TheladiesattributivelyofcentralMassachusettshadrisenfromtheirtable，andweremakingforthedoorwithouthavingpaidfortheirsupper。
Theheadwaiterranafterthem；witharealdelicacyfortheirmistakeheexplainedthatthoughinmostplacesthemealswerechargedinthebill，itwasthecustominCarlsbadtopayforthematthetable；onecouldseethathewasmakingtheirerrorapleasantadventuretothemwhichtheycouldlaughovertogether，andwritehomeaboutwithoutapang。
“AndI。”saidMrs。March，shamelesslyabandoningthepartyofthearistocracy，“preferthemannersofthelowerclasses。”
“Oh，yes。”headmitted。“Theonlymannerswehaveathomeareblackones。Butyoumustn’tlosecourage。Perhapsthenobilityarenotalwayssobaronial。”
“Idon’tknowwhetherwehavemannersathome。”shesaid，“andIdon’tbelieveIcare。Atleastwehavedecencies。”
“Don’tbeajingo。”saidherhusband。
ThoughStollerhadformallydischargedBurnamyfromdutyfortheday，hewasnotsofullofresourcesinhimself，andhehadnotsogeneralanacquaintanceinthehotelbuthewasgladtohavetheyoungfellowmakeuptohiminthereading-room，thatnight。HelaiddownaNewYorkpapertendaysoldindespairofhavingleftanyAmericannewsinit，andpushedseveralcontinentalAnglo-Americanpapersasidewithhiselbow，ashegaveacontemptuousglanceattheforeignjournals，inBohemian，Hungarian，German，French，andItalian，whichlitteredthelargetable。
Iwonder。”hesaid，“howlongit’lltake’em，overhere，tocatchontoourwayofhavingpictures？”
Burnamyhadcometohisnewspaperworksinceillustratedjournalismwasestablished，andhehadneverhadanyshockfromitathome，butsosensitiveisyouthtoenvironmentthat，afterfourdaysinEurope，theNewYorkpaperStollerhadlaiddownwasalreadyhideoustohim。Fromthepoliticsideofhisnature，however，hetemporizedwithStoller’spreference。“Isupposeitwillbesometimeyet。”
“Iwish。”saidStoller，withasavagedisregardofexpressedsequencesandrelevancies，“Icouldha’gotsomepicturestosendhomewiththatletterthisafternoon：somethingtoshowhowtheydothingshere，andbeakindofobject-lesson。”Thistermhadcomeupinarecentcampaignwhensomeemployers，byshuttingdowntheirworks，wereshowingtheiremployeeswhatwouldhappeniftheemployeesvotedtheirpoliticalopinionsintoeffect，andStollerhadthenmastereditsmeaningandwasfondofusingit。“I’dlike’emtoseethewoodsaroundhere，thatthecityowns，andthesprings，andthedonkey-carts，andthetheatre，andeverything，andgive’emsomepracticalideas。”
Burnamymadeanuneasymovement。
“I’d’a’likedtoput’emalongsideofsomeofourimprovements，andshowhowatowncanbecarriedonwhenit’smanagedonbusinessprinciples。
“Whydidn’tyouthinkofit？”
“Really，Idon’tknow。”saidBurnamy，withatouchofimpatience。
Theyhadnotmettheeveningbeforeonthebestofterms。StollerhadexpectedBurnamytwenty-fourhoursearlier，andhadshownhisdispleasurewithhimforloiteringadayatLeipsicwhichhemighthavespentatCarlsbad；andBurnamyhadbeenunsatisfactoryinaccountingforthedelay。Buthehadtakenholdsopromptlyandsointelligentlythatbyworkingfarintothenight，andthroughthewholeforenoon，hehadgotStoller’scrudemassofnotesintoshape，andhadsentoffintimeforthefirststeamertheletterwhichwastoappearovertheproprietor’snameinhispaper。ItwasasortofroughbutveryfullstudyoftheCarlsbadcitygovernment，themethodsoftaxation，themunicipalownershipofthespringsandthelands，andthepubliccontrolineverything。Itcondemnedthearistocraticconstitutionofthemunicipality，butitchargedheavilyinfavorofthepurity，beneficence，andwisdomoftheadministration，underwhichtherewasnopovertyandnoidleness，andwhichwasmanagedlikeanylargebusiness。
Stollerhadsulkilyrecurredtohisdispleasure，onceortwice，andBurnamysuffereditsubmissivelyuntilnow。Butnow，atthechangeinBurnamy’stone，hechangedhismanneralittle。
“Seenyourfriendssincesupper？”heasked。
“Onlyamoment。Theyarerathertired，andthey’vegonetobed。”
Thatthefellowthateditsthatbookyouwritefor？”
“Yes；heownsit，too。”
ThenotionofanysortofownershipmovedStoller’srespect，andheaskedmoredeferentially，“Makin’agoodthingoutofit？”
“Aliving，Isuppose。Someofthehigh-classweekliesfeelthecompetitionoftheten-centmonthlies。But’EveryOtherWeek’isaboutthebestthingwe’vegotintheliteraryway，andIguessit’sholdingitsown。”
“Haveto，tolettheeditorcometoCarlsbad。”Stollersaid，withareturntothesournessofhisearliermood。“Idon’tknowasIcaremuchforhislooks；Iseenhimwhenhecameinwithyou。Nosnaptohim。”
Heclickedshutthepenknifehehadbeenparinghisnailswith，andstartedupwiththeabruptnesswhichmarkedallhismotions，mentalandphysical；ashewalkedheavilyoutoftheroomhesaid，withoutlookingatBurnamy，“Youwanttobereadybyhalfpasttenatthelatest。”
Stoller’sfatherandmotherwerepooremigrantswhomadetheirwaytotheWestwiththeinstinctforsordidprosperitynativetotheirraceandclass；andtheysetupasmallbutchershopinthelittleIndianatownwheretheirsonwasborn，andthroveinitfromthestart。Hecouldrememberhismotherhelpinghisfathermakethesausageandhead-cheeseandpicklethepigs’feet，whichtheytookturnsinsellingatasgreatapriceastheycouldextortfromthetownspeople。Shewasagoodandtendermother，andwhenherlittleYawcup，astheboyscalledJacobinmimicryafterher，hadgrowntotheschool-goingage，shetaughthimtofighttheAmericans，whostonedhimwhenhecameoutofhisgate，andmobbedhishome-coming；andmockedandtormentedhimatplay-timetilltheyworethemselvesintoakindliermindtowardhimthroughtheexhaustionoftheirinvention。Noone，sofarasthegloomy，stocky，ratherdenselittleboycouldmakeout，everinterferedinhisbehalf；
andhegrewupinbittershameforhisGermanorigin，whichentaileduponhimthehardfateofbeingDutchamongtheAmericans。Hehatedhisnativespeechsomuchthathecriedwhenhewasforcedtouseitwithhisfatherandmotherathome；hefuriouslydenieditwiththeboyswhoproposedtoparleywithhiminitonsuchtermsas“NixcomearouceindeDytchman’shouse。”Hedisuseditsothoroughlythatafterhisfathertookhimoutofschool，whenhewasoldenoughtohelpintheshop，hecouldnotgetbacktoit。Heregardedhisfather’sbusinessaspartofhisnationaldisgrace，andatthecostofleavinghishomehebrokeawayfromit，andinformallyapprenticedhimselftothevillageblacksmithandwagon-maker。Whenitcametohissettingupforhimselfinthebusinesshehadchosen，hehadnohelpfromhisfather，whohadgoneonaddingdollartodollartillhewasoneoftherichestmenintheplace。
Jacobprosperedtoo；hisoldplaymates，whohadusedhimsocruelly，hadmanyofthemcometolikehim；butasaDutchmantheyneverdreamtofaskinghimtotheirhouseswhentheywereyoungpeople，anymorethanwhentheywerechildren。HewaslongdeeplyinlovewithanAmericangirlwhomhehadneverspokento，andthedreamofhislifewastomarryanAmerican。HeendedbymarryingthedaughterofPferdthebrewer，whohadbeenatanAmericanschoolinIndianapolis，andhadcomehomeasfragilelyandnasallyAmericanasanybody。Shemadehimagood，sickly，fretfulwife；andborehimfivechildren，ofwhomtwosurvived，withnovisibletaintoftheirGermanorigin。
InthemeantimeJacob’sfatherhaddiedandlefthismoneytohisson，withtheunderstandingthathewastoprovideforhismother，whowouldgladlyhavegiveneverycenttohimandbeennoburdentohim，ifshecould。Hetookherhome，andcaredtenderlyforheraslongasshelived；andshemeeklydidherbesttoabolishherselfinahouseholdtryingsohardtobeAmerican。Shecouldnothelphernativeaccent，butshekeptsilencewhenherson’swifehadcompany；andwhenhereldestgranddaughterbeganveryearlytohaveAmericancallers，shewentoutoftheroom；theywouldnothavenoticedherifshehadstaid。
BeforethisJacobhadcomeforwardpubliclyinproportiontohisfinancialimportanceinthecommunity。HefirstcommendedhimselftotheBetterElementbycrushingoutastrikeinhisBuggyWorks，whichwerenowthelargestbusinessinterestoftheplace；andheroseonawaveofmunicipalreformtosuchaheightoffavorwiththerespectableclassesthathewaselectedonacitizens’tickettotheLegislature。InthereactionwhichfollowedhewasbarelydefeatedforCongress，andwastalkedofasadarkhorsewhomightbeputupforthegovernorshipsomeday；butthosewhoknewhimbestpredictedthathewouldnotgetfarinpolitics，wherehisbull-headedbusinesswayswouldbringhimtoruinsoonerorlater；theysaid，“Youcan’tswingaboltlikeyoucanastrike。”
Whenhismotherdied，hesurprisedhisoldneighborsbygoingtoliveinChicago，thoughhekepthisworksintheplacewhereheandtheyhadgrownuptogether。Hiswifediedshortlyafter，andwithinfouryearshelosthisthreeeldestchildren；hisson，itwassaid，hadbeguntogowrongfirst。ButtherumorofhisincreasingwealthdriftedbackfromChicago；hewasheardofindifferententerprisesandspeculations；atlastitwassaidthathehadboughtanewspaper，andthenhisboyhoodfriendsdecidedthatJakewasgoingintopoliticsagain。
InthewiderhorizonsandopeneratmosphereofthegreatcityhecametounderstandbetterthattobeanAmericaninallrespectswasnotthebest。Hismountingsenseofimportancebegantoberetroactiveinthedirectionofhisancestralhome；hewrotebacktothelittletownnearWurzburgwhichhispeoplehadcomefrom，andfoundthathehadrelativesstilllivingthere，someofwhomhadbecomepeopleofsubstance；andaboutthetimehishealthgavewayfromlife-longgluttony，andhewasorderedtoCarlsbad，hehadprettymuchmadeuphismindtotakehisyoungerdaughtersandputtheminschoolforayearortwoinWurzburg，foralittledisciplineifnoteducation。Hehadnowleftthemthere，tolearnthelanguage，whichhehadforgottenwithsuchheart-burningandshame，andmusic，forwhichtheyhadsometaste。
Thetwinsloudlylamentedtheirfate，andtheypartedfromtheirfatherwithopenthreatsofrunningaway；andinhishearthedidnotaltogetherblamethem。HecameawayfromWurzburgragingatthedisrespectforhismoneyandhisstandinginbusinesswhichhadbroughthimamoregallinghumiliationtherethananythinghehadsufferedinhisboyhoodatDesVaches。Itintensifiedhiminhisdear-boughtAmericanismtothepointofwishingtocommitlesemajestyintheteethofsomelocaldignitarieswhohadsnubbedhim，andwhoseemedtoenjoyputtingoureagletoshameinhisperson；therewassomethinglikethebirdofhisstep-countryinStoller’spaleeyesandhugebeak。