THE FACTS OF LIFE
399
Now all the little feelings are afire.
Marcia and Harry, however, have heard nothing; but they
have now progressed from the first stage of touching·yet·not-touch–
ing by throwing things at each other, to the next stage of punching
and pulling shoe-laces.
To the Irish boys, so systematically kept in order by their
father and by the priest and Brothers to whom even their father
defers, there is no way of doubting that non-Catholics enjoy a full
sexual freedom. They
know,
in fact, that the Reformation began
with fornication; and even more enviable are the Jews, as is proved
by the anti-semitism, otherwise incomprehensible, that forms so
large a part of the instruction by the Brothers. And along with this
yearning, they observe this wealth and beauty and privilege thru
the bars; and so is consolidated that deep sentiment of inferiority
which will tomorrow need firearms to soothe.
To the little rich boys, on the other hand, it is obvious that
freedom lies outside the bars among those wild boys whose dirty
language makes them tremble with terror and stirs unconquerable
lust in each one when he is alone; who can stay out late and wear
hats decorated with paper-clips, and beg for pennies from stran–
gers. So even before the first clash, the rich boys feel physically
and morally powerless and would like to be the slaves of the poor
ones, and it will require all the machinery of the state to
tre~t
them
with an iron hand.
But why should I make the case any simpler than is neces–
sary? For Timmy also hates little Page, just as he hates the
Brothers in school; and among the U-boys there are the families
going up and the families failing down, and the case, for instance,
of weedy Tom, whose parents are slipping and climbing at the
same time, and who will tomorrow be satisfied and avenged by
burning for the lowest hustler, if his name happens to be Woodrow,
until with a sinking heart he one day learns that Woodrow isn't a
family name, but a war-name, after President Wilson.
. Fascinated, Timmy is watching Marcia wrestling with Harry
and pulling his hair, while he is trying to concentrate on his team–
mate at bat: "Make it be a good one! Make it be a good one!" he
cries; and then he suddenly chases Marcia up the stands. Pressed
between the bars till he is white, Timmy follows them with his
stare, above him, thru the stands. But she jumps down and runs
