Transcription of I, friend in bearing the sad message. - Crater BIS
1 44* KATECHOPINR ussian,said,"Heis !Youbad!Gentlemanisgoodsoul,excellent,an dyoubeast,youbad! be live,be joyful,be sadandsor-row, ,youstone,clay! ,lovegentleman!"Everyonelaughed;theTarta rfrownedscornfullyand,witha ges-tureof despair,wrappedhimselfin hisragsandwentto thehut."It'scold,"saidoneof theferrymenhoarselyas he stretchedoutonthestrawthatcoveredthedamp floor."Well,it'snotwarm!"oneof theothersagreed."It'sa hardlife!"Theyall thewind, ;it wascoldandtheywerelazy."I'mallright!"sai dSemyon,fallingasleep."Godgiveeveryonesu cha life.""You'rea hardcase, 'ttakeyou!"Fromoutsidetherecamesoundslik ethehowlingof a dog."What'sthat?
2 Who'sthere?""It'stheTartarcrying.""He'll getu-u-usedto it!"saidSemyon, "TheStoryof anHour"inthespringof I894,butitwasrejectedbymanymagazineedito rs,at leastonceforbeingun-ethicalFinally,Vogue publishedit inDecember,payingChopintendollarsandalso thecomplimentof presentingherto thepublicas a CharlottePerkinsGilman,Chopin'sworkhelpe denergizefeministsin herowndayandcon-tinuesto doso thisstoryis ,themotherof six,waswidowedTHES TORY0 FANH 0UR* ,shewrotein herdiarythatif herhusbandhadlived,she"wouldhaveto forgetthepasttenyearsof mygrowth-myrealgrowth." Never-theless,shedoesnotdismissmarriagea s merelya sentencelatersheadmitsthatshewouldhavegi venuphertenyearsof growthin'thespiritof perfectacquiescence.
3 "TheStoryof ,\ hearttrouble,greatcarewastakento breakto heras gentlyas possiblethenewsof herhusband' washersisterJosephinewhotoldher,in brokensentences;veiledhintsthatrevealedi n 'sfriendRichardswasthere,too, washewhohadbeenin thenewspaperofficewhenintelligenceof therailroaddisasterwasre-ceived,withBren tlyMallard'snameleadingthelistof "killed."Hehadonlytakenthetimeto assurehimselfof its truthbya secondtelegram,andhadhastenedto forestallanylesscareful,lesstender\frien din , Shedidnothearthestoryas manywomenhaveheardthesame,J>/.witha ,withsudden,wildabandonment,inhersister' griefhadspentitselfshewentawayto ,facingtheopenwindow,a comfortable, ,presseddownbya physicalexhaustionthathauntedherbodyands eemedto rainwasin thestreetbelowa a distantsongwhichsomeonewassingingreached herfaintly,andcountlesssparrowsweretwitt eringin blueskyshowinghereandtherethroughtheclou dsthathadmetandpiledoneabovetheotherin thewestfacingherwindow.
4 ,.Lr46* KATEC HOPI NShesatwithherheadthrownbackuponthecushi onof thechair,quitemotionless,exceptwhena sobcameupintoherthroatandshookher,as a childwhohascrieditselfto sleepcontinuesto sobinits ,witha fair,calmface,whoselinesbespokere-pressi onandevena dullstarein hereyes,whosegazewasfixedawayoffyonderon oneof thosepatchesof wasnota glanceof reflection,butratherin-dicateda suspensionof herandshewaswaitingforit, ;it wastoosubtleandelu-siveto , creepingoutof thesky,reachingto-wardherthroughthesound s,thescents, recognizethisthingthatwasapproachingto possessher,andshewasstrivingto beatit backwithherwill-aspowerlessas overandoverunderherbreath:"free,free,fre e!
5 "Thevacantstareandthelookof terrorthathadfollowedit ,andthecoursingbloodwarmedandrelaxedever yinchof askif it wereor werenota clearandexaltedperceptionenabledherto dismissthesuggestionas ,ten-derhandsfoldedin death;thefacethathadneverlookedsavewithl oveuponher, longprocessionof yearsto comethatwouldbe-longto nooneto liveforherduringthosecomingyears; no powerfulwillbendinghersin thatblindpersistencewithwhichmenandwomen believetheyhavea rightto imposea privatewillupona cruelintentionmadetheactseemnolessacrime as shelookeduponit in thatbriefmomentof * matter!Whatcouldlove,theunsolvedmystery, countforin faceof thispossessionof self-assertionwhichshesuddenlyrecognized as thestrongestimpulseof herbeing!
6 "Free!Bodyandsoulfree!" ,imploringforadmission."Louise,openthedo or!Ibeg; ,Louise?Forheaven'ssakeopenthedoor."" amnotmakingmyselfill."No;shewasdrinkingi na veryelixirof ,andsummerdays,andall sortsof daysthatwouldbe wasonlyyesterdayshehadthoughtwitha shudderthatlifemightbe lengthandopenedthedoorto hersister' feverishtriumphin hereyes,andshecarriedher-selfunwittingly likea goddessof 'swaist, wasBrentlyMallardwhoentered,a little'travel-stained, , Josephine'spiercingcry;at Richards'quickmotiontoscreenhimfromthevi ewof heartdisease-of \\I\1I
