An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser

frequently able to earn as much as from fourteen to sixteen

dollars, according to their skill. And since board and room

were only consuming seven of what she earned, she was

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delighted to communicate to Roberta, whom she liked very

much, that she might come and room with her if she wished.

Roberta, having reached the place where she felt that she

could no longer endure farm life but must act for herself

once more, finally arranged with her mother to leave in

order that she might help her more directly with her wages.

But once in Lycurgus and employed by Clyde, her life, after

the first flush of self-interest which a change so great

implied for her, was not so much more enlarged socially or

materially either, for that matter, over what it had been in

Biltz and Trippetts Mills. For, despite the genial intimacy of

Grace Marr—a girl not nearly as attractive as Roberta, and

who, because of Roberta’s charm and for the most part

affected gayety, counted on her to provide a cheer and

companionship which otherwise she would have lacked—

still the world into which she was inducted here was

scarcely any more liberal or diversified than that from which

she sprang.

For, to begin with, the Newtons, sister and brother-in-law of

Grace Marr, with whom she lived, and who, despite the fact

that they were not unkindly, proved to be, almost more so

than were the types with whom, either in Biltz or Trippets

Mills, she had been in constant contact, the most ordinary

small town mill workers—religious and narrow to a degree.

George Newton, as every one could see and feel, was a

pleasant if not very emotional or romantic person who took

his various small plans in regard to himself and his future as

of the utmost importance. Primarily he was saving what

little cash he could out of the wages he earned as

threadman in the Cranston Wickwire factory to enable him

to embark upon some business for which he thought

himself fitted. And to this end, and to further enhance his

meager savings, he had joined with his wife in the scheme

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of taking over an old house in Taylor Street which permitted

the renting of enough rooms to carry the rent and in

addition to supply the food for the family and five boarders,

counting their labor and worries in the process as nothing.

And on the other hand, Grace Marr, as well as Newton’s

wife, Mary, were of that type that here as elsewhere find the

bulk of their social satisfaction in such small matters as

relate to the organization of a small home, the establishing

of its import and integrity in a petty and highly conventional

neighborhood and the contemplation of life and conduct

through the lens furnished by a purely sectarian creed.

And so, once part and parcel of this particular household,

Roberta found after a time, that it, if not Lycurgus, was

narrow and restricted—not wholly unlike the various narrow

and restricted homes at Biltz. And these lines, according to

the Newtons and their like, to be strictly observed. No good

could come of breaking them. If you were a factory

employee you should accommodate yourself to the world

and customs of the better sort of Christian factory

employees. Every day therefore—and that not so very long

after she had arrived—she found herself up and making the

best of a not very satisfactory breakfast in the Newton

dining room, which was usually shared by Grace and two

other girls of nearly their own age—Opal Feliss and Olive

Pope—who were connected with the Cranston Wickwire

Company. Also by a young electrician by the name of Fred

Shurlock, who worked for the City Lighting Plant. And

immediately after breakfast joining a long procession that

day after day at this hour made for the mills across the

river. For just outside her own door she invariably met with

a company of factory girls and women, boys and men, of

the same relative ages, to say nothing of many old and

weary-looking women who looked more like wraiths than

human beings, who had issued from the various streets and

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houses of this vicinity. And as the crowd, because of the

general inpour into it from various streets, thickened at

Central Avenue, there was much ogling of the prettier girls

by a certain type of factory man, who, not knowing any of

them, still sought, as Roberta saw it, unlicensed contacts

and even worse. Yet there was much giggling and

simpering on the part of girls of a certain type who were by

no means as severe as most of those she had known

elsewhere. Shocking!

And at night the same throng, re-forming at the mills,

crossing the bridge at the depot and returning as it had

come. And Roberta, because of her social and moral

training and mood, and in spite of her decided looks and

charm and strong desires, feeling alone and neglected. Oh,

how sad to see the world so gay and she so lonely. And it

was always after six when she reached home. And after

dinner there was really nothing much of anything to do

unless she and Grace attended one or another of the

moving picture theaters or she could bring herself to

consent to join the Newtons and Grace at a meeting of the

Methodist Church.

None the less once part and parcel of this household and

working for Clyde she was delighted with the change. This

big city. This fine Central Avenue with its stores and moving

picture theaters. These great mills. And again this Mr.

Griffiths, so young, attractive, smiling and interested in her.

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Chapter 14

IN THE same way Clyde, on encountering her, was greatly

stirred. Since the abortive contact with Dillard, Rita and

Zella, and afterwards the seemingly meaningless invitation

to the Griffiths with its introduction to and yet only passing

glimpse of such personages as Bella, Sondra Finchley and

Bertine Cranston, he was lonely indeed. That high world!

But plainly he was not to be allowed to share in it. And yet

because of his vain hope in connection with it, he had

chosen to cut himself off in this way. And to what end? Was

he not if anything more lonely than ever? Mrs. Peyton!

Going to and from his work but merely nodding to people or

talking casually—or however sociably with one or another

of the storekeepers along Central Avenue who chose to hail

him—or even some of the factory girls here in whom he

was not interested or with whom he did not dare to develop

a friendship. What was that? Just nothing really. And yet as

an offset to all this, of course, was he not a Griffiths and so

entitled to their respect and reverence even on this

account? What a situation really! What to do!

And at the same time, this Roberta Alden, once she was

placed here in this fashion and becoming more familiar with

local conditions, as well as the standing of Clyde, his

charm, his evasive and yet sensible interest in her, was

becoming troubled as to her state too. For once part and

parcel of this local home she had joined she was becoming

conscious of various local taboos and restrictions which

made it seem likely that never at any time here would it be

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possible to express an interest in Clyde or any one above

her officially. For there was a local taboo in regard to factory

girls aspiring toward or allowing themselves to become

interested in their official superiors. Religious, moral and

reserved girls didn’t do it. And again, as she soon

discovered, the line of demarcation and stratification

between the rich and the poor in Lycurgus was as sharp as

though cut by a knife or divided by a high wall. And another

taboo in regard to all the foreign family girls and men,—

ignorant, low, immoral, un-American! One should—above all

—have nothing to do with them.

But among these people as she could see—the religious

and moral, lower middle-class group to which she and all of

her intimates belonged—dancing or local adventurous

gayety, such as walking the streets or going to a moving

picture theater—was also taboo. And yet she, herself, at

this time, was becoming interested in dancing. Worse than

this, the various young men and girls of the particular

church which she and Grace Marr attended at first, were

not inclined to see Roberta or Grace as equals, since they,

for the most part, were members of older and more

successful families of the town. And so it was that after a

very few weeks of attendance of church affairs and

services, they were about where they had been when they

started—conventional and acceptable, but without the

amount of entertainment and diversion which was normally