one basket(一个篮子)-第29章
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found herself in possession of a rather bewildering amount of spare time。
The hat trade grew so that sometimes there were six rather botchy little
bonnets all done up in yellow paper pyramids with a pin at the top；
awaiting their future wearers。 After her mother's death Sophy still stayed
on in the old house。 She took a course in millinery in Milwaukee； came
home； stuck up a homemade sign in the parlor window （the untidy
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cucumber vines came down）； and began her hatmaking in earnest。 In
five years she had opened a shop on a side street near Elm； had painted the
old house； installed new plumbing； built a warty stucco porch； and
transformed the weedy； grass…tangled yard into an orderly stretch of green
lawn and bright flower beds。 In ten years she was in Elm Street； and the
Chippewa Eagle ran a half column twice a year describing her spring and
fall openings。 On these occasions Aunt Sophy； in black satin and marcel
wave and her most relentless corsets； was； in all the superficial things； not
a pleat or fold or line or wave behind her city colleagues。 She had all the
catch phrases：
〃This is awfully good this year。〃
〃Here's a sweet thing。 A Mornet model。〃
〃。 。 。 Well； but； my dear； it's the stylethe lineyou're paying for； not
the material。〃
〃No； that hat doesn't do a thing for you。〃
〃I've got it。 I had you in mind when I bought it。 Now don't say you
can't wear henna。 Wait till you see it on。〃
When she stood behind you as you sat； uncrowned and expectant
before the mirror； she would poise the hat four inches above your head；
holding it in the tips of her fingers； a precious； fragile thing。 Your
fascinated eyes were held by it； and your breath as well。 Then down it
descended； slowly； slowly。 A quick pressure。
Her fingers firm against your temples。 A little sigh of relieved
suspense。
〃That's wonderful on you！ 。 。 。 You don't！ Oh； my dear！ But that's
because you're not used to it。 You know how you said； for years； you had
to have a brim； and couldn't possibly wear a turban； with your nose； until I
proved to you that if the head size was only big 。 。 。 Well； perhaps this
needs just a lit…tle lift here。 Ju…u…ust a nip。 There！ That does it。〃
And that did it。 Not that Sophy Decker ever tried to sell you a hat
against your judgment； taste； or will。 She was too wise a psychologist
and too shrewd a businesswoman for that。 She preferred that you go out
of her shop hatless rather than with an unbecoming hat。 But whether you
bought or not you took with you out of Sophy Decker's shop something
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more precious than any hatbox ever contained。 Just to hear her
admonishing a customer； her good…natured face all aglow：
〃My dear； always put on your hat before you get into your dress。
I do。 You can get your arms above your head； and set it right。 I put
on my hat and veil as soon's I get my hair combed。〃
In your mind's eye you saw her； a stout； well…stayed figure in tight
brassiere and scant slip； bare…armed and bare…bosomed； in smart hat and
veil； attired as though for the street from the neck up and for the bedroom
from the shoulders down。
The East End set bought Sophy Decker's hats because they were
modish and expensive hats。 But she managed； miraculously； to gain a
large and lucrative following among the paper…mill girls and factory hands
as well。 You would have thought that any attempt to hold both these
opposites would cause her to lose one or the other。 Aunt Sophy said；
frankly； that of the two； she would have preferred to lose her smart trade。
〃The mill girls come in with their money in their hands； you might say。
They get good wages and they want to spend them。 I wouldn't try to sell
them one of those little plain model hats。 They wouldn't understand 'em
or like them。 And if I told them the price they'd think I was trying to
cheat them。 They want a hat with something good and solid on it。
Their fathers wouldn't prefer caviar to pork roast； would they？ It's the
same idea。〃
Her shopwindows reflected her business acumen。 One was chastely；
severely elegant； holding a single hat poised on a slender stick。
In the other were a dozen honest arrangements of velvet and satin and
plumes。
At the spring opening she always displayed one of those little toques
completely covered with violets。 That violet…covered toque was a
symbol。
〃I don't expect 'em to buy it；〃 Sophy Decker explained。 〃But
everybody feels there should be a hat like that at a spring opening。 It's
like a fruit centerpiece at a family dinner。 Nobody ever eats it； but it has
to be there。〃
The two Baldwin childrenAdele and Eugenefound Aunt Sophy's
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shop a treasure trove。 Adele； during her doll days； possessed such boxes
of satin and velvet scraps； and bits of lace and ribbon and jet as to make
her the envy of all her playmates。 She used to crawl about the floor of
the shop workroom and under the table and chairs like a little scavenger。
〃What in the world do you do with all that truck； child？〃 asked Aunt
Sophy。 〃You must have barrels of it。〃
Adele stuffed another wisp of tulle into the pocket of her pinafore。
〃I keep it；〃 she said。
When she was ten Adele had said to her mother； 〃Why do you always
say ‘Poor Sophy'？〃
〃BecauseAunt Sophy's had so little in life。 She never has married；
and has always worked。〃
Adele considered that。 〃If you don't get married do they say you're
poor？〃
〃Wellyes〃
〃Then I'll get married；〃 announced Adele。 A small； dark； eerie child；
skinny and rather foreign…looking。 The boy； Eugene； had the beauty
which should have been the girl's。 Very tall； very blond； with the straight
nose and wistful eyes of the Flora of twenty years ago。 〃If only Adele
could have had his looks；〃 his mother used to say。 〃They're wasted on a
man。 He doesn't need them； but a girl does。 Adele will have to be well
dressed and interesting。 And that's such hard work。〃
Flora said she worshiped her children。 And she actually sometimes
still coquetted heavily with her husband。 At twenty she had been
addicted to baby talk when endeavoring to coax something out of someone。
Her admirers had found it irresistible。 At forty it was awful。 Her
selfishness was colossal。 She affected a semi…invalidism and for fifteen
years had spent one day a week in bed。 She took no exercise and a great
deal of soda bicarbonate and tried to fight her fat with baths。 Fifteen or
twenty years had worked a startling change in the two sisters； Flora the
beautiful and Sophy the plain。 It was more than a mere physical change。
It was a spiritual thing； though neither knew nor marked it。 Each had
taken on weight； the one； solidly； comfortably； the other； flabbily；
unhealthily。 With the encroaching fat； Flora's small； delicate features
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seemed； somehow； to disappear in her face； so that you saw it as a large
white surface bearing indentations； ridges； and hollows like one of those
enlarged photographs of the moon's surface as seen through a telescope。
A self…centered face； and misleadingly placid。 Aunt Sophy's large； plain
features； plumply padded now； impressed you as indicating strength；
courage； and a great human understanding。
From her husband and her children； Flora exacted service that would
have chafed a galley slave into rebellion。 She loved to lie in bed； in an
orchid bed jacket with ribbons； and be read to by Adele； or Eugene； or her
husband。 They all hated it。
〃She just wants to be waited on； and petted； and admired；〃 Adele had
stormed one day； in open rebellion； to her Aunt Sophy。 〃She uses it as an
excuse for everything and has； ever since Gene and I were children。
She's as strong as an ox。〃 Not a daughterly speech； but true。
Years before； a generous but misguided woman friend； coming in to
call； had been ushered in to where Mrs。 Baldwin lay propped up in a nest
of pillows。
〃Well； I don't blame you；〃 the caller had gushed。 〃If I looked the way
you do in bed I'd stay there forever。 Don't tell me you're sick； with all
that lovely color！〃
Flora Baldwin had rolled her eyes ceilingward。 〃Nobody ever gives
me credit for all my suffering and ill…health。 And just because all my
blood is in my cheeks。〃
Flora was ambitious； socially； but too lazy to make the effort necessary
for success in that direction。
〃I love my family；〃 she would say。 〃They fill my life。 After all；
that's a profession in itselfbeing a wife and mother。〃
She showed her devotion by taking no interest whatever in her
husband's land schemes； by forbidding Eugene to play football at school
for fear he might be injured； by impressing Adele with the necessity for
vivacity and modishness because of what she called her unfortunate lack
of beauty。
〃I don't understand it；〃 she used to say in the child's presence。 〃Her
father's handsome enough； goodness knows； and I wasn't such a fright
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