Washington Square

Many  years  ago,  in  the  city  of  New  York,  there  lived  a  doctor.  America  likes  doctors  and  New  York  liked  Dr  Sloper  at  the  time.  Our  story  begins  in  1843.  Dr  Sloper  was  50  years  old.  He  was  a  good  doctor.

He  was  a  man  of  the  world  and  he  was  honest.  Life  was  good  to  him.  At  27,  he  married  a  beautiful  and  clever  girl.  She  had  pretty  eyes,  $10,000  and  a  good  place  in  society  for  five  years.  Dr  Sloper  was  a  happy  man.

Many  of  his  wife's  friends  came  to  him  and  he  did  well  in  his  profession.  They  lived  in  a  large  house  in  Washington  Square,  a  quiet  corner  in  a  noisy  city.  Their  first  child,  a  very  clever  little  boy,  died  when  he  was  three.  His  mother's  love  and  his  father's  profession  did  not  help  him.  Two  years  later,  Mrs  Sloper  had  a  second  child,  a  girl.

The  doctor  did  not  want  a  girl,  but  this  was  not  the  worst.  Two  weeks  later,  Mrs  Sloper  died.  The  little  girl's  name  was  Catherine.  She  was  strong.  Her  father  was  not  afraid  of  losing  her.

When  the  child  was  ten  years  old,  Dr  Sloper  asked  his  sister,  Mrs  Lavinia  Pinnaman,  to  come  and  stay  with  them.  Mr  Pinnaman,  a  churchman  without  a  penny,  died  when  Mrs  Pinnaman  was  33.  She  had  no  children  and  no  money.  Stay  for  six  months,  he  said.  I  will  look  for  a  flat,  she  said.

She  moved  into  her  brother's  house  and  never  went  away  again.  Mrs  Pinnaman  told  everybody  that  the  child  wanted  a  clever  woman  near  her.  Dr  Sloper  did  not  think  his  sister  was  clever,  but  he  was  always  very  polite  to  her  and  never  angry.  They  didn't  speak  much.  He  gave  her  his  opinions  about  Catherine's  schooling  and  not  much  more.

Catherine  was  very  good  and  honest,  but  she  was  not  pretty  or  clever.  She  was  quiet.  She  was  quiet.  She  loved  her  father  and  was  very  afraid  of  him.  She  was  happy  when  her  father  was  happy.

The  doctor  wanted  to  be  proud  of  her,  but  he  wasn't.  He  was  sometimes  angry  because  his  only  child  was  ordinary.  When  she  was  18,  Catherine  was  a  quiet  young  woman,  but  she  began  to  wear  strong,  noisy  colors.  Dr  Sloper  did  not  like  her  new  dresses.  He  thought  she  was  vulgar.

One  day,  Catherine's  other  aunt,  Mrs  Almond,  asked  a  lot  of  people  to  her  house.  Mrs  Almond  was  the  younger  of  Dr  Sloper's.  Two  sisters.  She  was  the  wife  of  a  rich  city  man  and  the  mother,  all  nine  children.  She  was  pretty,  happy  and  clever,  and  her  brother  liked  her.

When  he  wanted  to  talk  about  Catherine,  he  went  to  her  and  not  to  Mrs  Penneman.  Catherine  was  close  to  her  aunt's  children.  There  were  seven  boys  and  two  girls.  The  older  girl  married  young.  The  younger  girl,  called  Marion,  soon  decided  to  marry  two.

She  found  a  young  man  called  Arthur  Townsend,  and  so  the  Almonds  asked  everybody  to  the  house.  Mrs  Pinnaman  and  Catherine  arrived  at  the  almonds.  The  doctor  planned  to  come  later.  Soon  after  the  dancing  started,  marion  Almond  brought  a  tall  young  man  over  to  Catherine.  Catherine,  this  is  Mr.

Morris  Townsend.  He  is  from  the  same  family  as  Arthur.  He  wants  to  meet  you  very  much.  Marion  Almond  was  a  pretty  woman.  At  17,  she  moved  easily  in  society.

She  left  Catherine  and  Mr.  Townsend  together.  Catherine  looked  at  the  young  man.  He  was  very  handsome.  What  can  I  say  to  this  handsome  man?

Thought  Catherine.  But  Mr.  Townsend  began  to  talk  to  her  with  an  easy  smile.  What  a  nice  evening.  What  a  beautiful  house.

What  an  interesting  family.  What  a  pretty  girl  Marion  is.  He  looked  into  Catherine's  eyes.  She  said  nothing.  He  talked  and  she  listened  and  looked  at  him.

The  dancing  began  again.  He  asked  her  to  dance,  and  she  gave  him  her  arm.  After  the  dance,  her  face  was  red  and  she  was  hot.  We'll  sit  and  talk,  said  Mr.  Townsend.

But  he  talked  and  Catherine  listened.  Catherine  sat  back.  She  thought  he  was  very  clever.  This  is  my  first  visit  to  Mrs.  Almonds,  he  said.

And  my  first  visit  to  New  York  for  many  years.  One  lived  here  when  I  was  a  child,  but  one  left  when  I  was  a  child.  But  one  left  when  I  was  20.  I  went  round  the  world.  I  came  back  to  New  York  only  a  month  ago.

It  is  a  nice  city,  but  I  don't  know  anybody.  You  see,  people  forget  you,  he  said  and  smiled  at  Catherine.  Catherine  thought,  I'll  never  forget  you.  They  sat  there  for  some  time.  They  laughed  together.

He  asked  her  about  the  people  near  them.  He  gave  his  opinions  about  them.  She  thought  he  was  very  honest.  Then  Marion  Almond  came  back  and  took  Mr.  Townsend  away  to  her  mother.