through the perils awaiting me in the immediate future.
Mother and I didn’t speak until we were inside the Green Room and I’d shut the door. I didn’t want to shut it, but Mother gave me a look and I knew I’d better.
“Mercedes Louise Allcutt, you’re a disgrace to the family. I want this job nonsense to cease at once.”
Blunt, but not unexpected. I straightened and took a deep breath. This wouldn’t be the first time I’d defied my parents, but before this I’d generally done so either behind their backs or from a distance of a couple of thousand miles. This act of defiance to Mother’s face was testing my courage a whole lot.
“My job is not nonsense, Mother, and I shan’t leave it. And I don’t believe I’m a disgrace to anyone. If more people in our family worked, perhaps they’d be more understanding of others who aren’t as fortunate as they.” So there. I stood straight, but my insides felt kind of like not-quite-set Jell-O gelatin.
Her glare got icier. “You’re speaking to your mother, Mercedes Louise. How dare you use that tone with me?”
Feeling really resentful and really scared, I didn’t back down. “Mother, I’m using no particular tone with you. I’m telling you the truth. We aren’t living in Queen Victoria’s reign anymore. Anyhow,” I said, thinking of what I considered to be a salient point, “we aren’t British. We’re Americans. America is supposed to be a classless society.” So there again.
“There is no such thing as a classless society,” Mother said, eyeing me as if I were a bug in need of being stepped on. “Quality will always rise to the top. You are deliberately choosing to be less than your station in life demands of you.”
“It seems to me that the quality of which you speak was already at the top when I was born. There’s no earning it.”
“You were born into a level of society that requires you to behave in a certain way, Mercedes Louise. You’re deliberately misinterpreting my words.”
“I don’t believe I am at all, Mother. What you’re saying is that because our family is fortunate and has more money than most, I shouldn’t work for a living.”
“There is no need for you to work for a living , young woman. Indeed, you were fortunate to have been born an Allcutt. Yet you insist upon defying us and behaving in a manner that’s disrespectful of the family name.”
“How do you figure that?” It was tough, but I put the lid on my temper. If I lost it, Mother would have gained a point or two. At least that’s the way I saw it. “I’m earning my own living. How is that lowering myself from what you call my station in life or being disrespectful of the family name? If more women in our so-called class had to earn their keep and got jobs, they might understand what the world is really like.”
“What is this world of which you speak, Mercedes Louise? Do you mean the world of crime and dirty dealings? Do you mean the world of bomb-throwing anarchists? The world of Irish day-laborers? The world of cooks and servants? Do you mean the world of that vulgar woman in the lobby of the building in which you work ?”
“Lulu’s not vulgar,” said I nobly, even though she actually kind of was. Poor Lulu.
Mother only looked at me for a moment, as if divining my secret thoughts. Then she sniffed and said, “Why in the world should a well-bred young lady wish to see or understand the world of underbred, unintelligent, unmannerly hooligans?”
“That’s not the world I mean!” I said, frustrated almost beyond bearing. “I mean the world of working-class people, who aren’t vulgar. Not being rich doesn’t mean you’re vulgar, for heaven’s sake. There are more of them than there of us, you know, and they’re becoming mighty peeved at not
Mother and I didn’t speak until we were inside the Green Room and I’d shut the door. I didn’t want to shut it, but Mother gave me a look and I knew I’d better.
“Mercedes Louise Allcutt, you’re a disgrace to the family. I want this job nonsense to cease at once.”
Blunt, but not unexpected. I straightened and took a deep breath. This wouldn’t be the first time I’d defied my parents, but before this I’d generally done so either behind their backs or from a distance of a couple of thousand miles. This act of defiance to Mother’s face was testing my courage a whole lot.
“My job is not nonsense, Mother, and I shan’t leave it. And I don’t believe I’m a disgrace to anyone. If more people in our family worked, perhaps they’d be more understanding of others who aren’t as fortunate as they.” So there. I stood straight, but my insides felt kind of like not-quite-set Jell-O gelatin.
Her glare got icier. “You’re speaking to your mother, Mercedes Louise. How dare you use that tone with me?”
Feeling really resentful and really scared, I didn’t back down. “Mother, I’m using no particular tone with you. I’m telling you the truth. We aren’t living in Queen Victoria’s reign anymore. Anyhow,” I said, thinking of what I considered to be a salient point, “we aren’t British. We’re Americans. America is supposed to be a classless society.” So there again.
“There is no such thing as a classless society,” Mother said, eyeing me as if I were a bug in need of being stepped on. “Quality will always rise to the top. You are deliberately choosing to be less than your station in life demands of you.”
“It seems to me that the quality of which you speak was already at the top when I was born. There’s no earning it.”
“You were born into a level of society that requires you to behave in a certain way, Mercedes Louise. You’re deliberately misinterpreting my words.”
“I don’t believe I am at all, Mother. What you’re saying is that because our family is fortunate and has more money than most, I shouldn’t work for a living.”
“There is no need for you to work for a living , young woman. Indeed, you were fortunate to have been born an Allcutt. Yet you insist upon defying us and behaving in a manner that’s disrespectful of the family name.”
“How do you figure that?” It was tough, but I put the lid on my temper. If I lost it, Mother would have gained a point or two. At least that’s the way I saw it. “I’m earning my own living. How is that lowering myself from what you call my station in life or being disrespectful of the family name? If more women in our so-called class had to earn their keep and got jobs, they might understand what the world is really like.”
“What is this world of which you speak, Mercedes Louise? Do you mean the world of crime and dirty dealings? Do you mean the world of bomb-throwing anarchists? The world of Irish day-laborers? The world of cooks and servants? Do you mean the world of that vulgar woman in the lobby of the building in which you work ?”
“Lulu’s not vulgar,” said I nobly, even though she actually kind of was. Poor Lulu.
Mother only looked at me for a moment, as if divining my secret thoughts. Then she sniffed and said, “Why in the world should a well-bred young lady wish to see or understand the world of underbred, unintelligent, unmannerly hooligans?”
“That’s not the world I mean!” I said, frustrated almost beyond bearing. “I mean the world of working-class people, who aren’t vulgar. Not being rich doesn’t mean you’re vulgar, for heaven’s sake. There are more of them than there of us, you know, and they’re becoming mighty peeved at not
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