reflected　that　these　letters　invariably　had　to　relate　tales　of　failures；　of
  disappointed　hopes；　she　wondered　at　her　father's　perennial　interest　in
  failures；provided　they　were　those　of　his　family；　and　the　next　evening；　as　he
  wrote　painfully　on　his　ruled　paper；　she　knew　that　he　in　turn　was　pouring　out
  his　soul　to　Alpheus；　recounting；　with　an　emotion　by　no　means　unpleasurable；　to
  this　sympathetic　but　remote　relative　the　story　of　his　own　failure！
  If　the　city　of　Hampton　was　emblematic　of　our　modern　world　in　which
  haphazardness　has　replaced　order；　Fillmore　Street　may　be　likened　to　a　back　eddy
  of　the　muddy　and　troubled　waters；　in　which　all　sorts　of　flotsam　and　jetsam　had
  collected。　　Or；　to　find　perhaps　an　even　more　striking　illustration　of　the
  process　that　made　Hampton　in　general　and　Fillmore　Street　in　particular；　one　had
  only　to　take　the　trolley　to　Glendale；　the　Italian　settlement　on　the　road
  leading　to　the　old　New　England　village　of　Shrewsbury。　　Janet　sometimes　walked
  there；　alone　or　with　her　friend　Eda　Rawle。　　Disintegration　itselfin　a
  paradoxically　pathetic　attempt　at　reconstructionhad　built　Glendale。　　Human
  hands；　Italian　hands。　　Nor；　surprising　though　it　may　seem；　were　these
  descendants　of　the　people　of　the　Renaissance　in　the　least　offended　by　their
  handiwork。　　When　the　southern　European　migration　had　begun　and　real　estate
  became　valuable；　one　by　one　the　more　decorous　edifices　of　the　old　American
  order　had　been　torn　down　and　carried　piecemeal　by　sons　of　Italy　to　the　bare
  hills　of　Glendale；　there　to　enter　into　new　combinations　representing；　to　an　eye
  craving　harmony；　the　last　word　of　a　chaos；　of　a　mental　indigestion；　of　a　colour
  scheme　crying　aloud　to　heaven　for　retribution。　　Standing　alone　and　bare　amidst
  its　truck　gardens；　hideous；　extreme；　though　typical　of　the　entire　settlement；
  composed　of　fragments　ripped　from　once…appropriate　settings；　is　a　house　with　a
  tiny　body　painted　strawberry…red；　with　scroll…work　shutters　a　tender　green；
  surmounting　the　structure　and　almost　equalling　it　in　size　is　a　sky…blue　cupola；
  once　the　white　crown　of　the　Sutter　mansion；　the　pride　of　old　Hampton。　　The
  walls　of　this　dwelling　were　wrested　from　the　sides　of　Mackey's　Tavern；　while
  the　shutters　for　many　years　adorned　the　parsonage　of　the　old　First　Church。
  Similarly；　in　Hampton　and　in　Fillmore　Street；　lived　in　enforced　neighbourliness
  human　fragments　once　having　their　places　in　crystallized　communities　where
  existence　had　been　regarded　as　solved。　　Here　there　was　but　one　order；if　such
  it　may　be　called；one　relationship；　direct；　or　indirect；　one　necessity
  claiming　them　allthe　mills。
  Like　the　boards　forming　the　walls　of　the　shacks　at　Glendale；　these　human　planks
  torn　from　an　earlier　social　structure　were　likewise　warped；　which　is　to　say
  they　were　dominated　by　obsessions。　　Edward's　was　the　Bumpus　family；　and　Chris
  Auermann；　who　lived　in　the　flat　below；　was　convinced　that　the　history　of
  mankind　is　a　deplorable　record　of　havoc　caused　by　women。　　Perhaps　he　was　right；
  but　the　conviction　was　none　the　less　an　obsession。　　He　came　from　a　little
  village　near　Wittenburg　that　has　scarcely　changed　since　Luther's　time。　　Like
  most　residents　of　Hampton　who　did　not　work　in　the　mills；　he　ministered　to　those
  who　did；　or　to　those　who　sold　merchandise　to　the　workers；　cutting　their　hair　in
  his　barber　shop　on　Faber　Street。
  The　Bumpuses；　save　Lise；　clinging　to　a　native　individualism　and　pride；
  preferred　isolation　to　companionship　with　the　other　pieces　of　driftwood　by
  which　they　were　surrounded；　and　with　which　the　summer　season　compelled　a
  certain　enforced　contact。　　When　the　heat　in　the　little　dining…room　grew
  unbearable；　they　were　driven　to　take　refuge　on　the　front　steps　shared　in　common
  with　the　household　of　the　barber。　　It　is　true　that　the　barber's　wife　was　a　mild
  hausfrau　who　had　little　to　say；　and　that　their　lodgers；　two　young　Germans　who
  worked　in　the　mills；　spent　most　of　their　evenings　at　a　bowling　club；　but
  Auermann　himself；　exhaling　a　strong　odour　of　bay　rum；　would　arrive　promptly　at
  quarter　past　eight；　take　off　his　coat；　and　thus；　as　it　were　stripped　for
  action；　would　turn　upon　the　defenceless　Edward。
  〃Vill　you　mention　one　great　manyoost　onewho　is　not　greater　if　the　vimmen
  leave　him　alone？〃　he　would　demand。　　〃Is　it　Anthony；　the　conqueror　of　Egypt　and
  the　East？　　I　vill　show　you　Cleopatra。　　Und　Burns；　and　Napoleon；　the　greatest
  man　what　ever　livedvimmen　again。　　I　tell　you　there　is　no　Elba；　no　St。　Helena
  if　it　is　not　for　the　vimmen。　　Und　vat　vill　you　say　of　Goethe？〃
  Poor　Edward　could　think　of　nothing　to　say　of　Goethe。
  〃He　is　great；　I　grant　you；〃　Chris　would　admit；　〃but　vat　is　he　if　the　vimmen
  leave　him　alone？　　Divine　yoost　that。〃　　And　he　would　proceed　to　cite　endless
  examples　of　generals　and　statesmen　whose　wives　or　mistresses　had　been　their
  bane。　　Futile　Edward's　attempts　to　shift　the　conversation　to　the　subject　of　his
  own　obsession；　the　German　was　by　far　the　more　aggressive；　he　would　have　none　of
  it。　　Perhaps　if　Edward　had　been　willing　to　concede　that　the　Bumpuses　had　been
  brought　to　their　present　lowly　estate　by　the　sinister　agency　of　the　fair　sex
  Chris　might　conditionally　have　accepted　the　theme。　　Hannah；　contemptuously
  waving　a　tattered　palm　leaf　fan；　was　silent；　but　on　one　occasion　Janet　took
  away　the　barber's　breath　by　suddenly　observing：
  〃You　never　seem　to　think　of　the　women　whose　lives　are　ruined　by　men；　Mr。
  Auermann。〃
  It　was　unheard…of；　this　invasion　of　a　man's　argument　by　a　woman；　and　by　a　young
  woman　at　that。　　He　glared　at　her　through　his　spectacles；　took　them　off；　wiped
  them；　replaced　them；　and　glared　at　her　again。　　He　did　not　like　Janet；　she　was
  capable　of　what　may　be　called　a　speaking　silence；　and　he　had　never　been　wholly
  unaware　of　her　disapproval　and　ridicule。　　Perhaps　he　recognized　in　her；
  instinctively；　the　potential　qualities　of　that　emerging　modern　woman　who　to　him
  was　anathema。
  〃It　is　somethings　I　don't　think　about；〃　he　said。
  He　was　a　wizened　little　man　with　faience…blue　eyes；　and　sat　habitually　hunched
  up　with　his　hands　folded　across　his　shins。
  〃Nam　fuit　ante　Helenam〃as　Darwin　quotes。　　Toward　all　the　masculine　residents
  of　Fillmore　Street；　save　one；　the　barber's　attitude　was　one　of　unconcealed
  scorn　for　an　inability　to　recognize　female　perfidy。　　With　Johnny　Tiernan　alone
  he　refused　to　enter　the　lists。　　When　the　popular　proprietor　of　the　tin　shop
  came　sauntering　along　the　sidewalk　with　nose　uptilted；　waving　genial　greetings
  to　the　various　groups　on　the　steps；　Chris　Auermann's　expression　would　suddenly
  change　to　one　of　fatuous　playfulness。
  〃What's　this　I　hear　about　giving　the　girls　the　vote；　Chris？〃　　Johnny　would
  innocently　inquire；　winking　at　Janet；　invariably　running　his　hand　through　the
  wiry　red　hair　that　resumed　its　corkscrew　twist　as　soon　as　he　released　it。　　And
  Chris　would　as　invariably　reply：
  〃You　have　the　dandruffsyes？　　You　come　to　my　shop；　I　give　you　somethings。。。。〃
  Sometimes　the　barber；　in　search　of　a　more　aggressive　adversary　than　Edward；
  would　pay　visits；　when　as　likely　as　not　another　neighbour　with　profound
  convictions　and　a　craving　for　proselytes　would　swoop　down　on　the　defenceless
  Bumpuses：　Joe　Shivers；　for　instance；　who　lived　in　one　of　the　tenements　above
  the　cleaning　and　dyeing　establishment　kept　by　the　Pappas　Bros。；　and　known　as
  〃The　Gentleman。〃　　In　the　daytime　Mr。　Shivers　was　a　model　of　acquiescence　in　a
  system　he　would　have　designated　as　one　of　industrial　feudalism；　his　duty　being
  to　examine　the　rolls　of　cloth　as　they　came　from　the　looms　of　the　Arundel　Mill；
  in　case　of　imperfections　handing　them　over　to　the　women　menders：　at　night；　to
  borrow　a　vivid　expression　from　Lise；　he　was　〃batty　in　the　belfry〃　on　the
  subject　of　socialism。　　Unlike　the　barber；　whom　he　could　not　abide；　for　him　the
  cleavage　of　the　world　was　between　labour　and　capital　instead　of　man　and　woman；
  his　philosophy　was　stern　and　naturalistic；　the　universethe　origin　of　which　he
  did　not　discussjust　an　accidental　assemblage　of　capricious　forces　over　which
  human　intelligence　was　one　day　to　triumph。　　Squatting　on　the　lowest　step；　his
  face　upturned；　by　the　light　of　the　arc　sputtering　above　the　street　he　looked
  like　a　yellow　frog；　his　eager　eyes　directed　toward　Janet；　whom　he　suspected　of
  intelligence。
  〃If　there　was　a　God；　a　nice；　kind；　all…powerful　God；　would　he　permit　what
  happened　in　one　of　the　loom…rooms　last　week？　　A　Polak　girl　gets　her　hair　caught
  in　the　belt　pfff！〃　　He　had　a　marvellously　realistic　gift　when　it　came　to
  horrors：　Janet　felt　her　hair　coming　out　by　the　roots。　　Although　she　never　went
  to　church；　she　did　not　like　to　think　that　no　God　existed。　　Of　this　Mr。　Shivers
  was　very　positive。　　Edward；　too；　listened　uneasily；　hemmed　and　hawed；　making
  ineffectual　attempts　to　combat　Mr。　Shivers's　socialism　with　a　deeply…rooted
  native　individualism　that　Shivers　declared　as　defunct　as　Christianity。
  〃If　it　is　possible　for　the　workingman　to　rise　under　a　capitalistic　system；　why
  do　you　not　rise；　then？　　Why　do　I　not　rise？　　I'm　as　good　as　Ditmar；　I'm　better
  educated；　but　we're　all　slaves。　　What　right　has　a　man　to　make　you　and　me　work
  for　him　just　because　he　has　capital？〃
  〃Why；　the　right　of　capital；〃　Edward　would　reply。
  Mr。　Shivers；