The Magnificent Ambersons Booth Tarkington (reading like a writer txt) đ
- Author: Booth Tarkington
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Such precocity is less unusual, even in children of the Rich, than most grown people imagine. However, it was a new experience for the Reverend Malloch Smith, and left him in a state of excitement. He at once wrote a note to Georgieâs mother, describing the crime according to his nephewâs testimony; and the note reached Mrs. Minafer before Georgie did. When he got home she read it to him sorrowfully.
Dear Madam:
Your son has caused a painful distress in my household. He made an unprovoked attack upon a little nephew of mine who is visiting in my household, insulted him by calling him vicious names and falsehoods, stating that ladies of his family were in jail. He then tried to make his pony kick him, and when the child, who is only eleven years old, while your son is much older and stronger, endeavoured to avoid his indignities and withdraw quietly, he pursued him into the enclosure of my property and brutally assaulted him. When I appeared upon this scene he deliberately called insulting words to me, concluding with profanity, such as âgo to hell,â which was heard not only by myself but by my wife and the lady who lives next door. I trust such a state of undisciplined behaviour may be remedied for the sake of the reputation for propriety, if nothing higher, of the family to which this unruly child belongs.
Georgie had muttered various interruptions, and as she concluded the reading he said: âHeâs an ole liar!â
âGeorgie, you mustnât say âliar.â Isnât this letter the truth?â
âWell,â said Georgie, âhow old am I?â
âTen.â
âWell, look how he says Iâm older than a boy eleven years old.â
âThatâs true,â said Isabel. âHe does. But isnât some of it true, Georgie?â
Georgie felt himself to be in a difficulty here, and he was silent.
âGeorgie, did you say what he says you did?â
âWhich one?â
âDid you tell him toâ âtoâ âDid you say, âGo to hellâ?â
Georgie looked worried for a moment longer; then he brightened. âListen here, mamma; grandpa wouldnât wipe his shoe on that ole storyteller, would he?â
âGeorgie, you mustnâtâ ââ
âI mean: none of the Ambersons wouldnât have anything to do with him, would they? He doesnât even know you, does he, mamma?â
âThat hasnât anything to do with it.â
âYes, it has! I mean: none of the Amberson family go to see him, and they never have him come in their house; they wouldnât ask him to, and they probâly wouldnât even let him.â
âThat isnât what weâre talking about.â
âI bet,â said Georgie emphatically, âI bet if he wanted to see any of âem, heâd haf to go around to the side door!â
âNo, dear, theyâ ââ
âYes, they would, mamma! So what does it matter if I did say somepâmâ to him he didnât like? That kind oâ people, I donât see why you canât say anything you want to, to âem!â
âNo, Georgie. And you havenât answered me whether you said that dreadful thing he says you did.â
âWellâ ââ said Georgie. âAnyway, he said somepâmâ to me that made me mad.â And upon this point he offered no further details; he would not explain to his mother that what had made him âmadâ was Mr. Smithâs hasty condemnation of herself: âYour mother ought to be ashamed,â and, âA woman that lets a bad boy like youâ ââ Georgie did not even consider excusing himself by quoting these insolences.
Isabel stroked his head. âThey were terrible words for you to use, dear. From his letter he doesnât seem a very tactful person, butâ ââ
âHeâs just riffraff,â said Georgie.
âYou mustnât say so,â his mother gently agreed. âWhere did you learn those bad words he speaks of? Where did you hear anyone use them?â
âWell, Iâve heard âem several places. I guess Uncle George Amberson was the first I ever heard say âem. Uncle George Amberson said âem to papa once. Papa didnât like it, but Uncle George was just laughinâ at papa, anâ then he said âem while he was laughinâ.â
âThat was wrong of him,â she said, but almost instinctively he detected the lack of conviction in her tone. It was Isabelâs great failing that whatever an Amberson did seemed right to her, especially if the Amberson was either her brother George, or her son George. She knew that she should be more severe with the latter now, but severity with him was beyond her power; and the Reverend Malloch Smith had succeeded only in rousing her resentment against himself. Georgieâs symmetrical faceâ âaltogether an Amberson faceâ âhad looked never more beautiful to her. It always looked unusually beautiful when she tried to be severe with him. âYou must promise me,â she said feebly, ânever to use those bad words again.â
âI promise not to,â he said promptlyâ âand he whispered an immediate codicil under his breath: âUnless I get mad at somebody!â This satisfied a code according to which, in his own sincere belief, he never told lies.
âThatâs a good boy,â she said, and he ran out to the yard, his punishment over. Some admiring friends were gathered there; they had heard of his adventure, knew of the note, and were waiting to see what was going to âhappenâ to him. They hoped for an account of things, and also that he would allow them to âtake turnsâ riding his pony to the end of the alley and back.
They were really his henchmen: Georgie was a lord among boys. In fact, he was a personage among certain sorts of grown people, and was often fawned upon; the alley negroes delighted in him, chuckled over him, flattered him slavishly. For that matter, he often heard well-dressed people speaking of him admiringly: a group of ladies once gathered about him on the pavement where he was spinning a top. âI know this is Georgie!â one exclaimed, and turned to the others with the impressiveness of a showman. âMajor Ambersonâs only grandchild!â The others said, âIt is?â and made clicking sounds with their mouths; two of them
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