A Serious Tea-Drinking Page #3

"A Serious Tea-Drinking" is a novella by Sarah Orne Jewett that explores themes of social custom, friendship, and the intricacies of women's relationships in 19th-century New England. The story centers around a group of women who gather for tea, allowing for intimate conversations and revelations that reveal their inner lives and societal roles. Jewett's delicate prose captures the nuances of human connection, the subtleties of social etiquette, and the quiet strength of women as they navigate their relationships against a backdrop of tradition and expectation. Through this setting, she poignantly examines the significance of seemingly small moments and the deeper meanings they convey.

• Short story

								

be a doctor. I hope that you don't countenance any such nonsense?"

Miss Prince looked helpless and confounded, and turned her eyes toward
her niece. She could only hope at such a mortifying juncture that Nan
was ready to explain, or at least to shoulder the responsibility.

"Indeed she doesn't give me any encouragement, Mrs. Fraley," said Nan,
fearlessly. "Only this morning she saw a work on ventilation in my
room and told me it wasn't proper reading for a young woman."

"I really didn't look at the title," said Miss Prince, smiling in
spite of herself.

"It doesn't seem to improve the health of you young folks because you
think it necessary to become familiar with such subjects," announced
the irate old lady. It was her habit to take a very slight refreshment
at the usual tea hour, and supplement it by a substantial lunch at
bed-time, and so now she was not only at leisure herself, but demanded
the attention of her guests. She had evidently prepared an opinion,
and was determined to give it. Miss Eunice grew smaller and thinner
than ever, and fairly shivered with shame behind the tea-tray. She
looked steadily at the big sugar-bowl, as if she were thinking whether
she might creep into it and pull something over her head. She never
liked an argument, even if it were a good-natured one, and always had
a vague sense of personal guilt and danger.

"In my time," Mrs. Fraley continued, "it was thought proper for young
women to show an interest in household affairs. When I was married it
was not asked whether I was acquainted with dissecting-rooms."

"But I don't think there is any need of that," replied Nan. "I think
such things are the duty of professional men and women only. I am very
far from believing that every girl ought to be a surgeon any more than
that she ought to be an astronomer. And as for the younger people's
being less strong than the old, I am afraid it is their own fault,
since we understand the laws of health better than we used. 'Who
breaks, pays,' you know."

It was evidently not expected that the young guest should venture to
discuss the question, but rather have accepted her rebuke meekly, and
acknowledged herself in the wrong. But she had the courage of her
opinions, and the eagerness of youth, and could hardly bear to be so
easily defeated. So when Mrs. Fraley, mistaking the moment's silence
for a final triumph, said again, that a woman's place was at home, and
that a strong-minded woman was out of place, and unwelcome everywhere,
the girl's cheeks flushed suddenly.

"I think it is a pity that we have fallen into a habit of using
strong-mindedness as a term of rebuke," she said. "I am willing to
acknowledge that people who are eager for reforms are apt to develop
unpleasant traits, but it is only because they have to fight against
opposition and ignorance. When they are dead and the world is reaping
the reward of their bravery and constancy, it no longer laughs, but
makes statues of them, and praises diem, and thanks them in every way
it can. I think we ought to judge each other by the highest standards,
Mrs. Fraley, and by whether we are doing good work."

"My day is past," said the hostess. "I do not belong to the present,
and I suppose my judgment is worth nothing to you;" and Nan looked up
quickly and affectionately.

"I should like to have all my friends believe that I am doing right,"
she said. "I do feel very certain that we must educate people properly
if we want them to be worth anything. It is no use to treat all the
boys and girls as if nature had meant them for the same business and
scholarship, and try to put them through the same drill, for that is
sure to mislead and confuse all those who are not perfectly sure of
what they want. There are plenty of people dragging themselves
miserably through the world, because they are clogged and fettered
with work for which they have no fitness. I know I haven't had the
experience that you have, Mrs. Fraley, but I can't help believing that
nothing is better than to find one's work early and hold fast to it,
and put all one's heart into it."

"I have done my best to serve God in the station to which it has
pleased Him to call me," said Mrs. Fraley, stiffly. "I believe that a
young man's position is very different from a girl's. To be sure, I
can give my opinion that everything went better when the master
workmen took apprentices to their trades, and there wasn't so much
schooling. But I warn you, my dear, that your notion about studying to
be a doctor has shocked me very much indeed. I could not believe my
ears,--a refined girl who bears an honorable and respected name to
think of being a woman doctor! If you were five years older you would
never have dreamed of such a thing. It lowers the pride of all who
have any affection for you. If it were not that your early life had
been somewhat peculiar and most unfortunate, I should blame you more;
as it is, I can but wonder at the lack of judgment in others. I shall
look forward in spite of it all to seeing you happily married." To
which Miss Prince assented with several decided nods.

"This is why I made up my mind to be a physician," said the culprit;
and though she had been looking down and growing more uncomfortable
every moment, she suddenly gave her head a quick upward movement and
looked at Mrs. Fraley frankly, with a beautiful light in her clear
eyes. "I believe that God has given me a fitness for it, and that I
never could do anything else half so well. Nobody persuaded me into
following such a plan; I simply grew toward it. And I have everything
to learn, and a great many faults to overcome, but I am trying to get
on as fast as may be. I can't be too glad that I have spent my
childhood in a way that has helped me to use my gift instead of
hindering it. But everything helps a young man to follow his bent; he
has an honored place in society, and just because he is a student of
one of the learned professions, he ranks above the men who follow
other pursuits. I don't see why it should be a shame and dishonor to a
girl who is trying to do the same thing and to be of equal use in the
world. God would not give us the same talents if what were right for
men were wrong for women."

"My dear, it is quite unnatural you see," said the antagonist,
impatiently. "Here you are less than twenty-five years old, and I
shall hear of your being married next thing,--at least I hope I
shall,--and you will laugh at all this nonsense. A woman's place is at
home. Of course I know that there have been some women physicians who
have attained eminence, and some artists, and all that. But I would
rather see a daughter of mine take a more retired place. The best
service to the public can be done by keeping one's own house in order
and one's husband comfortable, and by attending to those social
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