Chapter	O
I	O
Major	O
Amberson	O
had	O
“	O
made	O
a	O
fortune	O
”	O
in	O
1873	O
,	O
when	O
other	O
people	O
were	O
losing	O
fortunes	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
magnificence	O
of	O
the	O
Ambersons	O
began	O
then	O
.	O

Magnificence	O
,	O
like	O
the	O
size	O
of	O
a	O
fortune	O
,	O
is	O
always	O
comparative	O
,	O
as	O
even	O
Magnificent	O
Lorenzo	O
may	O
now	O
perceive	O
,	O
if	O
he	O
has	O
happened	O
to	O
haunt	O
New	O
York	O
in	O
1916	O
;	O
and	O
the	O
Ambersons	O
were	O
magnificent	O
in	O
their	O
day	O
and	O
place	O
.	O

Their	O
splendour	O
lasted	O
throughout	O
all	O
the	O
years	O
that	O
saw	O
their	O
Midland	O
town	O
spread	O
and	O
darken	O
into	O
a	O
city	O
,	O
but	O
reached	O
its	O
topmost	O
during	O
the	O
period	O
when	O
every	O
prosperous	O
family	O
with	O
children	O
kept	O
a	O
Newfoundland	O
dog	O
.	O

In	O
that	O
town	O
,	O
in	O
those	O
days	O
,	O
all	O
the	O
women	O
who	O
wore	O
silk	O
or	O
velvet	O
knew	O
all	O
the	O
other	O
women	O
who	O
wore	O
silk	O
or	O
velvet	O
,	O
and	O
when	O
there	O
was	O
a	O
new	O
purchase	O
of	O
sealskin	O
,	O
sick	O
people	O
were	O
got	O
to	O
windows	O
to	O
see	O
it	O
go	O
by	O
.	O

Trotters	O
were	O
out	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
winter	O
afternoons	O
,	O
racing	O
light	O
sleighs	O
on	O
National	O
Avenue	O
and	O
Tennessee	O
Street	O
;	O
everybody	O
recognized	O
both	O
the	O
trotters	O
and	O
the	O
drivers	O
;	O
and	O
again	O
knew	O
them	O
as	O
well	O
on	O
summer	O
evenings	O
,	O
when	O
slim	O
buggies	O
whizzed	O
by	O
in	O
renewals	O
of	O
the	O
snow-time	O
rivalry	O
.	O

For	O
that	O
matter	O
,	O
everybody	O
knew	O
everybody	O
else	O
's	O
family	O
horse-and-carriage	O
,	O
could	O
identify	O
such	O
a	O
silhouette	O
half	O
a	O
mile	O
down	O
the	O
street	O
,	O
and	O
thereby	O
was	O
sure	O
who	O
was	O
going	O
to	O
market	O
,	O
or	O
to	O
a	O
reception	O
,	O
or	O
coming	O
home	O
from	O
office	O
or	O
store	O
to	O
noon	O
dinner	O
or	O
evening	O
supper	O
.	O

During	O
the	O
earlier	O
years	O
of	O
this	O
period	O
,	O
elegance	O
of	O
personal	O
appearance	O
was	O
believed	O
to	O
rest	O
more	O
upon	O
the	O
texture	O
of	O
garments	O
than	O
upon	O
their	O
shaping	O
.	O

A	O
silk	O
dress	O
needed	O
no	O
remodelling	O
when	O
it	O
was	O
a	O
year	O
or	O
so	O
old	O
;	O
it	O
remained	O
distinguished	O
by	O
merely	O
remaining	O
silk	O
.	O

Old	O
men	O
and	O
governors	O
wore	O
broadcloth	O
;	O
“	O
full	O
dress	O
”	O
was	O
broadcloth	O
with	O
“	O
doeskin	O
”	O
trousers	O
;	O
and	O
there	O
were	O
seen	O
men	O
of	O
all	O
ages	O
to	O
whom	O
a	O
hat	O
meant	O
only	O
that	O
rigid	O
,	O
tall	O
silk	O
thing	O
known	O
to	O
impudence	O
as	O
a	O
“	O
stove-pipe	O
.	O
”	O

In	O
town	O
and	O
country	O
these	O
men	O
would	O
wear	O
no	O
other	O
hat	O
,	O
and	O
,	O
without	O
self-consciousness	O
,	O
they	O
went	O
rowing	O
in	O
such	O
hats	O
.	O

Shifting	O
fashions	O
of	O
shape	O
replaced	O
aristocracy	O
of	O
texture	O
:	O
dressmakers	O
,	O
shoemakers	O
,	O
hatmakers	O
,	O
and	O
tailors	O
,	O
increasing	O
in	O
cunning	O
and	O
in	O
power	O
,	O
found	O
means	O
to	O
make	O
new	O
clothes	O
old	O
.	O

The	O
long	O
contagion	O
of	O
the	O
“	O
Derby	O
”	O
hat	O
arrived	O
:	O
one	O
season	O
the	O
crown	O
of	O
this	O
hat	O
would	O
be	O
a	O
bucket	O
;	O
the	O
next	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
a	O
spoon	O
.	O

Every	O
house	O
still	O
kept	O
its	O
bootjack	O
,	O
but	O
high-topped	O
boots	O
gave	O
way	O
to	O
shoes	O
and	O
“	O
congress	O
gaiters	O
”	O
;	O
and	O
these	O
were	O
played	O
through	O
fashions	O
that	O
shaped	O
them	O
now	O
with	O
toes	O
like	O
box-ends	O
and	O
now	O
with	O
toes	O
like	O
the	O
prows	O
of	O
racing	O
shells	O
.	O

Trousers	O
with	O
a	O
crease	O
were	O
considered	O
plebeian	O
;	O
the	O
crease	O
proved	O
that	O
the	O
garment	O
had	O
lain	O
upon	O
a	O
shelf	O
,	O
and	O
hence	O
was	O
“	O
ready-made	O
”	O
;	O
these	O
betraying	O
trousers	O
were	O
called	O
“	O
hand-me-downs	O
,	O
”	O
in	O
allusion	O
to	O
the	O
shelf	O
.	O

In	O
the	O
early	O
'	O
eighties	O
,	O
while	O
bangs	O
and	O
bustles	O
were	O
having	O
their	O
way	O
with	O
women	O
,	O
that	O
variation	O
of	O
dandy	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
“	O
dude	O
”	O
was	O
invented	O
:	O
he	O
wore	O
trousers	O
as	O
tight	O
as	O
stockings	O
,	O
dagger-pointed	O
shoes	O
,	O
a	O
spoon	O
“	O
Derby	O
,	O
”	O
a	O
single-breasted	O
coat	O
called	O
a	O
“	O
Chesterfield	O
,	O
”	O
with	O
short	O
flaring	O
skirts	O
,	O
a	O
torturing	O
cylindrical	O
collar	O
,	O
laundered	O
to	O
a	O
polish	O
and	O
three	O
inches	O
high	O
,	O
while	O
his	O
other	O
neckgear	O
might	O
be	O
a	O
heavy	O
,	O
puffed	O
cravat	O
or	O
a	O
tiny	O
bow	O
fit	O
for	O
a	O
doll	O
's	O
braids	O
.	O

With	O
evening	O
dress	O
he	O
wore	O
a	O
tan	O
overcoat	O
so	O
short	O
that	O
his	O
black	O
coat-tails	O
hung	O
visible	O
,	O
five	O
inches	O
below	O
the	O
over-coat	O
;	O
but	O
after	O
a	O
season	O
or	O
two	O
he	O
lengthened	O
his	O
overcoat	O
till	O
it	O
touched	O
his	O
heels	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
passed	O
out	O
of	O
his	O
tight	O
trousers	O
into	O
trousers	O
like	O
great	O
bags	O
.	O

Then	O
,	O
presently	O
,	O
he	O
was	O
seen	O
no	O
more	O
,	O
though	O
the	O
word	O
that	O
had	O
been	O
coined	O
for	O
him	O
remained	O
in	O
the	O
vocabularies	O
of	O
the	O
impertinent	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
a	O
hairier	O
day	O
than	O
this	O
.	O

Beards	O
were	O
to	O
the	O
wearers	O
'	O
fancy	O
,	O
and	O
things	O
as	O
strange	O
as	O
the	O
Kaiserliche	O
boar-tusk	O
moustache	O
were	O
commonplace	O
.	O

“	O
Side-burns	O
”	O
found	O
nourishment	O
upon	O
childlike	O
profiles	O
;	O
great	O
Dundreary	O
whiskers	O
blew	O
like	O
tippets	O
over	O
young	O
shoulders	O
;	O
moustaches	O
were	O
trained	O
as	O
lambrequins	O
over	O
forgotten	O
mouths	O
;	O
and	O
it	O
was	O
possible	O
for	O
a	O
Senator	O
of	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
to	O
wear	O
a	O
mist	O
of	O
white	O
whisker	O
upon	O
his	O
throat	O
only	O
,	O
not	O
a	O
newspaper	O
in	O
the	O
land	O
finding	O
the	O
ornament	O
distinguished	O
enough	O
to	O
warrant	O
a	O
lampoon	O
.	O

Surely	O
no	O
more	O
is	O
needed	O
to	O
prove	O
that	O
so	O
short	O
a	O
time	O
ago	O
we	O
were	O
living	O
in	O
another	O
age	O
!	O

At	O
the	O
beginning	O
of	O
the	O
Ambersons	O
'	O
great	O
period	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
houses	O
of	O
the	O
Midland	O
town	O
were	O
of	O
a	O
pleasant	O
architecture	O
.	O

They	O
lacked	O
style	O
,	O
but	O
also	O
lacked	O
pretentiousness	O
,	O
and	O
whatever	O
does	O
not	O
pretend	O
at	O
all	O
has	O
style	O
enough	O
.	O

They	O
stood	O
in	O
commodious	O
yards	O
,	O
well	O
shaded	O
by	O
leftover	O
forest	O
trees	O
,	O
elm	O
and	O
walnut	O
and	O
beech	O
,	O
with	O
here	O
and	O
there	O
a	O
line	O
of	O
tall	O
sycamores	O
where	O
the	O
land	O
had	O
been	O
made	O
by	O
filling	O
bayous	O
from	O
the	O
creek	O
.	O

The	O
house	O
of	O
a	O
“	O
prominent	O
resident	O
,	O
”	O
facing	O
Military	O
Square	O
,	O
or	O
National	O
Avenue	O
,	O
or	O
Tennessee	O
Street	O
,	O
was	O
built	O
of	O
brick	O
upon	O
a	O
stone	O
foundation	O
,	O
or	O
of	O
wood	O
upon	O
a	O
brick	O
foundation	O
.	O

Usually	O
it	O
had	O
a	O
“	O
front	O
porch	O
”	O
and	O
a	O
“	O
back	O
porch	O
”	O
;	O
often	O
a	O
“	O
side	O
porch	O
,	O
”	O
too	O
.	O

There	O
was	O
a	O
“	O
front	O
hall	O
”	O
;	O
there	O
was	O
a	O
“	O
side	O
hall	O
”	O
;	O
and	O
sometimes	O
a	O
“	O
back	O
hall	O
.	O
”	O

From	O
the	O
“	O
front	O
hall	O
”	O
opened	O
three	O
rooms	O
,	O
the	O
“	O
parlour	O
,	O
”	O
the	O
“	O
sitting	O
room	O
,	O
”	O
and	O
the	O
“	O
library	O
”	O
;	O
and	O
the	O
library	O
could	O
show	O
warrant	O
to	O
its	O
title	O
--	O
for	O
some	O
reason	O
these	O
people	O
bought	O
books	O
.	O

Commonly	O
,	O
the	O
family	O
sat	O
more	O
in	O
the	O
library	O
than	O
in	O
the	O
“	O
sitting	O
room	O
,	O
”	O
while	O
callers	O
,	O
when	O
they	O
came	O
formally	O
,	O
were	O
kept	O
to	O
the	O
“	O
parlour	O
,	O
”	O
a	O
place	O
of	O
formidable	O
polish	O
and	O
discomfort	O
.	O

The	O
upholstery	O
of	O
the	O
library	O
furniture	O
was	O
a	O
little	O
shabby	O
;	O
but	O
the	O
hostile	O
chairs	O
and	O
sofa	O
of	O
the	O
“	O
parlour	O
”	O
always	O
looked	O
new	O
.	O

For	O
all	O
the	O
wear	O
and	O
tear	O
they	O
got	O
they	O
should	O
have	O
lasted	O
a	O
thousand	O
years	O
.	O

Upstairs	O
were	O
the	O
bedrooms	O
;	O
“	O
mother-and-father	O
's	O
room	O
”	O
the	O
largest	O
;	O
a	O
smaller	O
room	O
for	O
one	O
or	O
two	O
sons	O
another	O
for	O
one	O
or	O
two	O
daughters	O
;	O
each	O
of	O
these	O
rooms	O
containing	O
a	O
double	O
bed	O
,	O
a	O
“	O
washstand	O
,	O
”	O
a	O
“	O
bureau	O
,	O
”	O
a	O
wardrobe	O
,	O
a	O
little	O
table	O
,	O
a	O
rocking-chair	O
,	O
and	O
often	O
a	O
chair	O
or	O
two	O
that	O
had	O
been	O
slightly	O
damaged	O
downstairs	O
,	O
but	O
not	O
enough	O
to	O
justify	O
either	O
the	O
expense	O
of	O
repair	O
or	O
decisive	O
abandonment	O
in	O
the	O
attic	O
.	O

And	O
there	O
was	O
always	O
a	O
“	O
spare-room	O
,	O
”	O
for	O
visitors	O
(	O
where	O
the	O
sewing-machine	O
usually	O
was	O
kept	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
during	O
the	O
'	O
seventies	O
there	O
developed	O
an	O
appreciation	O
of	O
the	O
necessity	O
for	O
a	O
bathroom	O
.	O

Therefore	O
the	O
architects	O
placed	O
bathrooms	O
in	O
the	O
new	O
houses	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
older	O
houses	O
tore	O
out	O
a	O
cupboard	O
or	O
two	O
,	O
set	O
up	O
a	O
boiler	O
beside	O
the	O
kitchen	O
stove	O
,	O
and	O
sought	O
a	O
new	O
godliness	O
,	O
each	O
with	O
its	O
own	O
bathroom	O
.	O

The	O
great	O
American	O
plumber	O
joke	O
,	O
that	O
many-branched	O
evergreen	O
,	O
was	O
planted	O
at	O
this	O
time	O
.	O

At	O
the	O
rear	O
of	O
the	O
house	O
,	O
upstairs	O
was	O
a	O
bleak	O
little	O
chamber	O
,	O
called	O
“	O
the	O
girl	O
's	O
room	O
,	O
”	O
and	O
in	O
the	O
stable	O
there	O
was	O
another	O
bedroom	O
,	O
adjoining	O
the	O
hayloft	O
,	O
and	O
called	O
“	O
the	O
hired	O
man	O
's	O
room	O
.	O
”	O

House	O
and	O
stable	O
cost	O
seven	O
or	O
eight	O
thousand	O
dollars	O
to	O
build	O
,	O
and	O
people	O
with	O
that	O
much	O
money	O
to	O
invest	O
in	O
such	O
comforts	O
were	O
classified	O
as	O
the	O
Rich	O
.	O

They	O
paid	O
the	O
inhabitant	O
of	O
“	O
the	O
girl	O
's	O
room	O
”	O
two	O
dollars	O
a	O
week	O
,	O
and	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
latter	O
part	O
of	O
this	O
period	O
,	O
two	O
dollars	O
and	O
a	O
half	O
,	O
and	O
finally	O
three	O
dollars	O
a	O
week	O
.	O

She	O
was	O
Irish	O
,	O
ordinarily	O
,	O
or	O
German	O
or	O
it	O
might	O
be	O
Scandinavian	O
,	O
but	O
never	O
native	O
to	O
the	O
land	O
unless	O
she	O
happened	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
person	O
of	O
colour	O
.	O

The	O
man	O
or	O
youth	O
who	O
lived	O
in	O
the	O
stable	O
had	O
like	O
wages	O
,	O
and	O
sometimes	O
he	O
,	O
too	O
,	O
was	O
lately	O
a	O
steerage	O
voyager	O
,	O
but	O
much	O
oftener	O
he	O
was	O
coloured	O
.	O

After	O
sunrise	O
,	O
on	O
pleasant	O
mornings	O
,	O
the	O
alleys	O
behind	O
the	O
stables	O
were	O
gay	O
;	O
laughter	O
and	O
shouting	O
went	O
up	O
and	O
down	O
their	O
dusty	O
lengths	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
lively	O
accompaniment	O
of	O
curry-combs	O
knocking	O
against	O
back	O
fences	O
and	O
stable	O
walls	O
,	O
for	O
the	O
darkies	O
loved	O
to	O
curry	O
their	O
horses	O
in	O
the	O
alley	O
.	O

Darkies	O
always	O
prefer	O
to	O
gossip	O
in	O
shouts	O
instead	O
of	O
whispers	O
;	O
and	O
they	O
feel	O
that	O
profanity	O
,	O
unless	O
it	O
be	O
vociferous	O
,	O
is	O
almost	O
worthless	O
.	O

Horrible	O
phrases	O
were	O
caught	O
by	O
early	O
rising	O
children	O
and	O
carried	O
to	O
older	O
people	O
for	O
definition	O
,	O
sometimes	O
at	O
inopportune	O
moments	O
;	O
while	O
less	O
investigative	O
children	O
would	O
often	O
merely	O
repeat	O
the	O
phrases	O
in	O
some	O
subsequent	O
flurry	O
of	O
agitation	O
,	O
and	O
yet	O
bring	O
about	O
consequences	O
so	O
emphatic	O
as	O
to	O
be	O
recalled	O
with	O
ease	O
in	O
middle	O
life	O
.	O

They	O
have	O
passed	O
,	O
those	O
darky	O
hired-men	O
of	O
the	O
Midland	O
town	O
;	O
and	O
the	O
introspective	O
horses	O
they	O
curried	O
and	O
brushed	O
and	O
whacked	O
and	O
amiably	O
cursed	O
--	O
those	O
good	O
old	O
horses	O
switch	O
their	O
tails	O
at	O
flies	O
no	O
more	O
.	O

For	O
all	O
their	O
seeming	O
permanence	O
they	O
might	O
as	O
well	O
have	O
been	O
buffaloes	O
--	O
or	O
the	O
buffalo	O
laprobes	O
that	O
grew	O
bald	O
in	O
patches	O
and	O
used	O
to	O
slide	O
from	O
the	O
careless	O
drivers	O
'	O
knees	O
and	O
hang	O
unconcerned	O
,	O
half	O
way	O
to	O
the	O
ground	O
.	O

The	O
stables	O
have	O
been	O
transformed	O
into	O
other	O
likenesses	O
,	O
or	O
swept	O
away	O
,	O
like	O
the	O
woodsheds	O
where	O
were	O
kept	O
the	O
stove-wood	O
and	O
kindling	O
that	O
the	O
“	O
girl	O
”	O
and	O
the	O
“	O
hired-man	O
”	O
always	O
quarrelled	O
over	O
:	O
who	O
should	O
fetch	O
it	O
.	O

Horse	O
and	O
stable	O
and	O
woodshed	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
whole	O
tribe	O
of	O
the	O
“	O
hired-man	O
,	O
”	O
all	O
are	O
gone	O
.	O

They	O
went	O
quickly	O
,	O
yet	O
so	O
silently	O
that	O
we	O
whom	O
they	O
served	O
have	O
not	O
yet	O
really	O
noticed	O
that	O
they	O
are	O
vanished	O
.	O

So	O
with	O
other	O
vanishings	O
.	O

There	O
were	O
the	O
little	O
bunty	O
street-cars	O
on	O
the	O
long	O
,	O
single	O
track	O
that	O
went	O
its	O
troubled	O
way	O
among	O
the	O
cobblestones	O
.	O

At	O
the	O
rear	O
door	O
of	O
the	O
car	O
there	O
was	O
no	O
platform	O
,	O
but	O
a	O
step	O
where	O
passengers	O
clung	O
in	O
wet	O
clumps	O
when	O
the	O
weather	O
was	O
bad	O
and	O
the	O
car	O
crowded	O
.	O

The	O
patrons	O
--	O
if	O
not	O
too	O
absent-minded	O
--	O
put	O
their	O
fares	O
into	O
a	O
slot	O
;	O
and	O
no	O
conductor	O
paced	O
the	O
heaving	O
floor	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
driver	O
would	O
rap	O
remindingly	O
with	O
his	O
elbow	O
upon	O
the	O
glass	O
of	O
the	O
door	O
to	O
his	O
little	O
open	O
platform	O
if	O
the	O
nickels	O
and	O
the	O
passengers	O
did	O
not	O
appear	O
to	O
coincide	O
in	O
number	O
.	O

A	O
lone	O
mule	O
drew	O
the	O
car	O
,	O
and	O
sometimes	O
drew	O
it	O
off	O
the	O
track	O
,	O
when	O
the	O
passengers	O
would	O
get	O
out	O
and	O
push	O
it	O
on	O
again	O
.	O

They	O
really	O
owed	O
it	O
courtesies	O
like	O
this	O
,	O
for	O
the	O
car	O
was	O
genially	O
accommodating	O
:	O
a	O
lady	O
could	O
whistle	O
to	O
it	O
from	O
an	O
upstairs	O
window	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
car	O
would	O
halt	O
at	O
once	O
and	O
wait	O
for	O
her	O
while	O
she	O
shut	O
the	O
window	O
,	O
put	O
on	O
her	O
hat	O
and	O
cloak	O
,	O
went	O
downstairs	O
,	O
found	O
an	O
umbrella	O
,	O
told	O
the	O
“	O
girl	O
”	O
what	O
to	O
have	O
for	O
dinner	O
,	O
and	O
came	O
forth	O
from	O
the	O
house	O
.	O

The	O
previous	O
passengers	O
made	O
little	O
objection	O
to	O
such	O
gallantry	O
on	O
the	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
car	O
:	O
they	O
were	O
wont	O
to	O
expect	O
as	O
much	O
for	O
themselves	O
on	O
like	O
occasion	O
.	O

In	O
good	O
weather	O
the	O
mule	O
pulled	O
the	O
car	O
a	O
mile	O
in	O
a	O
little	O
less	O
than	O
twenty	O
minutes	O
,	O
unless	O
the	O
stops	O
were	O
too	O
long	O
;	O
but	O
when	O
the	O
trolley-car	O
came	O
,	O
doing	O
its	O
mile	O
in	O
five	O
minutes	O
and	O
better	O
,	O
it	O
would	O
wait	O
for	O
nobody	O
.	O

Nor	O
could	O
its	O
passengers	O
have	O
endured	O
such	O
a	O
thing	O
,	O
because	O
the	O
faster	O
they	O
were	O
carried	O
the	O
less	O
time	O
they	O
had	O
to	O
spare	O
!	O

In	O
the	O
days	O
before	O
deathly	O
contrivances	O
hustled	O
them	O
through	O
their	O
lives	O
,	O
and	O
when	O
they	O
had	O
no	O
telephones	O
--	O
another	O
ancient	O
vacancy	O
profoundly	O
responsible	O
for	O
leisure	O
--	O
they	O
had	O
time	O
for	O
everything	O
:	O
time	O
to	O
think	O
,	O
to	O
talk	O
,	O
time	O
to	O
read	O
,	O
time	O
to	O
wait	O
for	O
a	O
lady	O
!	O