Martin Eden Ch 25 p231

Paul Stought

Jul 1

CHAPTER 25	CHAPTUR 25
Maria Silva was poor, and all the ways of poverty were clear to her. Poverty, to Ruth, was a word signifying a not-nice condition of existence. That was her total knowledge on the subject. She knew Martin was poor, and his condition she associated in her mind with the boyhood of Abraham Lincoln, of Mr. Butler, and of other men who had become successes. Also, while aware that poverty was anything but delectable, she had a comfortable middle-class feeling that poverty was salutary, that it was a sharp spur that urged on to success all men who were not degraded and hopeless drudges. So that her knowledge that Martin was so poor that he had pawned his watch and overcoat did not disturb her. She even considered it the hopeful side of the situation, believing that sooner or later it would arouse him and compel him to abandon his writing.	Muryu Silvu wuz paur, and aul dhu waez uv povurty wur klir too hur. Povurty, too Rooth, wuz u wurd signufi.ing a not-nies kundishun uv egzistuns. Dhat wuz hur toetul nolij on dhu subjikt. Shy noo Mortun wuz paur, and hiz kundishun shy usoeshyaetud in hur miend with dhu boihwd uv Aebruham Linkun, uv Mr. Butlur, and uv udhur men hoo had bikum suksesuz. Aulsoe, whiel uwer dhat povurty wuz enything but dilektubul, shy had u kumfurtubul midul-klas fyling dhat povurty wuz salyutery, dhat it wuz u shorp spur dhat urjd on too sukses aul men hoo wur not digraedud and hoeplus drujuz. So dhat hur nolij dhat Mortun wuz soe paur dhat hy had paund hiz woch and oevurkoet did not disturb hur. Shy yvun kunsidurd it dhu hoepful sied uv dhu situaeshun, bilyving dhat soonur aur laetur it wwd urouz him and kumpel him too ubandun hiz rieting.
Ruth never read hunger in Martin's face, which had grown lean and had enlarged the slight hollows in the cheeks. In fact, she marked the change in his face with satisfaction. It seemed to refine him, to remove from him much of the dross of flesh and the too animal-like vigor that lured her while she detested it. Sometimes, when with her, she noted an unusual brightness in his eyes, and she admired it, for it made him appear more the poet and the scholar—the things he would have liked to be and which she would have liked him to be. But Maria Silva read a different tale in the hollow cheeks and the burning eyes, and she noted the changes in them from day to day, by them following the ebb and flow of his fortunes. She saw him leave the house with his overcoat and return without it, though the day was chill and raw, and promptly she saw his cheeks fill out slightly and the fire of hunger leave his eyes. In the same way she had seen his wheel and watch go, and after each event she had seen his vigor bloom again.	Rooth nevur red hunggur in Mortun'z faes, which had groen lyn and had enlorjd dhu sliet holoez in dhu chyks. In fakt, shy morkd dhu chaenj in hiz faes with satusfakshun. It symd too rifien him, too rimoov frum him much uv dhu dros uv flesh and dhu too anumul-liek vigur dhat lwrd hur whiel shy ditestud it. Sumtiemz, when with hur, shy noetud an unuezuul brietnus in hiz iez, and shy udmierd it, faur it maed him upir maur dhu po.ut and dhu skolur—dhu thingz hy wwd hav liekd too by and which shy wwd hav liekd him too by. But Muryu Silvu red u difurunt tael in dhu holoe chyks and dhu burning iez, and shy noetud dhu chaenjuz in dhem frum dae too dae, bie dhem folo.ing dhy eb and floe uv hiz faurchunz. Shy sau him lyv dhu hous with hiz oevurkoet and riturn without it, dhoe dhu dae wuz chil and rau, and promptly shy sau hiz chyks fil out slietly and dhu fier uv hunggur lyv hiz iez. In dhu saem wae shy had syn hiz whyl and woch goe, and aftur ych ivent shy had syn hiz vigur bloom ugen.
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