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- Теодор Драйзер
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- Американская трагедия
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- Стр. 1/598
American tragedy
Dusk
--
of
a
summer
night
.
And
the
tall
walls
of
the
commercial
heart
of
an
American
city
of
perhaps
400,000
inhabitants
--
such
walls
as
in
time
may
linger
as
a
mere
fable
.
And
up
the
broad
street
,
now
comparatively
hushed
,
a
little
band
of
six
--
a
man
of
about
fifty
,
short
,
stout
,
with
bushy
hair
protruding
from
under
a
round
black
felt
hat
,
a
most
unimportant
-
looking
person
,
who
carried
a
small
portable
organ
such
as
is
customarily
used
by
street
preachers
and
singers
.
And
with
him
a
woman
perhaps
five
years
his
junior
,
taller
,
not
so
broad
,
but
solid
of
frame
and
vigorous
,
very
plain
in
face
and
dress
,
and
yet
not
homely
,
leading
with
one
hand
a
small
boy
of
seven
and
in
the
other
carrying
a
Bible
and
several
hymn
books
.
With
these
three
,
but
walking
independently
behind
,
was
a
girl
of
fifteen
,
a
boy
of
twelve
and
another
girl
of
nine
,
all
following
obediently
,
but
not
too
enthusiastically
,
in
the
wake
of
the
others
.
It
was
hot
,
yet
with
a
sweet
languor
about
it
all
.
Crossing
at
right
angles
the
great
thoroughfare
on
which
they
walked
,
was
a
second
canyon-like
way
,
threaded
by
throngs
and
vehicles
and
various
lines
of
cars
which
clanged
their
bells
and
made
such
progress
as
they
might
amid
swiftly
moving
streams
of
traffic
.
Yet
the
little
group
seemed
unconscious
of
anything
save
a
set
purpose
to
make
its
way
between
the
contending
lines
of
traffic
and
pedestrians
which
flowed
by
them
.
Having
reached
an
intersection
this
side
of
the
second
principal
thoroughfare
--
really
just
an
alley
between
two
tall
structures
--
now
quite
bare
of
life
of
any
kind
,
the
man
put
down
the
organ
,
which
the
woman
immediately
opened
,
setting
up
a
music
rack
upon
which
she
placed
a
wide
flat
hymn
book
.
Then
handing
the
Bible
to
the
man
,
she
fell
back
in
line
with
him
,
while
the
twelve-year-old
boy
put
down
a
small
camp-stool
in
front
of
the
organ
.
The
man
--
the
father
,
as
he
chanced
to
be
--
looked
about
him
with
seeming
wide
-
eyed
assurance
,
and
announced
,
without
appearing
to
care
whether
he
had
any
auditors
or
not
:
"
We
will
first
sing
a
hymn
of
praise
,
so
that
any
who
may
wish
to
acknowledge
the
Lord
may
join
us
.
Will
you
oblige
,
Hester
?
"
At
this
the
eldest
girl
,
who
until
now
had
attempted
to
appear
as
unconscious
and
unaffected
as
possible
,
bestowed
her
rather
slim
and
as
yet
undeveloped
figure
upon
the
camp
chair
and
turned
the
leaves
of
the
hymn
book
,
pumping
the
organ
while
her
mother
observed
:
"
I
should
think
it
might
be
nice
to
sing
twenty-seven
tonight
--
'
How
Sweet
the
Balm
of
Jesus
'
Love
.
'
"
By
this
time
various
homeward-bound
individuals
of
diverse
grades
and
walks
of
life
,
noticing
the
small
group
disposing
itself
in
this
fashion
,
hesitated
for
a
moment
to
eye
them
askance
or
paused
to
ascertain
the
character
of
their
work
.
