minmarn/Gone_with_the_wind · Datasets at Hugging Face

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mean way of paying her back.

She did not realize the importance he attached to Bonnie's
foolishness nor the completeness of his devotion to the child until
one dreadful night. The family never forgot that night.

That day Rhett had met an ex-blockade runner and they had had much
to say to each other. Where they had gone to talk and drink,
Scarlett did not know but she suspected, of course, Belle Watling's
house. He did not come home in the afternoon to take Bonnie
walking nor did he come home to supper. Bonnie, who had watched
from the window impatiently all afternoon, anxious to display a
mangled collection of beetles and roaches to her father, had
finally been put to bed by Lou, amid wails and protests.

Either Lou had forgotten to light the lamp or it had burned out.
No one ever knew exactly what happened but when Rhett finally came
home, somewhat the worse for drink, the house was in an uproar and
Bonnie's screams reached him even in the stables. She had waked in
darkness and called for him and he had not been there. All the
nameless horrors that peopled her small imagination clutched her.
All the soothing and bright lights brought by Scarlett and the
servants could not quiet her and Rhett, coming up the stairs three
at a jump, looked like a man who has seen Death.

When he finally had her in his arms and from her sobbing gasps had
recognized only one word, "Dark," he turned on Scarlett and the
negroes in fury.

"Who put out the light? Who left her alone in the dark? Prissy,
I'll skin you for this, you--"

"Gawdlmighty, Mist' Rhett! 'Twarn't me! 'Twuz Lou!"

"Fo' Gawd, Mist' Rhett, Ah--"

"Shut up. You know my orders. By God, I'll--get out. Don't come
back. Scarlett, give her some money and see that she's gone before
I come down stairs. Now, everybody get out, everybody!"

The negroes fled, the luckless Lou wailing into her apron. But
Scarlett remained. It was hard to see her favorite child quieting
in Rhett's arms when she had screamed so pitifully in her own. It
was hard to see the small arms going around his neck and hear the
choking voice relate what had frightened her, when she, Scarlett,
had gotten nothing coherent out of her.

"So it sat on your chest," said Rhett softly. "Was it a big one?"

"Oh, yes! Dretfull big. And claws."

"Ah, claws, too. Well, now. I shall certainly sit up all night
and shoot him if he comes back." Rhett's voice was interested and
soothing and Bonnie's sobs died away. Her voice became less choked
as she went into detailed description of her monster guest in a
language which only he could understand. Irritation stirred in
Scarlett as Rhett discussed the matter as if it had been something
real.

"For Heaven's sake, Rhett--"

But he made a sign for silence. When Bonnie was at last asleep, he
laid her in her bed and pulled up the sheet.

"I'm going to skin that nigger alive," he said quietly. "It's your
fault too. Why didn't you come up here to see if the light was
burning?"

"Don't be a fool, Rhett," she whispered. "She gets this way
because you humor her. Lots of children are afraid of the dark but
they get over it. Wade was afraid but I didn't pamper him. If
you'd just let her scream for a night or two--"

"Let her scream!" For a moment Scarlett thought he would hit her.
"Either you are a fool or the most inhuman woman I've ever seen."

"I don't want her to grow up nervous and cowardly."

"Cowardly? Hell's afire! There isn't a cowardly bone in her body!
But you haven't any imagination and, of course, you can't
appreciate the tortures of people who have one--especially a child.
If something with claws and horns came and sat on your chest, you'd
tell it to get the hell off you, wouldn't you? Like hell you
would. Kindly remember, Madam, that I've seen you wake up
squalling like a scalded cat simply because you dreamed of running
in a fog. And that's not been so long ago either!"

Scarlett was taken aback, for she never liked to think of that
dream. Moreover, it embarrassed her to remember that Rhett had
comforted her in much the same manner he comforted Bonnie. So she
swung rapidly to a different attack.

"You are just humoring her and--"

"And I intend to keep on humoring her. If I do, she'll outgrow it
and forget about it."

"Then," said Scarlett acidly, "if you intend to play nursemaid, you
might try coming home nights and sober too, for a change."

mean way of paying her back.

She did not realize the importance he attached to Bonnie's

foolishness nor the completeness of his devotion to the child until

one dreadful night. The family never forgot that night.

That day Rhett had met an ex-blockade runner and they had had much

to say to each other. Where they had gone to talk and drink,

Scarlett did not know but she suspected, of course, Belle Watling's

house. He did not come home in the afternoon to take Bonnie

walking nor did he come home to supper. Bonnie, who had watched

from the window impatiently all afternoon, anxious to display a

mangled collection of beetles and roaches to her father, had

finally been put to bed by Lou, amid wails and protests.

Either Lou had forgotten to light the lamp or it had burned out.

No one ever knew exactly what happened but when Rhett finally came

home, somewhat the worse for drink, the house was in an uproar and

Bonnie's screams reached him even in the stables. She had waked in

darkness and called for him and he had not been there. All the

nameless horrors that peopled her small imagination clutched her.

All the soothing and bright lights brought by Scarlett and the

servants could not quiet her and Rhett, coming up the stairs three

at a jump, looked like a man who has seen Death.

When he finally had her in his arms and from her sobbing gasps had

recognized only one word, "Dark," he turned on Scarlett and the

negroes in fury.

"Who put out the light? Who left her alone in the dark? Prissy,

I'll skin you for this, you--"

"Gawdlmighty, Mist' Rhett! 'Twarn't me! 'Twuz Lou!"

"Fo' Gawd, Mist' Rhett, Ah--"

"Shut up. You know my orders. By God, I'll--get out. Don't come

back. Scarlett, give her some money and see that she's gone before

I come down stairs. Now, everybody get out, everybody!"

The negroes fled, the luckless Lou wailing into her apron. But

Scarlett remained. It was hard to see her favorite child quieting

in Rhett's arms when she had screamed so pitifully in her own. It

was hard to see the small arms going around his neck and hear the

choking voice relate what had frightened her, when she, Scarlett,

had gotten nothing coherent out of her.

"So it sat on your chest," said Rhett softly. "Was it a big one?"

"Oh, yes! Dretfull big. And claws."

"Ah, claws, too. Well, now. I shall certainly sit up all night

and shoot him if he comes back." Rhett's voice was interested and

soothing and Bonnie's sobs died away. Her voice became less choked

as she went into detailed description of her monster guest in a

language which only he could understand. Irritation stirred in

Scarlett as Rhett discussed the matter as if it had been something

real.

"For Heaven's sake, Rhett--"

But he made a sign for silence. When Bonnie was at last asleep, he

laid her in her bed and pulled up the sheet.

"I'm going to skin that nigger alive," he said quietly. "It's your

fault too. Why didn't you come up here to see if the light was

burning?"

"Don't be a fool, Rhett," she whispered. "She gets this way

because you humor her. Lots of children are afraid of the dark but

they get over it. Wade was afraid but I didn't pamper him. If

you'd just let her scream for a night or two--"

"Let her scream!" For a moment Scarlett thought he would hit her.

"Either you are a fool or the most inhuman woman I've ever seen."

"I don't want her to grow up nervous and cowardly."

"Cowardly? Hell's afire! There isn't a cowardly bone in her body!

But you haven't any imagination and, of course, you can't

appreciate the tortures of people who have one--especially a child.

If something with claws and horns came and sat on your chest, you'd

tell it to get the hell off you, wouldn't you? Like hell you

would. Kindly remember, Madam, that I've seen you wake up

squalling like a scalded cat simply because you dreamed of running

in a fog. And that's not been so long ago either!"

Scarlett was taken aback, for she never liked to think of that

dream. Moreover, it embarrassed her to remember that Rhett had

comforted her in much the same manner he comforted Bonnie. So she

swung rapidly to a different attack.

"You are just humoring her and--"

"And I intend to keep on humoring her. If I do, she'll outgrow it

and forget about it."

"Then," said Scarlett acidly, "if you intend to play nursemaid, you

might try coming home nights and sober too, for a change."