It Pays to Smile

Wilcox Putnam Nina

Description

Over the course of an amazingly prolific literary career during which she penned hundreds of short stories, novels, essays, and screenplays, author Nina Wilcox Putnam developed a knack for creating indelibly unique characters. In the novel It Pays to Smile, patrician spinster Freedom Talbot is forced by worsening financial circumstances to seek gainful employment. She stumbles across a job offer that seems tailor-made for her -- but is it too good to be true?

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781776532414
• Langue: English

Extrait

IT PAYS TO SMILE
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NINA WILCOX PUTNAM
 
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It Pays to Smile First published in 1920 Epub ISBN 978-1-77653-241-4 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77653-242-1 © 2013 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
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I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII
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TO GEORGE HORACE LORIMER THE ALL-AMERICAN EDITOR
I
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Since the very beginnings of Boston my people, who were, as every schoolchild knows, an integral part of the original colony, had thecommendable habit of recording all those events which bore in a mannereither psychological or physiological upon their households or upon theaffairs of state, in which they were ever active. In truth I make smalldoubt that but for the Talbots there would have been no Boston, or atleast certainly no information regarding it recorded in intelligibleEnglish. And though in my girlhood I conceived my ancestors' style to bea trifle jejune and was myself fond of lighter and more frivolous workssuch as those of Emerson and Walter Pater, a weakness to which I confesswith all due humility, I nevertheless realize the importance of thewritings of my family and the desirability of maintaining our traditionof making an accurate record of such pertinent events as come under myimmediate observation in order that future generations in their searchafter truth may have a reliable monument to depend upon. And thisresolve has been greatly strengthened by perusing the ill-written,outrageously sensational and ill-considered newspaper versions of theaffair which has so recently brought our historic name into the publicnotice under such distressingly vulgar and conspicuous circumstances.
Of course Talbot, the chauffeur, has enjoyed it all immensely, therebyto my mind proving once and for all that he has no genuine claim uponthe name, and that his pretension of belonging to a younger Westernbranch is, as I have consistently maintained, absolutely fallacious. ButI show weakness by digression. Permit me to recount the tale from itstrue beginning, which was, of course, my unfortunate answering of thatadvertisement in the Transcript .
When the wretched thing came to my attention Euphemia and I were seatedat the supper table; she at the head and I at the side—a custom she hasinsisted upon since our parents' death, her position being that due tothe elder sister and the rightful head of the family; and the table hascontinued to be set thus, though at the time of my rebellion I was fiftyand she sixty, and it was absurd that she should maintain a formalityinstituted when she was twenty and I was ten. I had often disputed withher about it, but to no avail.
"My dear Freedom," she would rebuke me, "I am the elder and I know whatis best for youth. So long as I am here this household shall beconducted properly!"
And nothing served to move her from that point of view.
Well, upon the portentous evening when my rebellion began we weresitting as usual, promptly at five-thirty, in the cheerful if shabbydining room of our vast and dilapidated old mansion on Chestnut Street,with the sun shining brightly upon the neatly darned table linen, thezinnias from the garden and the few remaining bits of family silver. Itcan hardly be said that Old Sol spread his refulgent glory upon verymuch to eat, for he did not, there being nothing but a pot of tea, fourvery thin half slices of toast and the evening Transcript . Accordingto her custom Euphemia looked at this first herself.
"I perceive that the Republican Party is indignant with theAdministration," she informed me. "And that a mail service is to beestablished by air from New York. How shocking! The postman will verylikely drop things from the aëroplane! I don't approve of the Governmenttaking such risks with other people's letters. It is positivelyunseemly. Letters should be brought to one's door by a person with ablue coat and a whistle."
"They probably will be," I ventured. "The radical changes in life onlyaffect the big things at first."
Euphemia gave me a sharp look.
"Don't think too much, Freedom," she admonished me. "It is unfeminine ina younger person. And take care—your jabot almost went into your tea!"
I set down the cup, which I had in truth been holding in such a way thatmy lace cravat was endangered. I am occasionally rather given todaydreaming; a reprehensibly slack mental habit of which I have beenunable wholly to break myself, and I was grateful for the meritedreproof. Well, I set down the cup and put out my hand for the newspaper,which Euphemia, having glanced at the headlines, had finished reading.Again she rebuked me, this time with a gesture, and rang the bell. Isubsided until the fourteen-year-old colored girl who constituted ourdomestic staff made her appearance, enveloped in a white apron whichgave her a curiously grown-up appearance when viewed from the front, asit had been intended for an adult and reached the floor, but which, seenfrom the rear, revealed her immaturity.
"Galadia, hand this paper to Miss Freedom!" said Euphemia with dignity.And when the child had complied: "That is all; you may go!"
And Galadia made her exit, slamming the kitchen door behind which hervoice immediately rose in song:
Kiss yo' Honey-Baby-Doll!
"Good heavens!" exclaimed my sister, rising in wrath. "What ever willbecome of that child?"
And gathering her woolen shawl about her she swept into the kitchen, hercap strings tremulous with indignation, and I was left to a swift andguilty perusal of the newspaper. I use the adjective "guilty" because Iknew how thoroughly Euphemia would disapprove of the section to which I,for the seventh time in as many days, turned. It was the advertisingpage that I selected, and my eagerness was resultant from a desperateresolution which I had secretly made.
I was going to work.
For the first time in the history of my ancient and honorable family, afemale Talbot was seeking remunerative employment. Terrible as I knewthis act to be I was unalterably resolved upon it, and was keeping mysecret from my dear sister only until armed with actual employment, forI was but too well aware of what her attitude would be, and determinedto waste no time in disputing a theoretical situation, but oncestrengthened by actually being engaged in some capacity I would face herwrath. Besides, were she to learn prematurely of my plan, she was quitecapable of attempting to lock me in my chamber as a preventive measure.
But though so long recreant in my decision to take what after matureconsideration I deemed the right and proper course, it was not fornothing that my parents, despairing of ever being blessed with a son,had bestowed upon me the family name of Freedom. There had always been amale Freedom Talbot, and his tradition had ever justified his name; andat length I was determined to live up to it.
My desperate decision had, of course, a pecuniary basis. We were poor;there is no denying it. Our parents had left us the house and an incomeof seven hundred a year, which for two maidens who would presumablymarry was not insufficient in the day of our inheritance. But no mateever having chosen either of us, or been chosen by either of us, and thecost of living having risen so inexplicably, our situation had graduallybecome greatly altered. Euphemia steadily opposed the idea of anyremunerative work, no matter how genteel, and so far I had unwillinglysubmitted, the more readily because we were utterly without training orequipment. But when in a single week the tax on the house was increasedsimultaneously with the price of butter, my resolve took shape, and myperusal of the advertising sheets began.
On this fateful evening the "Wanted" column at first appeared to be morethan usually devoid of possibilities. There were the usual "Perfect36-38" for Jewish concerns that apparently manufactured clothing.Shopgirls were needed, and houseworkers, but I could not bring myself toeither of these occupations except as a last resort. Typists were alsodesired, and bookkeepers; but I feared my lack of practical educationwould count against me. A traveling saleslady was wanted, and a bookagent; and as I was pondering the possibilities set forth by these myeye fell upon the fateful notice which led to all my strange adventures.It was printed rather larger than its fellows, and set forth anextraordinary request.
WANTED: An indigent old lady of impeccable social standing, to act as chaperon to a common young girl who is motherless. Must be dowdy, incompetent, financially embarrassed, snobbish, and never employed before. No pretenders will be considered. Excellent salary and a chance to see the world. Apply Apartment —, Plaza Hotel, between five and seven P.M.
Conceive, if you can, the astonishment with which I perused thisadvertisement. Had I inserted it myself, stating the sort of positionfor which I was best fitted, I could in all candor have stated my caseand situation no better. Indeed I was obliged to reread the noticeseveral times before feeling able to credit my own senses. Then I torethe corner containing it from the paper, hastily concealed it in myreticule, refolded the remaining sheets in such a fashion as to concealthe damage done, and laid it, as was our custom, upon the files underthe china closet.
Then with quickly beating heart I got the porcelain tub and suds, spreadthe oilcloth upon the side table and completed my daily task of washingand putting away the tea china with finge