Епоха невинності

           Hehaddonelittleinpubliclife;hewouldalwaysbebynatureacontemplativeandadilettante;buthehadhadhighthingstocontemplate,greatthingstodelightin;andonegreatman’sfriendshiptobehisstrengthandpride.Hehadbeen,inshort,whatpeoplewerebeginningtocall"agoodcitizen."InNewYork,formanyyearspast,everynewmovement,philanthropic,municipalorartistic,hadtakenaccountofhisopinionandwantedhisname.Peoplesaid:"AskArcher"whentherewasaquestionofstartingthefirstschoolforcrippledchildren,reorganisingtheMuseumofArt,foundingtheGrolierClub,inauguratingthenewLibrary,orgettingupanewsocietyofchambermusic.Hisdayswerefull,andtheywerefilleddecently.Hesupposeditwasallamanoughttoask.Somethingheknewhehadmissed:thefloweroflife.Buthethoughtofitnowasathingsounattainableandimprobablethattohaverepinedwouldhavebeenlikedespairingbecauseonehadnotdrawnthefirstprizeinalottery.TherewereahundredmillionticketsinHISlottery,andtherewasonlyoneprize;thechanceshadbeentoodecidedlyagainsthim.WhenhethoughtofEllenOlenskaitwasabstractly,serenely,asonemightthinkofsomeimaginarybelovedinabookorapicture:shehadbecomethecompositevisionofallthathehadmissed.Thatvision,faintandtenuousasitwas,hadkepthimfromthinkingofotherwomen.Hehadbeenwhatwascalledafaithfulhusband;andwhenMayhadsuddenlydied—carriedoffbytheinfectiouspneumoniathroughwhichshehadnursedtheiryoungestchild—hehadhonestlymournedher.