飘

l；　but；　after　marriage；　they　were　expected　to　manage　households　that　numbered　a　hundred　people　or　more；　white　and　black；　and　they　were　trained　with　that　in　view。
　Ellen　had　been　given　this　preparation　for　marriage　which　any　well…brought…up　young　lady　received；　and　she　also　had　Mammy；　who　could　galvanize　the　most　shiftless　negro　into　energy。　She　quickly　brought　order；　dignity　and　grace　into　Gerald’s　household；　and　she　gave　Tara　a　beauty　it　had　never　had　before。
　The　house　had　been　built　according　to　no　architectural　plan　whatever；　with　extra　rooms　added　where　and　when　it　seemed　convenient；　but；　with　Ellen’s　care　and　attention；　it　gained　a　charm　that　made　up　for　its　lack　of　design。　The　avenue　of　cedars　leading　from　the　main　road　to　the　house—that　avenue　of　cedars　without　which　no　Georgia　planter’s　home　could　be　complete—had　a　cool　dark　shadiness　that　gave　a　brighter　tinge；　by　contrast；　to　the　green　of　the　other　trees。　The　wistaria　tumbling　over　the　verandas　showed　bright　against　the　whitewashed　brick；　and　it　joined　with　the　pink　crêpe　myrtle　bushes　by　the　door　and　the　white…blossomed　magnolias　in　the　yard　to　disguise　some　of　the　awkward　lines　of　the　house。
　In　spring　time　and　summer；　the　Bermuda　grass　and　clover　on　the　lawn　became　emerald；　so　enticing　an　emerald　that　it　presented　an　irresistible　temptation　to　the　flocks　of　turkeys　and　white　geese　that　were　supposed　to　roam　only　the　regions　in　the　rear　of　the　house。　The　elders　of　the　flocks　continually　led　stealthy　advances　into　the　front　yard；　lured　on　by　the　green　of　the　grass　and　the　luscious　promise　of　the　cape　jessamine　buds　and　the　zinnia　beds。　Against　their　depredations；　a　small　black　sentinel　was　stationed　on　the　front　porch。　Armed　with　a　ragged　towel；　the　little　negro　boy　sitting　on　the　steps　was　part　of　the　picture　of　Tara—and　an　unhappy　one；　for　he　was　forbidden　to　chunk　the　fowls　and　could　only　flap　the　towel　at　them　and　shoo　them。
　Ellen　set　dozens　of　little　black　boys　to　this　task；　the　first　position　of　responsibility　a　male　slave　had　at　Tara。　After　they　had　passed　their　tenth　year；　they　were　sent　to　old　Daddy　the　plantation　cobbler　to　learn　his　trade；　or　to　Amos　the　wheelwright　and　carpenter；　or　Phillip　the　cow　man；　or　Cuffee　the　mule　boy。　If　they　showed　no　aptitude　for　any　of　these　trades；　they　became　field　hands　and；　in　the　opinion　of　the　negroes；　they　had　lost　their　claim　to　any　social　standing　at　all。
　Ellen’s　life　was　not　easy；　nor　was　it　happy；　but　she　did　not　expect　life　to　be　easy；　and；　if　it　was　not　happy；　that　was　woman’s　lot。　It　was　a　man’s　world；　and　she　accepted　it　as　such。　The　man　owned　the　property；　and　the　woman　managed　it。　The　man　took　the　credit　for　the　management；　and　the　woman　praised　his　cleverness。　The　man　roared　like　a　bull　when　a　splinter　was　in　his　finger；　and　the　woman　muffled　the　moans　of　childbirth；　lest　she　disturb　him。　Men　were　rough　of　speech　and　often　drunk。　Women　ignored　the　lapses　of　speech　and　put　the　drunkards　to　bed　without　bitter　words。　Men　were　rude　and　outspoken；　women　were　always　kind；　gracious　and　forgiving。
　She　had　been　reared　in　the　tradition　of　great　ladies；　which　had　taught　her　how　to　carry　her　burden　and　still　retain　her　charm；　and　she　intended　that　her　three　daughters　should　be　great　ladies　also。　With　her　younger　daughters；　she　had　success；　for　Suellen　was　so　anxious　to　be　attractive　she　lent　an　attentive　and　obedient　ear　to　her　mother’s　teachings；　and　Carreen　was　shy　and　easily　led。　But　Scarlett；　child　of　Gerald；　found　the　road　to　ladyhood　hard。
　To　Mammy’s　indignation；　her　preferred　playmates　were　not　her　demure　sisters　or　the　well…brought…up　Wilkes　girls　but　the　negro　children　on　the　plantation　and　the　boys　of　the　neighborhood；　and　she　could　climb　a　tree　or　throw　a　rock　as　well　as　any　of　them。　Mammy　was　greatly　perturbed　that　Ellen’s　daughter　should　display　such　traits　and　frequently　adjured　her　to　“ack　lak　a　lil　lady。”　But　Ellen　took　a　more　tolerant　and　long…sighted　view　of　the　matter。　She　knew　that　from　childhood　playmates　grew　beaux　in　later　years；　and　the　first　duty　of　a　girl　was　to　get　married。　She　told　herself　that　the　child　was　merely　full　of　life　and　there　was　still　time　in　which　to　teach　her　the　arts　and　graces　of　being　attractive　to　men。
　To　this　end；　Ellen　and　Mammy　bent　their　efforts；　and　as　Scarlett　grew　older　she　became　an　apt　pupil　in　this　subject；　even　though　she　learned　little　else。　Despite　a　succession　of　governesses　and　two　years　at　the　near…by　Fayetteville　Female　Academy；　her　education　was　sketchy；　but　no　girl　in　the　County　danced　more　gracefully　than　she。　She　knew　how　to　smile　so　that　her　dimples　leaped；　how　to　walk　pigeon…toed　so　that　her　wide　hoop　skirts　swayed　entrancingly；　how　to　look　up　into　a　man’s　face　and　then　drop　her　eyes　and　bat　the　lids　rapidly　so　that　she　seemed　a…tremble　with　gentle　emotion。　Most　of　all　she　learned　how　to　conceal　from　men　a　sharp　intelligence　beneath　a　face　as　sweet　and　bland　as　a　baby’s。
　Ellen；　by　soft…voiced　admonition；　and　Mammy；　by　constant　carping；　labored　to　inculcate　in　her　the　qualities　that　would　make　her　truly　desirable　as　a　wife。
　“You　must　be　more　gentle；　dear；　more　sedate；”　Ellen　told　her　daughter。　“You　must　not　interrupt　gentlemen　when　they　are　speaking；　even　if　you　do　think　you　know　more　about　matters　than　they　do。　Gentlemen　do　not　like　forward　girls。”
　“Young　misses　whut　frowns　an　pushes　out　dey　chins　an’　says　‘Ah　will’　and　‘Ah　woan’　mos’　gener’ly　doan　ketch　husbands；”　prophesied　Mammy　gloomily。　“Young　misses　should　cas’　down　dey　eyes　an’　say；　Well；　suh；　Ah　mout’　an’　‘Jes’　as　you　say；　suh。’　”
　Between　them；　they　taught　her　all　that　a　gentlewoman　should　know；　but　she　learned　only　the　outward　signs　of　gentility。　The　inner　grace　from　which　these　signs　should　spring；　she　never　learned　nor　did　she　see　any　reason　for　learning　it。　Appearances　were　enough；　for　the　appearances　of　ladyhood　won　her　popularity　and　that　was　all　she　wanted。　Gerald　bragged　that　she　was　the　belle　of　five　counties；　and　with　some　truth；　for　she　had　received　proposals　from　nearly　all　the　young　men　in　the　neighborhood　and　many　from　places　as　far　away　as　Atlanta　and　Savannah。
　At　sixteen；　thanks　to　Mammy　and　Ellen；　she　looked　sweet；　charming　and　giddy；　but　she　was；　in　reality；　self…willed；　vain　and　obstinate。　She　had　the　easily　stirred　passions　of　her　Irish　father　and　nothing　except　the　thinnest　veneer　of　her　mother’s　unselfish　and　forbearing　nature。　Ellen　never　fully　realized　that　it　was　only　a　veneer；　for　Scarlett　always　showed　her　best　face　to　her　mother；　concealing　her　escapades；　curbing　her　temper　and　appearing　as　sweet…natured　as　she　could　in　Ellen’s　presence；　for　her　mother　could　shame　her　to　tears　with　a　reproachful　glance。
　But　Mammy　was　under　no　illusions　about　her　and　was　constantly　alert　for　breaks　in　the　veneer。　Mammy’s　eyes　were　sharper　than　Ellen’s；　and　Scarlett　could　never　recall　in　all　her　life　having　fooled　Mammy　for　long。
　It　was　not　that　these　two　loving　mentors　deplored　Scarlett’s　high　spirits；　vivacity　and　charm。　These　were　traits　of　which　Southern　women　were　proud。　It　was　Gerald’s　headstrong　and　impetuous　nature　in　her　that　gave　them　concern；　and　they　sometimes　feared　they　would　not　be　able　to　conceal　her　damaging　qualities　until　she　had　made　a　good　match。　But　Scarlett　intended　to　marry—and　marry　Ashley—and　she　was　willing　to　appear　demure；　pliable　and　scatterbrained；　if　those　were　the　qualities　that　attracted　men。　Just　why　men　should　be　this　way；　she　did　not　know。　She　only　knew　that　such　methods　worked。　It　never　interested　her　enough　to　try　to　think　out　the　reason　for　it；　for　she　knew　nothing　of　the　inner　workings　of　any　human　being’s　mind；　not　even　her　own。　She　knew　only　that　if　she　did　or　said　thus…and…so；　men　would　unerringly　respond　with　the　complementary　thus…and…so。　It　was　like　a　mathematical　formula　and　no　more　difficult；　for　mathematics　was　the　one　subject　that　had　come　easy　to　Scarlett　in　her　schooldays。
　If　she　knew　little　about　men’s　minds；　she　knew　even　less　about　the　minds　of　women；　for　they　interested　her　less。　She　had　never　had　a　girl　friend；　and　she　never　felt　any　lack　on　that　account。　To　her；　all　women；　including　her　two　sisters；　were　natural　enemies　in　pursuit　of　the　same　prey—man。
　All　women　with　the　one　exception　of　her　mother。
　Ellen　O’Hara　was　different；　and　Scarlett　regarded　her　as　something　holy　and　apart　from　all　the　rest　of　humankind。　When　Scarlett　was　a　child；　she　had　confused　her　mother　with　the　Virgin　Mary；　and　now　that　she　was　older　she　saw　no　reason　for　changing　her　opinion。　To　her；　Ellen　represented　the　utter　security　that　only　Heaven　or　a　mother　can　give。　She　knew　that　her　mother　was　the　embodiment　of　justice；　truth；　loving　tenderness　and　profound　wisdom—a　great　lady。
　Scarlett　wanted　very　much　to　be　like　her　mother。　The　only　difficulty　was　that　by　being　just　and　truthful　and　tender　and　unselfish；　one　missed　most　of　the　joys　of　life；　and　certainly　many　beaux。　And　life　was　too　short　to　miss　such　pleasant　things。　Some　day　when　she　was　married　to　Ashley　and　old；　some　day　when　she　had　time　for　it；　she　intended　to　be　like　Ellen。　But；　until　then　…
　
　CHAPTER　IV
　THAT　NIGHT　AT　SUPPER；　Scarlett　went　through　the　motions　of　presiding　over　the　table　in　he