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first？〃 The little area in front of the basement was heaped with a
mixture of mortar； bricks； laths； and shavings from the interior； the
brownstone steps to the front door were similarly bestrewn； the doorway
showed the half…open； rough pine carpenter's sketch of an unfinished
house； the sashless windows of every story showed the activity of workmen
within； the clatter of hammers and the hiss of saws came out to them from
every opening。
〃They may call it October first；〃 said March； 〃because it's too late to
contradict them。 But they'd better not call it December first in my
presence； I'll let them say January first； at a pinch。〃
〃We will go in and look at it； anyway；〃 said his wife； and he admired
how； when she was once within； she began provisionally to settle the
family in each of the several floors with the female instinct for
domiciliation which never failed her。 She had the help of the landlord；
who was present to urge forward the workmen apparently； he lent a hopeful
fancy to the solution of all her questions。 To get her from under his
influence March had to represent that the place was damp from undried
plastering； and that if she stayed she would probably be down with that
New York pneumonia which visiting Bostonians are always dying of。 Once
safely on the pavement outside； she realized that the apartment was not
only unfinished； but unfurnished； and had neither steam heat nor
elevator。 〃But I thought we had better look at everything；〃 she
explained。
〃Yes； but not take everything。 If I hadn't pulled you away from there by
main force you'd have not only died of New York pneumonia on the spot；
but you'd have had us all settled there before we knew what we were
about。〃
〃Well； that's what I can't help； Basil。 It's the only way I can realize
whether it will do for us。 I have to dramatize the whole thing。〃
She got a deal of pleasure as well as excitement out of this； and he had
to own that the process of setting up housekeeping in so many different
places was not only entertaining； but tended； through association with
their first beginnings in housekeeping； to restore the image of their
early married days and to make them young again。
It went on all day； and continued far into the night； until it was too
late to go to the theatre； too late to do anything but tumble into bed
and simultaneously fall asleep。 They groaned over their reiterated
disappointments； but they could not deny that the interest was unfailing；
and that they got a great deal of fun out of it all。 Nothing could abate
Mrs。 March's faith in her advertisements。 One of them sent her to a flat
of ten rooms which promised to be the solution of all their difficulties；
it proved to be over a livery…stable； a liquor store； and a milliner's
shop； none of the first fashion。 Another led them far into old Greenwich
Village to an apartment…house； which she refused to enter behind a small
girl with a loaf of bread under one arm and a quart can of milk under the
other。
In their search they were obliged； as March complained； to the
acquisition of useless information in a degree unequalled in their
experience。 They came to excel in the sad knowledge of the line at which
respectability distinguishes itself from shabbiness。 Flattering
advertisements took them to numbers of huge apartment…houses chiefly
distinguishable from tenement…houses by the absence of fire…escapes on
their facades； till Mrs。 March refused to stop at any door where there
were more than six bell…ratchets and speaking…tubes on either hand。
Before the middle of the afternoon she decided against ratchets
altogether； and confined herself to knobs； neatly set in the door…trim。
Her husband was still sunk in the superstition that you can live anywhere
you like in New York； and he would have paused at some places where her
quicker eye caught the fatal sign of 〃Modes〃 in the ground…floor windows。
She found that there was an east and west line beyond which they could
not go if they wished to keep their self…respect； and that within the
region to which they had restricted themselves there was a choice of
streets。 At first all the New York streets looked to them ill…paved；
dirty； and repulsive； the general infamy imparted itself in their casual
impression to streets in no wise guilty。 But they began to notice that
some streets were quiet and clean； and； though never so quiet and clean
as Boston streets； that they wore an air of encouraging reform； and
suggested a future of greater and greater domesticity。 Whole blocks of
these downtown cross…streets seemed to have been redeemed from decay； and
even in the midst of squalor a dwelling here and there had been seized；
painted a dull red as to its brick…work； and a glossy black as to its
wood…work； and with a bright brass bell…pull and door…knob and a large
brass plate for its key…hole escutcheon； had been endowed with an effect
of purity and pride which removed its shabby neighborhood far from it。
Some of these houses were quite small； and imaginably within their means；
but； as March said； some body seemed always to be living there himself；
and the fact that none of them was to rent kept Mrs。 March true to her
ideal of a fiat。 Nothing prevented its realization so much as its
difference from the New York ideal of a flat； which was inflexibly seven
rooms and a bath。 One or two rooms might be at the front； the rest
crooked and cornered backward through in creasing and then decreasing
darkness till they reached a light bedroom or kitchen at the rear。
It might be the one or the other； but it was always the seventh room with
the bath； or if； as sometimes happened； it was the eighth； it was so
after having counted the bath as one； in this case the janitor said you
always counted the bath as one。 If the flats were advertised as having
〃all light rooms；〃 he explained that any room with a window giving into
the open air of a court or shaft was counted a light room。
The Marches tried to make out why it was that these flats were go much
more repulsive than the apartments which everyone lived in abroad； but
they could only do so upon the supposition that in their European days
they were too young； too happy； too full of the future； to notice whether
rooms were inside or outside； light or dark； big or little； high or low。
〃Now we're imprisoned in the present；〃 he said； 〃and we have to make the
worst of it。〃
In their despair he had an inspiration； which she declared worthy of him：
it was to take two small flats； of four or five rooms and a bath； and
live in both。 They tried this in a great many places； but they never
could get two flats of the kind on the same floor where there was steam
heat and an elevator。 At one place they almost did it。 They had
resigned themselves to the humility of the neighborhood； to the
prevalence of modistes and livery…stablemen （they seem to consort much in
New York）； to the garbage in the gutters and the litter of paper in the
streets； to the faltering slats in the surrounding window…shutters and
the crumbled brownstone steps and sills； when it turned out that one of
the apartments had been taken between two visits the