Lost on Dress Parade (Henry): Difference between revisions

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Lost on Dress Parade

Summary of the book
from the Collection «The Four Million»

Microsummary: A young architect saved money for luxurious evenings and met a girl who appeared to be working-class. He pretended to be wealthy, but she valued ambition and purpose over idleness.

Towers Chandler, a 22-year-old architect, had a unique way of enjoying life in New York City. He would save one dollar from his weekly earnings of $18, and every ten weeks, he would use the accumulated amount to indulge in a luxurious evening. On these special nights, he would dress impeccably and dine at a fancy restaurant, savoring the experience of being a wealthy idler.

One evening, as Chandler was walking down Broadway, he came across a girl who slipped on the icy sidewalk and fell. He helped her up and learned that she had twisted her ankle. The girl, who introduced herself as Miss Marian, was dressed modestly, appearing to be a working-class girl.

👨🏻‍💼

Towers Chandler — young architect, 22yo; saves money for luxurious evenings; handsome, well-dressed, blue eyes; imaginative, pretentious, kind.

👩🏻‍💼

Miss Marian — young lady from a wealthy family; poses as a working-class girl; dark brown hair, pretty, refined; insightful, honest, ambitious.

Chandler, feeling sympathetic and wanting to make his evening more enjoyable, invited her to join him for dinner. Miss Marian hesitated at first but eventually agreed.

At the restaurant, Chandler decided to play the part of a wealthy man, talking about clubs, teas, golf, and other high-society activities. He even hinted at having a yacht and being friends with influential people. Miss Marian listened attentively and shared her thoughts on the importance of work and ambition in life.

"I could love a man with dark and kind blue eyes, who is gentle and respectful to poor girls, who is handsome and good and does not try to flirt."

She expressed her desire to help someone build their way up in the world, rather than being with someone who lived an idle life.

"But, sister dear, the kind of man we always meet—the man who lives an idle life between society and his clubs—I could not love a man like that."

After their dinner, Chandler escorted Miss Marian to the corner where they had first met. They said their goodbyes, and Miss Marian walked away, her limp barely noticeable. Chandler took a cab home, reflecting on the evening and the girl he had met. He wondered if things would have been different had he told her the truth about his life instead of pretending to be someone he was not.

Unbeknownst to Chandler, Miss Marian was actually from a wealthy family. She had left her home wearing a simple dress and hat to run an errand and had enjoyed the experience of being mistaken for a working-class girl. Upon returning home, she told her sister about the kind man she had met and how she wished he had ambition and a purpose in life. The encounter left a lasting impression on both Chandler and Miss Marian, highlighting the importance of honesty and ambition in their lives.

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 | Genre = short story
 | Year of publication =
-| Microsummary = A young architect treated himself to a luxurious evening out every ten weeks. One evening, he met a modestly dressed woman, and they dined together. He pretended to be wealthy, hiding his true, hardworking nature.
+| Microsummary = A young architect saved money for luxurious evenings and met a girl who appeared to be working-class. He pretended to be wealthy, but she valued ambition and purpose over idleness.
 | Wikidata =
 | Wikisource = The Four Million/Lost on Dress Parade
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 {{Start of text}}
-Towers Chandler, a young architect earning $18 per week, had a habit of setting aside $1 from each week's earnings. Every ten weeks, he would use the accumulated $10 to treat himself to a luxurious evening out, dressing impeccably and dining at a fancy restaurant. On one such evening, as he was walking along Broadway, he encountered a young woman who had slipped on ice and injured her ankle. Chandler helped her up and, after a brief conversation, impulsively invited her to join him for dinner.
+Towers Chandler, a 22-year-old architect, had a unique way of enjoying life in New York City. He would save one dollar from his weekly earnings of $18, and every ten weeks, he would use the accumulated amount to indulge in a luxurious evening. On these special nights, he would dress impeccably and dine at a fancy restaurant, savoring the experience of being a wealthy idler.
-The young woman, who introduced herself as Miss Marian, was hesitant at first, but eventually agreed to accompany Chandler. She was dressed modestly, in a plain black dress and a simple hat, but carried herself with grace and poise. As they dined together, Chandler found himself enjoying her company immensely. However, he felt compelled to impress her by boasting about his supposed wealth, social connections, and leisurely lifestyle. Miss Marian listened politely, but expressed her belief that such a life seemed empty and unfulfilling.
+One evening, as Chandler was walking down Broadway, he came across a girl who slipped on the icy sidewalk and fell. He helped her up and learned that she had twisted her ankle. The girl, who introduced herself as Miss Marian, was dressed modestly, appearing to be a working-class girl.
-After their dinner, the two parted ways, with Chandler reflecting on the evening and wondering if he should have been more honest with Miss Marian. Meanwhile, Miss Marian returned to her own home, a luxurious mansion, where her sister scolded her for disappearing in a plain dress and causing their mother to worry. Miss Marian explained that she had only intended to run a quick errand and had injured her ankle, leading to her extended absence.
+{{Character
+| Name = Towers Chandler
+| Description = young architect, 22yo; saves money for luxurious evenings; handsome, well-dressed, blue eyes; imaginative, pretentious, kind
+| Emoji = 👨🏻‍💼
+}}
+{{Character
+| Name = Miss Marian
+| Description = young lady from a wealthy family; poses as a working-class girl; dark brown hair, pretty, refined; insightful, honest, ambitious
+| Emoji = 👩🏻‍💼
+}}
+Chandler, feeling sympathetic and wanting to make his evening more enjoyable, invited her to join him for dinner. Miss Marian hesitated at first but eventually agreed.
+At the restaurant, Chandler decided to play the part of a wealthy man, talking about clubs, teas, golf, and other high-society activities. He even hinted at having a yacht and being friends with influential people. Miss Marian listened attentively and shared her thoughts on the importance of work and ambition in life.
+{{Quote|
+"I could love a man with dark and kind blue eyes, who is gentle and respectful to poor girls, who is handsome and good and does not try to flirt."
+}}
+She expressed her desire to help someone build their way up in the world, rather than being with someone who lived an idle life.
+{{Quote|
+"But, sister dear, the kind of man we always meet—the man who lives an idle life between society and his clubs—I could not love a man like that."
+}}
+After their dinner, Chandler escorted Miss Marian to the corner where they had first met. They said their goodbyes, and Miss Marian walked away, her limp barely noticeable. Chandler took a cab home, reflecting on the evening and the girl he had met. He wondered if things would have been different had he told her the truth about his life instead of pretending to be someone he was not.
-As the sisters sat together, Miss Marian mused about the kind of man she could love: someone with dark blue eyes, kind and respectful, but also ambitious and hardworking. She admitted that she could not love a man who lived a life of idleness and luxury, even if he had all the other qualities she admired. Unbeknownst to her, Chandler possessed the very qualities she desired, but his decision to present himself as a wealthy idler had obscured his true nature.
+Unbeknownst to Chandler, Miss Marian was actually from a wealthy family. She had left her home wearing a simple dress and hat to run an errand and had enjoyed the experience of being mistaken for a working-class girl. Upon returning home, she told her sister about the kind man she had met and how she wished he had ambition and a purpose in life. The encounter left a lasting impression on both Chandler and Miss Marian, highlighting the importance of honesty and ambition in their lives.
 {{End of text}}