THE CHILD IS THE MEANING
265
ing
all
of Seymour's questions was it possible to bring his curiosity
to an end.
It was natural that Seymour should be very much intere.<>ted
in the careers of other young men. When he heard of the misdeeds
of some of them he manifested a scorn and a contempt which arose
from the intensity with which he really believed in a middle-class
morality. When Sarah, or less frequently Rebecca, remarked that
he had no right to judge other young men, since he was virtually
a black sheep himself, Seymour felt that they were unreasonable
and personal.
"Don't do as I do,"
said Seymour,
"do as I say."
This was a
quotation from some minister who had been reproached for mis–
conduct. Seymour had long since forgotten what the nature of the
misconduct was, but the sentiment seemed to him a complete justifi–
cation for
his
judgments. Moreover, he took no little pride
in
the
righteousness of these judgments and he felt that they showed that
his heart was really in the right place, however often his own behavior
was worthless.
"Naturally," he said, when his sisters told him that he ought to
obey his own precepts, "naturally, it would be better
if
I practiced
what I preach. But what do you want me to do, preach what I
practice; would you like that better?"
Seymour felt triumphant, but Rebecca shook her head. She
was unable to answer him, but she felt that he was wrong.
"You're just using words," she said, "you have no right to
condemn other human beings the way you do."
By the time Sarah had two big children, Nancy and Jasper, her
marriage was hopeless. Her mother suggested that she take a laFge
apartment and that Sarah come to live with her and Rebecca and
Seymour. Sarah accepted this proposal because Michael, who wanted
a divorce, gave her only enough money to support the children, de–
claring that he would give her a monthly sum proportionate to his
prosperity only when she gave him his divorce. But Sarah was de–
termined not to give him a divorce, and her mother supported her
in this determination. Mother and daughter believed that after a
time Michael would return to his wife and children.
The new life
in
which Rebecca, Seymour, and the mother lived
with Sarah and her children was a peculiar one. Rebecca was
devoted to her nephew and niece just as she was devoted to her
mother and brother. When they went to school she gave them
