Henry Steavens, an apprentice and great admirer of the sculptor Harvey Merrick, accompanies the body of his mentor to the small Kansas town of Merrick's youth.
When the train carrying Merrick in his casket and Steavens arrives at the depot, there are a group of men waiting. None of these men, who engage in meaningless small talk, seem to Steavens to resemble Merrick at all. Later, after he arrives at the home of the Merricks, Steavens is amazed at the histrionics of the tall, corpulent mother, who rushes from the house, flinging herself upon the coffin, wailing, "My boy, my boy! And this is how you've come home to me!" and, then, suddenly calm, she addresses the mortician, telling him the parlor has been made ready.
It is after observing the mother, father, and sister of Harvey Merrick and the petty, materialistic townsmen, that Steavens begins to understand the meaning of that wry smile that the introverted Merrick possessed.
No comments:
Post a Comment