The President

  IamnotaltogethersympathetictothenewPresident.Heis,certainly,astrangefellow(onlyforty-eightincheshighattheshoulder).Butisstrangenessaloneenough?IspoketoSylvia:"Isstrangenessaloneenough?""Iloveyou,"Sylviasaid.Iregardedherwithmywarmkindeyes."Yourthumb?"Isaid.Ohumbwasafiascooftinycrustedslashes."Pop-topbeers,"shesaid."Heisastrangefellow,allright.Hehassomemagiccharismawhichmakespeople--"Shestoppedandbeganagain."Whenthebandbeginstolauntohiscampaignsong,StruttinwithSomeBarbecue,Ijust...It..."

  Thedarkness,strangeness,andplexityofthenewPresidenthavetouchedeveryoherehasbeedealoffaintinglately.IsthePresidentatfault?Iwassitting,Iremember,iCityter;theoperawas"TheGypsyBaron."Sylviawassinginginhergreen-and-bluegypsyeinthegypsyencampment.IwasthinkingaboutthePresident.Ishe,Iwondered,rightforthisperiod?Heisastrangefellow,Ithought--notliketheotherPresidentswevehad.NotlikeGarfield.NotlikeTaft.NotlikeHarding,Hoover,eitheroftheRoosevelts,orWoodrowWilson.ThenInoticedaladysittinginfrontofme,holdingababy.Itappedherontheshoulder."Madam,"Isaid,"yourchildhasIbelievefainted.""Charles!"shecried,rotatingthebabysheadlikeadolls."Charles,whathashappeoyou?"ThePresi?dentwassmilinginhisbox.

  "ThePresident!"IsaidtoSylviaialiaaurant.Sheraisedherglassofwarmredwine."Doyouthinkhelikedme?Mysinging?""Helookedpleased,"Isaid."Hewassmiling.""Abril?liantwhirlwindcampaign,Ithought,"Sylviastated."Winningwasbrilliant,"Isaid."HeisthefirstPresidentwevehadfromCityCollege,"Sylviasaid.Awaiterfaintedbehindus."Butisherightfortheperiod?"Iasked."Ourperiodisperhapsnotsochoiceasthepreviousperiod,still--"

  "Hethinksagreatdealaboutdeath,likeallpeoplefromCity,"Sylviasaid."Thedeaththemeloomslargeinhissciousness.IveknowmanypeoplefromCity,andthesepeople,withnosignifitexceptions,arehungupohtheme.Itsanobsession,asitwere."Otherwaiterscarriedthewaiterwhohadfaiintothekit.

  "Ourperiodwillbecharacterizedinfuturehis?toriesasaperiodoftentativenessanduainty,Ifeel,"Isaid."Akindofparenthesis.WhenheridesinhisblacklimousihtheplastictopIseealittleboywhohasblownanenormoussoapbubblewhichhastrappedhim.Thelookonhisface--""Theotherdidatewasdazzledbyhisstrangeness,newness,smallness,andphilosophicalgraspofthedeaththeme,"Sylviasaid."Theotherdidatedidnthaveaprayer,"Isaid.Sylviaad?justedhergreen-and-blueveilsialiaaurant."NothavinggooCityCollegeandsataroundthecafeteriasthere,discussih,"shesaid.

  Iam,asIsay,irelysympathetic.CertainthingsaboutthenewPresideclear.Itmakeoutwhatheisthinking.WhenhehasfinishedspeakingIeverrememberwhathehassaid.Thereremainsonlyanimpressioneness,darkness...Ontelevision,hisfacecloudswhenhisnameismentioisasifhearinghisnamefrightenshim.Thearesdirectlyintothecam?era(anactorspreemptinggaze)andbeginstospeak.Onehearsonlyeerac?tsofhisspeechesalwayssayonlythathe"touchedonanumberofmattersintherealmof..."Whenhehasfinishedspeakingheappearsnervousandunhappy.ThecameracreditsfadeinoveranimageofthePresidentstandingstiffly,withhisarmsrigidathissides,lookingthtandtotheleft,asifawaitinginstrus.Oherhand,thehandsomemelioristwhainsthim,allzestandprograms,wasdefeatedbyafantasticmargin.

  Peoplearefainting.OnFifty-seventhStreet,ayounggirldroppedirafrontofHenriBendel.Iwasshockedtodiscoverthatsheworeonlyagarterbeltunderherdress.IpickedherupandcarriedherintothestorewiththehelpofaSalvationArmymajor--averytallmanwithanehairpiece."Shefainted,"Isaidtothefloor?walker.WetalkedaboutthenewPresident,theSalvationArmymajorandI."IlltellyouwhatIthink,"hesaid."Ithisomethinguphissleevenobodyknowsabout.Ithinkheskeepingitunders.Ohesedays..."TheSalvationArmymajorshookmyhand."Imnotsayingthattheproblemshefacesarenttremendous,stagger?ing.TheawesomeburdenofthePresidency.Butifanybody--anyoneman..."

  Whatisgoingtohappen?WhatisthePresidentplanning?Nooneknows.Buteveryoneis?vihathewillbringitoff.Ourexhaustedagewishesaboveeverythingtopluotheheartoftheproblem,tobeabletosay,"Hereisthediffi?culty."AndthenewPresident,thattiny,strange,andbrilliantman,seemskeredanddifficultenoughtotakeusthere.Inthemeantime,peoplearefainting.Mysecretaryfellinthemiddleofasentence."MissKagle,"Isaid."Areyouallright?"Shewaswearinganainysilvercircles.Eaysilvercircleheldaninitial:@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@.Whoisthisperson"A"?Whatisheinyourlife,MissKagle?

  Igaveherwaterwithalittlebrandyinit.Ispec?ulatedaboutthePresidentsmother.Littleisknownabouther.Shepresentedherselfinvar?iousguises:

  Alittlelady,52",withae.

  Abiglady,71",withadog.

  Awonderfuloldlady,43",withanindomitablespirit.

  Anoxiousoldsack,68",excaudate,becauseofaion.

  Littleisknownabouther.Weareassured,how?ever,thatthesamedamnableinvolvementsthatobsessusobsesshertoo.Copulation.Strangeness.Applause.Shemustbepleasedthathersoniswhatheis--lovedandlookedupto,amodeofhopeformillions."MissKagle.Drinkitdown.Itwillputyouonyourfeetagain,MissKagle.&quardedherwithmywarmkindeyes.

  AtTownHall,Isatreadingtheprogramo"TheGypsyBaron."Outsidethebuildimountedpolicollapsedenbloc.Thewell-trainedhorsesplaheirfeetdelicatelyamongthebodies.Sylviawassinging.TheysaidasmallmancouldneverbePresident(onlyforty-eightincheshighattheshoulder).OurperiodisnottheoneIwouldhavechosen,butithase.ThenewPresidentmusthavecertainintuitions.Iamvihathehastheseintuitions(althoughIamcertainofverylittleelseabouthim;Ihavereservations,Iamnotsure).Icouldtellyouabouthismotherssummerjourney,in1919,towester--aboutthedandymenandtheredbean,andhowshetoldoffthePathanheadman,instrughimfuriouslytorubuphisEnglishetoutofherservice--butwhatorderofknowledgeisthis?Letmeinsteadsimplynotehissmallness,hisstrangeness,hisbrilliandsaythatweex?pectgreatthingsofhim."Iloveyou,"Sylviasaid.ThePresidentsteppedthroughthercurtain.laudeduntilourarmshurt.Weshouteduntiltheusherssetoffflaresenfsileheorchestratuself.Sylviasangthesedlead.ThePresidentwassmilinginhisbox.Atthefiheeslippedintotheorchestrapiti,swooningmass.Wecheereduntiltheusherstoreupourtickets.松语文学www.16sy.coM免费小说阅读

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