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sistercarrier
SISTERCARRIEbyTheodoreDreiserAPENNSTATEELECTRONICCLASSICSSERIESPUBLICATIONSisterCarriebyTheodoreDreiserisapublicationofthePennsylvaniaStateUniversity.ThisPortableDocumentfileisfurnishedfreeandwithoutanychargeofanykind.Anypersonusingthisdocumentfile,foranypurpose,andinanywaydoessoathisorherownrisk.NeitherthePennsylvaniaStateUniversitynorJimManis,FacultyEditor,noranyoneassociatedwiththePennsylvaniaStateUniversityassumesanyresponsibilityforthematerialcontainedwithinthedocumentorforthefileasanelectronictransmission,inanyway.SisterCarriebyTheodoreDreiser,thePennsylvaniaStateUniversity,ElectronicClassicsSeries,JimManis,FacultyEditor,Hazleton,PA18202isaPortableDocumentFileproducedaspartofanongoingstudentpublicationprojecttobringclassicalworksofliterature,inEnglish,tofreeandeasyaccessofthosewishingtomakeuseofthem.CoverDesign:
JimManisCopyright2005ThePennsylvaniaStateUniversityThePennsylvaniaStateUniversityisanequalopportunityuniversity.DreiserSISTERCARRIEbyTheodoreDreiserChapterIMAGNETATTRACTING:
THEMAGNETATTRACTING:
AWIFEFORCESAMIDFORCESWHENCAROLINEMEEBERboardedtheafternoontrainforChicago,hertotaloutfitconsistedofasmalltrunk,acheapimitationalligator-skinsatchel,asmalllunchinapaperbox,andayellowleathersnappurse,containingherticket,ascrapofpaperwithhersister'saddressinVanBurenStreet,andfourdollarinmoney.ItwasinAugust,1889.Shewaseighteenyearsorage,bright,timid,andfulloftheillusionsofignoranceandyouth.Whatevertouchofregretatpartingcharacterizedhergivenup.Agushoftearsathermother'sfarewellkiss,millwhereherfatherworkedbytheday,apa3theticsighasthefamiliargreenenvironsofthevillagepassedinreviewandthethreadswhichboundhersolightlytogirlhoodandhomewereirretrievablybroken.Tobesuretherewasalwaysthenextstation,whereonemightdescendandreturn.Therewasthegreatcity,boundmorecloselybytheseverytrainswhichcameupdaily.ColumbiaCitywasnotsoveryfaraway,evenonceshewasinChicago.Whatpray,isafewhoursafewhundredmiles?
Shelookedatthelittleslipbearinghersister'saddressandwondered.Shegazedatthegreenlandscape,nowpassinginswiftreviewuntilherswifterthoughtsreplaceditsimpressionwithvagueconjecturesofwhatChicagomightbe.Whenagirlsleavesherhomeateighteen,shedoesoneoftwothings.Eithershefallsintosavinghandsandbecomesbetter,orsherapidlyassumesthecosmopolitanstandardofvirtueandbecomesworse.Ofanintermediatebalance,underthecircumstances,thereisnopossibility.Thecityhasitscunningwiles,nolessthantheinfinitelysmallerandmorehumantempter.Therearelargeforceswhichallurewithallthesoulfullnessofexpressionpossibleinthemostculturedhuman.ThegleamofathousandlightsisoftenaseffectiveastheSisterCarriepersuasivelightinawooingandfascinatingeye.Halftheundoingoftheunsophisticatedandnaturalmindisaccomplishedbyforceswhollysuperhuman.Ablareoftotheastonishedscenesinequivocalterms.Withoutacounselorathandtowhispercautiousinterpretationwhatfalsehoodsmaynotthesethingsbreatheintotheunguardedear!
Unrecognizedforwhattheyare,theirbeauty,likemusic,toooftenrelaxes,thenwakens,thenpervertsthesimplerhumanperceptions.Caroline,orSisterCarrie,asshehadbeenhalfaffectionatelytermedbythefamily,waspossessedofamindrudimentaryinitspowerofobservationandanalysis.Self-interestwithherwashigh,butnotstrong.Itwasnevertheless,herguidingcharacteristic.Warmwiththefanciesofyouth,prettywiththeinsipidprettinessoftheformativeperiod,possessedofafigurepromisingeventualshapelinessandaneyealightwithcertainnativeintelligenceshewasafairexampleofthemiddleAmericanclasstwogenerationsremovedfromtheemigrant.Bookswerebeyondherinterestknowledgeasealedbook.Intheintuitivegracesshewasstillcrude.Shecouldscarcelytossherheadgracefully.Herhandswerealmostineffectual.Thefeet,thoughsmallweresetflatly.Andyetshewasinterestedinher4charms,quicktounderstandthekeenerpleasuresoflife,ambitioustogaininmaterialthings.Ahalf-equippedlittleknightshewas,venturingtoreconnoiterthemysteriouscityanddreamingwilddreamsofsomevague,far-offsupremacy,whichshouldmakeitpreyandsubjecttheproperpenitent,grovelingatawomen'sslipper."That,"saidavoiceinherear,"isoneoftheprettiestlittleresortsinWisconsin.""Isit?
"sheanswerednervously.ThetrainwasjustpullingoutofWaukesha.Forsometimeshehadbeenconsciousofamanbehind.Shefelthimobservinghermassofhair.Hehadbeenfidgeting,andwithnaturalintuitionshefeltacertaininterestgrowinginthatquarter.Hermaidenlyreserve,andacertainsenseofwhatwasconventionalunderthecircumstances,calledhertoforestallanddenythisfamiliarity,butthedaringandmagnetismoftheindividual,bornofpastexperienceandtriumphs,prevailed.Sheanswered.Heleanedforwardtoputhiselbowsuponthebackofherseatandproceededtomakehimselfvolublyagreeable."Yes,thatisagreatresortforChicagopeople.Thehotelsareswell.Youarenotfamiliarwiththispartofthecountry,areyou?
"Dreiser"Oh,yesIam,"answeredCarrie."Thatis,IliveatColumbiaCity.Ihaveneverbeenthroughhere,though.""AndsothisisyourfirstvisittoChicago,"heobserved.Allthetimeshewasconsciousofcertainfeaturesoutofthesideofhereye.Flush,colorfulcheeks,alightmoustache,agrayfedorahat.Shenowturnedandlookeduponhiminfull,theinstinctsofself-protectionandcoquetryminglingconfusedlyinherbrain."Ididn'tsaythat"shesaid"Oh,"heanswered,inaverypleasingwayandwithandwithanassumedairofmistake,"Ithoughyoudid."Herewasatypeofthetravelingcanvasserforamanufacturinghouseaclasswhichatthattimewasfirstbeingdubbedbytheslangoftheday"drummers."Hecamewithinthemeaningofastillnewerterm,whichhadsprungintogeneraluseamongAmericansin1880,andwhichconciselyexpressedthethoughofonewhosedressormannersarecalculatedtoelicittheadmirationofsusceptibleyoungwomena"masher."Hissuitwasofastripedandcrossedpatternofbrownwool,newatthattime,butsincebecomefamiliarasabusinesssuit.Thelowcrotchofthevestrevealedastiff5bosomofwhiteandpinkstripes.Fromhiscoatsleevesprotrudedapairoflinencuffsofthesamepattern,fastenedwithlarge,goldplatebuttons,setwiththecommonyellowagatesknownas"cat's-eyes."Hisfingerboreseveralringsone,theever-endingheavysealandfromhisvestdangledaneatgoldwatchchain,fromwhichwassuspendedthesecretinsigniaoftheOrderofElks.Thewholesuitwasrathertightfitting,andwasfinishedoffwithheavy-soledtanshoes,highlypolished,andthegrayfedorahat.Hewas,fortheorderofintellectrepresented,attractive,andwhateverhehadtorecommendhim,youmaybesurewasnotlostuponCarrie,inthis,herfirstglance.Lestthisorderofindividualshouldpermanentlypass,letmeputdownsomeofthemoststrikingcharacteristicsofhismostsuccessfulmannerandmethod.Goodclothes,ofcourse,werethefirstessential,thethingswithoutwhichhewasnothing.Astrongphysicalnature,actuatedbyakeendesireforthefeminine,wasthenext.Amindfreeofanyconsiderationoftheproblemsorforcesoftheworldandactuatednotbygreed,butaninsatiableloveofvariablepleasure.Hismethodwasalwayssimple.Itsprincipalelementwasdaringbacked,SisterCarrieofcourse,byanintensedesireandadmirationforthesex.Lethimmeetwithayoungwomenonceandhewouldapproachherwithanairofkindlyfamiliarity,notunmixedwithpleading,whichwouldresultinmostcasesinatolerantacceptance.Ifsheshowedanytendencytocoquetryhewouldbeapttostraightenhertie,orifshe"tookup"withhimatall,tocallherbyherfirstname.Ifhevisitedadepartmentstoreitwastoloungefamiliarlyoverthecounterandasksomeleadingquestions.Inmoreexclusivecircles,onthetrainorinwaitingstations,hewentslower.Ifsomeseeminglyvulnerableobjectappearedhewasallattentiontopassthecomplimentsofthedaytoleadthewaytotheparlorcar,carryinghergrip,or,failingthat,totakeaseatnextherwiththehopeofbeingabletocourthertoherdestination.Pillows,books,afootstool,theshadelowered;allthesefiguredinthethingswhichhecoulddo.If,whenshereachedherdestinationhedidnotalightandattendherbaggageforher,itwasbecause,inhisownestimation,hehadsignallyfailed.Awomenshouldsomedaywritethecompletephilosophyofclothes.Nomatterhowyoung,itisoneofthethingsshewhollycomprehends.Thereisanindescribablyfaintlinein6thematterofman'sapparel,whichsomehowdividesforherthosewhoareworthglancingatandthosewhoarenot.Onceanindividualhaspassedthisfaintlineonthewaydownwardhewillgetnoglancefromher.Thereisanotherlineatwhichthedressofamanwillcausehertostudyherown.ThislinetheindividualatherelbownowmarkedforCarrie.Shebecameconsciousofaninequality.Herownplainbluedress,withitsblackcottontapetrimmings,nowseemedtohershabby.Shefeltthewornstateofhershoes."Let'ssee,"hewenton,"Iknowquiteanumberofpeopleinyourtown.MorgenroththeclothierandGibsonthedrygoodsman.""Oh,doyou?
"sheinterrupted;arousedbymemoriesoflongingstheirshowwindowshadcosther.Atla