A Cup of Tea PDF - Katherine Mansfield - 1920s Short Story

----, About the author I 8-1923) is Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Katherine Mansfield (188 ury. She is regarded as one of the best short st...

----, About the author I 8-1923) is Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Katherine Mansfield (188 ury. She is regarded as one of the best short story writers of the twentieth cent thoughts, concerned with the psychological interpretations of her characters' a wide range feelings and motivations. Through her works, Mansfield explores sness, the of themes, including the fragility of relationships, class consciou hopelessness condition of women in society, existential crisis, the anxiety and reality, and of war, the conflict between love and disillusionment, idealism and concerns, the inevitability of these paradoxes. Her stories are about everyday de Bliss and full of imagery, metaphors and symbols. Her important works inclu en Party and Other Short Stories (1920), In a German Prison (1911), The Gard 3). Her short Other Stories (1922) and The Doves' Nest and Other Stories (192 y-Teller and story 'A Cup of Tea' (1922) was first published in the magazine Stor ies. later incorporated in the collection The Doves' Nest and Other Stor LACUP OFTEA J t hav e call ed Rosemary Fell was not exa ctly bea utif ul. No, you cou ldn' But why be so her beautiful. Pre tty? We ll, if you too k her to piec es... lian t, extr eme ly cruel as to take any one to pieces? She was you ng, bril in the new est modern, exq uisi tely wel l dres sed, ama zing ly wel l read s mix ture of the new boo ks, and her part ies wer e the mos t deli ciou crea ture s, of the really imp orta nt peo ple and... arti sts - qua int ds, but oth ers discoveries of hers , som e of them too terr ifyi ng for wor quite pres enta ble and amu sing. k of a boy. No, Rosemary had bee n mar ried two years. She had a duc red her. The y not Peter - Mic hae l. And her hus ban d abso lute ly ado ch is odi ous Were rich, really rich , not just com fort ably wel l off, whi if Ros ema ry and stuffy and sou nds like one 's gran dpa rent s. But ld go to Bon d ;ant ed to sho p she wou ld go to Pari s as you and I wou treet. If she wan ted to buy flowers, the car pull ed up at tha t perf ect 0 4 Harmony: An Anthology of Prose & Poetry shop in Regent Street, and Rosema1?' i~side the shop just gazed in her dazzled, rather exotic way, and said: I want those and those and t h ose. Gi·ve me four bunches of those. And that jar of. , roses. Yes, I'll have all the roses in the jar. No, no lilac. I hate lilac. Its got no shape.' The attendant bowed and put the lilac out of sight, as though this was only too true; lilac was dreadfully shapeless. 'Give me those stumpy little tulips. Those red and white ones.' And she was followed to the car by a thin shop-girl staggering under an immense white paper armful that looked like a baby in long clothes... One winter afternoon she had been buying something in a little antique shop in Curzon Street. It was a shop she liked. For one thing, one usually had it to oneself. And then the man who kept it was ridiculously fond of serving her. He beamed whenever she came in. He clasped his hands; he was so gratified he could scarcely speak. Flattery, of course. All the same, there was something... 'You see, madam,' he would explain in his low respectful tones, 'I love 1ny things. I would rather not part vvith them than sell them to someone who does not appreciate them, who has not that fine feeling which is so rare... ' And, breathing deeply, he unrolled a tiny square of blue velvet and pressed it on the glass counter with his pale r. nnger-tips. To-day it was a little box. He had been keeping it for her. He had shown it to nobody as yet. An exquisite little enamel box with a glaze so fine it looked as though it had been baked in cream. On the lid a minute creature stood under a flowery tree, and a more minute creature still had her arms round his neck. Her hat, really no bigger than a geranium petal, hung from a branch; it had green ribbons. And there was a pink cloud like a watchful cherub floating above their heads. Rosemary took her hands out of her long gloves. She always took off her gloves to examine such things. Yes, she liked it very much. She loved it; it was a great duck. She must have it. And, tur~i~g the creamy box, opening and shutting it, she couldn't help noticing h?w char~ing her hands were against the blue velvet. The shop man, in some dim cavern of his mind, may have dared to think so too. For he took a pencil, leant over the counter, and his pale, bloodless fingers crep~ timidly towards those rosy, flashing ones, as he murmured ~ently: I~ I may venture to point out to madam, the flowers on the little lady s bodice.'  un1.1: A Guo ofJea ~ 'Charming. Rosemary admired th. fl. I' c owers. But wh for a moment t h e shopman did at was the price) 'T not seem to hear Th · reache d her. wenty- eight· guineas d - ,ma am. , · · en a murmur 'Twenty-eight guineas.' Rosemary gave no si n She.. ; down; she buttoned her gloves agai·n T g ·. h laid the little box.. wenty-e1g t gui E. one 1s nch... She looked vague. She star d , t · 1 neas. ven if e a a P ump tea k ttl lik a plmnp hen above the shopman's head and h. - e e e.,. , er voice was dream as she answere d. Well, keep 1t for me -will you? I'll ✓ y But the shopman had already bowed as though k · 1t · 1or.c her eep1ng was all. any human being could ask · He would be w1·111·ng f , o course, to keep 1t for her forever. - The_ discreet do_or shut with a click. She was outside on the step, gazing at the winter afternoon. Rain was falling, and with the rain it seemed the dark came too, spinning down like ashes. There was a cold bitter taste in the air, and the new-lighted lamps looked sad. Sad were the lights in the houses opposite. Dimly they burned as if regretting something. And people hurried by, hidden under their hateful umbrellas. R osemary felt a strange pang. She pressed her muff against her breast; she wished she had the little box, too, to cling to. Of course the car vvas there. She'd only to cross the pavement. But still she waited. There are moments, horrible moments in life, when one emerges from shelter and looks out, and it's awful. One oughtn't to give way to them. One ought to go home and have an extra-special tea. But at the very instant of thinking that, a young girl, thin, dark, shadowy- where had she come from? -was standing at Rosemary's elbow and a voice like a sigh, almost like a sob, breathed: 'Madam, may I speak to you a moment?' 'Speak to me?' Rosemary turned. She saw a little battered creature with enormous eyes, someone quite young, no older than h~rself, who clutched at her coat-collar with reddened hands, and shivered as though she had just come out of the water. 'M-madam,' stammered the voice. 'Would you let me have the price of a cup of tea?' ,.. l. 1· n that voice; it A cup of tea?' There was something s1mp e, sincere t Wasn't in the least the voice of a beggar. 'Then have you no money a all?' asked Rosemary.  6. Harmony: An Anthology of Prose & Poetry - 'None, madam,' came the answer. 'How extraordinary!' Rosemary peered throu~h the dusk and the girl ~gazed back at her. How more than extraord1nar~! And sud~enly it seemed to Roseinary such an adventure. It was like something out of a novel by Dostoevsky, this meeting in the dusk. Supposing she took the girl home? Supposing she did do one of those things she was always reading about or seeing on the stage, what would happen? It would be thrilling. And she heard herself saying afterwards to the an1azement of ~r friends: 'I simply took her home with me,' as she stepped forward and said to that dim person beside her: 'Come home to tea with me.' The girl drew back startled. She even stopped shivering for a moment. Rosemary put out a hand and touched her arm. 'I mean it,' she said, smiling. And she felt how simple and kind her smile was. 'Why won't. _.,.·...;P", ·': you? Do. Come home with me now in my car and have tea.' , 'You - you don't mean it, madam,' said the girl, and there was pain -~'. :~: '. in her voice. : :r· 1tf" '.,' I ' 'But I do,' cried Rosemary. 'I want you to. To please me. Come along.' 7he ~irl put ~er fingers_ to her lips and her eyes devoured Rosemary. You re - you re not taking me to the police station?' she stammered. 'The folice station!' Rosemary laughed out. 'Why should I be so cruel. No, I only want to make you warm and to hear_ anythin care to tell me.' g you Hungry people are easily led. The footman. held th e d oor o f t h e car open, an d a moment later they were skimming through the dusk. 'There!' said Rosemary She h d fi r her hand through th · a a Seeing of triumph as she slipped ' 1 e ve vet strap. he could hav.d 'N I' you, as she gazed at th 1.t 1. e sa1 , ow ve got e I t e captive sh h d d B she meant it kindly Oh h. e a nette. ut of course · , more t an kindl Sh. to this girl that _ wand r_ l h.. Y· e was going to prove eriu t 1ngs did h · 1·r. godmothers were real that. h appen 1n 11e, that - fairy were sisters. She tur~ed. - ncl _people had hearts, and that women After all, why shouldn't 1mpu s1vely say·. 'D ,. d ' ing. on t be fnghtene. If!' you come back.th -;i ,xr' m the more fortunate y h wi me. vve re both women. ' ou oug t to expect... '  Unit 1: A Cup ofTea 7 did n't kno w how the sen tence But hap pily at tha t mo rne nt, fc>r she ng to end , th~ car sto ppe d.1 l1e bell was run g, the do or ope ned , was goi alm ost em hra cing mo vem ent , ;Ind wit h a cha rm ing , pro tec tin g, sem ary dre w the oth er int o the hall. Wa rm th, softn ess , lig ht, a Ro ar to her she nev er even tho ug ht sweet sce nt, :ill tho se thi ngs so fa1nili ut the m, she wa tch ed tha t oth er receive. It wa s fas cin ati ng. Sh e :lbo rse ry wi th all the cup boa rds to was like the ric h litt le gir l in he r nu open, all the box es to unp ack. ary , lon gin g- to beg in to be 'Co me , com e ups tai rs, ' sai d Ro sem d, bes ide s, she wa nte d to spa re generous. 'Co me up to my roo m. ' An po or litt le thi ng fro m bei ng sta red at by the ser van ts; she dec ide d this no t eve n rin g to Jea nn e, bu t as the y mo un ted the sta irs she wo uld off her thi ng s by her sel f. Th e gre at thi ng s we re to be nat ura l! take as the y rea che d he r bea uti ful big An d 'Th ere !' cri ed Ro sem ary aga in, fire lea pin g on he r wo nd erf ul bed roo m wi th the cur tai ns dra wn , the qu er fur nit ure , her gol d cus hio ns and the pri mr ose and blu e rug s. lac see me d da zed. Bu t Ro sem ary I The gir l sto od jus t ins ide the doo r; she l' didn't mi nd tha t. ng her big cha ir up to the fire, I 'Co me and sit do wn ,' she cri ed, dra ggi nn. You loo k so dre adf ull y col d.' 'in this com fy cha ir. Co me and get wa she edg ed bac kw ard s. 'I daren't, ma dam ,' sai d the gir l, and rd - 'yo u mu stn 't be frig hte ned , 'Oh , ple ase,' - Ro sem ary ran for wa stn 't, rea lly. Sit dow n, wh en I'v e tak en off my thi ngs we sha ll you mu be cozy. W hy are you afr aid ?' go int o the nex t roo m and hav e tea and fig ure int o its dee p cra dle. An d gen tly she ha lf pu she d the thi n re wa s no ans we r. Th e gir l sta yed jus t as she had bee n pu t, Bu t the mo uth slig htl y ope n. To be wit h her han ds by her sid es and her sin cer e, she loo ked rat her stu pid. Bu t Ro sem ary wo uld n't quite ing: acknowledge it. Sh e lea nt ove r her , say t you tak e off you r hat ? Yo ur pre tty hai r is all we t. An d one is so 'W on' , isn't one ?' mu ch mo re com for tab le wi tho ut a hat ere wa s a wh isp er tha t sou nde d like 'Ve ry goo d, ma dam , ' and the Th crushed hat wa s tak en off  try 8 Harmo ny: An Anthology of Pro se & Poe coa t, too ,' saj d Ro sem ary. 'And let me help you off wi th you r let to tf~e cha ir wi th on e ha nd and 11,c g-i rl stnod up. B11 t she held on ar~ · pul l. lt wa s q 11 it c an eff ort. Jh c oth er sca rce ly hel ped her Roscm a chi ld, and the tho ug ht cam e and at all. She :-cc mcd tn stagger like n ug h Ro sem ary 's mi nd , tha t if people wa nte d he Jpj ng they wen t thr t oth erw i se it bec am e ver y diffi cul mmt rc~pn nd a lit de, just a little, th the co at no w? Sh e lef t it on the ind eed./\ nd whr1t wa s she to do wi t go ing to tak e a cig are tte off the l1nor. and the ha t too. Sh e was jus : ckly, bu t so lig htl y an d str ang ely mantelpiece wh en the gir l said qui m, ver y sor ry, ma dam , bu t I'm go ing to fai nt. I sha ll go off, ma da Tm if ] do n't have som eth ing. ' I am!' Ro sem ary rus he d to the bel l. 'Go od hea ven s, ho w th oug htl ess y im me dia tel y!' 'Tea! Tea at on ce! An d som e bra nd wa s go ne aga in, bu t the gir l alm ost cri ed ou t: 'No , I do n't Th e ma id m. ' nd y. It 's a cup of tea I wa nt, m ada wan t no brand y. 1 never dri nk bra An d she burst int o tea rs. Ro sem ary kn elt bes ide he r lr ~a~ r1 ter rib le and ra~cin ati ng mo me nt. , I cha ir. 'A d h h 'D on't cry, po or li t rle rhing ,, she said · 'D on't crv -' · n s e gav e t e or her l1er I ace h:r nd ker chi ef Sh e rea lly was tou c·h e d b eyo n d wo rds SI uld ers.. 1e pu t herarm rou nd rh ose rhin, bir d -like sho sh f; Now ar la sr th e o rhe r forgor to be t :, t ·~; go t ;ve ryt hin g ex cep t tha they were bo rh wo me n, and gas ped I hull. can t go.onh no lon ge r lik,e th.i s. J ca n,r bear ir. J can 'r b ear i. t. s a do aw ay Wl t my sel f I ca nt bea r no mo re. ' ou D , 'Yo u shan'r have ro. I'll loo k aft er n't you &ee wha t a go od rhing it wa th y. on t cry an y mo re. Do you m et me.;:, u, 'll h 'lJ tel1 rn e eve ryt hin g. A sd I at , , ll vve ave tea and you n 1 s 1a arr an ge h. J) 0.. l '1, w txh a ·t· Pl , som et 111g. I pro mi se. &W p em ar y sa id dr ca n1 ily : 'I sa w a f;1sc in at in g lit t le.; hrJ 1h en R os. 1\1ay J h av e it? ' cost tw en ty - ei gh t g ui n ea s s kn ee. ' YcH1 n1ay, lit tle \vasrc:ful on e.· ~