to make it a paradise. One

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<v Speaker 1>riding by on the old Germantown Road and seeing a

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<v Speaker 1>young girl swinging in the hammock on the piazza and

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<v Speaker 1>intent upon some volume of old poetry or the latest novel, would,

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<v Speaker 1>no doubt had envied a life so idyllic, he could

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<v Speaker 1>not have imagined that the young girl was reading a

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<v Speaker 1>volume of reports of clinics and longing to be elsewhere

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<v Speaker 1>Ruth could not have been more discontented if all the

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<v Speaker 1>wealth about her had been as unsubstantial as a dream.

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<v Speaker 1>Perhaps she so thought it. I feel, she once said

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<v Speaker 1>to her father, as if I were living in a

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<v Speaker 1>house of cards, and THEE would like to turn it

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<v Speaker 1>into a hospital. No, but tell me, father, continued Ruth,

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<v Speaker 1>not to be put off. Is THEE still going on

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<v Speaker 1>with that Biggler and those other men who come here

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<v Speaker 1>and entice THEE? Mister Bolton smiled, as men do when

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<v Speaker 1>they talk with women about business. Such men have their uses, Ruth.

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<v Speaker 1>They keep the world active. And I owe a great

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<v Speaker 1>many of my best operations to such men. Who knows Ruth.

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<v Speaker 1>But this new land purchase, which I confess I yielded

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<v Speaker 1>a little too much to Biggler in may not turn

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<v Speaker 1>out a fortune for THEE and the rest of the children. Ah, Father,

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<v Speaker 1>THEE sees everything in a rose colored light. I do

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<v Speaker 1>believe THEE wouldn't have so readily allowed me to begin

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<v Speaker 1>the study of medicine if it hadn't had the novelty

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<v Speaker 1>of an experiment to THEE. And is THEE satisfied with it?

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<v Speaker 1>If THEE means if I have had enough of it? No,

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<v Speaker 1>I just begin to see what I can do in it,

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<v Speaker 1>and what a noble profession it is for a woman.

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<v Speaker 1>Would he have me sit here like a bird on

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<v Speaker 1>a bow and wait for somebody to come and put

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<v Speaker 1>me in a cage. Mister Bolton was not sorry to

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<v Speaker 1>divert the talk from his own affairs, and he did

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<v Speaker 1>not think it worth while to tell his family of

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<v Speaker 1>a performance that very day which was entirely characteristic of him.

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<v Speaker 1>Ruth might well say that she felt as if she

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<v Speaker 1>were living in a house of cards, although the Bolton

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<v Speaker 1>household had no idea of the number of perils that

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<v Speaker 1>hovered over them, any more than thousands of families in

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<v Speaker 1>America have of the business risks and contingencies upon which

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<v Speaker 1>their prosperity and luxury hang. A sudden call upon mister

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<v Speaker 1>Bolton for a large sum of money, which must be

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<v Speaker 1>forthcoming at once, had found him in the midst of

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<v Speaker 1>a dozen ventures, from no one of which a dollar

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<v Speaker 1>could be realized. It was in vain that he applied

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<v Speaker 1>to his business acquaintances, and from ends it was a

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<v Speaker 1>period of sudden panic and no money. A hundred thousand

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<v Speaker 1>mister Bolton said plumbily, Good God, if you should ask

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<v Speaker 1>me for ten, I shouldn't know where to get it.

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<v Speaker 1>And yet that day mister Small, Pennybacker, Biggler, and Small,

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<v Speaker 1>came to mister Bolton with a piteous story of ruining

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<v Speaker 1>a coal operation. If he could not raise ten thousand dollars,

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<v Speaker 1>only ten, and he was sure of a fortune without it,

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<v Speaker 1>he was a beggar. Mister Bolton had already Small's notes

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<v Speaker 1>for a large amount in his safe, labeled doubtful. He

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<v Speaker 1>had helped him again and again, and always with the

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<v Speaker 1>same result. But mister Small spoke with a faltering voice

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<v Speaker 1>of his family, his daughter in school, his wife, ignorant

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<v Speaker 1>of his calamity, and drew such a picture of their

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<v Speaker 1>agony that mister Bolton put by his own more pressing necessity,

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<v Speaker 1>and devoted the day to scraping together here and there

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<v Speaker 1>ten thousand dollars for this brazen beggar, who had never

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<v Speaker 1>kept a promise to him nor paid a debt. Beautiful

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<v Speaker 1>credit the foundation of modern society. Who shall say that

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<v Speaker 1>this is not the golden age of mutual trust, of

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<v Speaker 1>unlimited reliance upon human promises. That is a peculiar condition

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<v Speaker 1>of society which enables a whole nation to instantly recognize

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<v Speaker 1>point and meaning in the familiar newspaper anecdote which puts

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<v Speaker 1>into the mouth of a distinguished speculator in lands and

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<v Speaker 1>Mines this remark, I wasn't worth a cent two years ago.

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<v Speaker 1>Now I owe two millions of dollars. End of Chapter

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<v Speaker 1>twenty six.