A Farewell to Arms

Highlights

“Can I have wine with the meals?” I asked her. “Only if the doctor prescribes it.”

After he went out we saw a searchlight come on and watched the beam move across the sky and then go off and it was dark again. A breeze came in the night and we heard the men of the anti-aircraft gun on the next roof talking.

“No, darling. I only want you to have enough rank so that we’re admitted to the better restaurants.”

cap. The girls dressed to go after lunch while Crowell and I sat on the bed in his room and read the past performances of the horses and the predictions in the racing paper.

The girls dressed to go after lunch while Crowell and I sat on the bed in his room and read the past performances of the horses and the predictions in the racing paper.

Meyers never told his wife what horses he was playing and she won or lost, mostly lost, and talked all the time.

“Don’t you like it better when we’re alone?” “Yes,” I said. “I felt very lonely when they were all there.” “It’s grand here,” I said.

There were riots twice in the town against the war and bad rioting in Turin. A British major at the club told me the Italians had lost one hundred and fifty thousand men on the Bainsizza plateau and on San Gabriele.

I drank a small bottle of chianti with the meal, had a coffee afterward with a glass of cognac,

I wondered if America really got into the war, if they would close down the major leagues. They probably wouldn’t. There was still racing in Milan and the war could not be much worse.

“No. I only like two other things; one is bad for my work and the other is over in half an hour or fifteen minutes. Sometimes less.”

“No. We never get anything. We are born with all we have and we never learn. We never get anything new. We all start complete. You should be glad not to be a Latin.”

What’s the use of not being wounded if they scare you to death?”

I was always embarrassed by the words sacred, glorious, and sacrifice and the expression in vain. We had heard them, sometimes

“Tell me, I have never seen a retreat—if there is a retreat how are all the wounded evacuated?” “They are not. They take as many as they can and leave the rest.” “What will I take in the cars?” “Hospital equipment.” “All right,” I said.

As we came up the street they were loading the girls from the soldiers’ whorehouse into a truck.

like a retreat better than an advance,” Bonello said. “On a retreat we drink barbera.”

“I like a retreat better than an advance,” Bonello said. “On a retreat we drink barbera.”

We ate in the kitchen before we started. Aymo had a basin of spaghetti with onions and tinned meat chopped up in it. We sat around the table and drank two bottles of the wine that had been left in the cellar

He turned to the girl. “Don’t worry,” he said. “No danger of ——,” using the vulgar word. “No place for ——.” I could see she understood the word and that was all. Her eyes looked at him very scared. She pulled the shawl tight. “Car all full,” Aymo said. “No danger of ——. No place for ——

You’re so lovely and sweet. You wouldn’t go away in the night, would you? Of course I wouldn’t go away. I’m always here. I come whenever you want me.

In the night many peasants had joined the column from the roads of the country and in the column there were carts loaded with household goods; there were mirrors projecting up between mattresses, and chickens and ducks tied to carts.

“Where was the cheese?” “In the cellar. Piani found wine too and apples.” “That’s a good breakfast.”

“In the cellar. Piani found wine too and apples.” “That’s a good breakfast.”

We had lain in hay and talked and shot sparrows with an air-rifle when they perched in the triangle cut high up in the wall of the barn.

“They throw away their rifles,” Piani said. “They take them off and drop them down while they’re marching. Then they shout.” “They ought to keep their rifles.” “They think if they throw away their rifles they can’t make them fight.”

They made a point of being intent on questioning the next man while the man who had been questioned before was being shot.

They were executing officers of the rank of major and above who were separated from their troops.

The questioners had that beautiful detachment and devotion to stern justice of men dealing in death without being in any danger of it. They were questioning a full colonel of a line regiment.

I stood until it had almost passed, then jumped and caught the rear hand-rods and pulled up. I crawled down between the gondola and the shelter of the high freight-car behind.

They avoided looking at me and were very scornful of a civilian my age. I did not feel insulted. In the old days I would have insulted them and picked a fight.

Often a man wishes to be alone and a girl wishes to be alone too and if they love each other they are jealous of that in each other, but I can truly say we never felt that.

I wouldn’t go to war. I was at the war once in Abyssinia. Nix. Why do you go?” “I don’t know. I was a fool.”

“Othello was a nigger,” I said. “Besides, I’m not jealous. I’m just so in love with you that there isn’t anything else.”

“No, that is the great fallacy; the wisdom of old men. They do not grow wise. They grow careful.”

“Who will win it?” “Italy.” “Why?” “They are a younger nation.” “Do younger nations always win wars?” “They are apt to for a time.” “Then what happens?” “They become older nations.”

“Then too you are in love. Do not forget that is a religious feeling.”

“My own comes only at night.” “Then too you are in love. Do not forget that is a religious feeling.”

“Maybe it is too late. Perhaps I have outlived my religious feeling.” “My own comes only at night.” “Then too you are in love. Do not forget that is a religious feeling.”

She was beginning to be a little big with the child and she did not want me to see her.

“Everything there was in the bar. It’s all here. This is a bottle of brandy and a bottle of wine.”

“Rolls and jam and coffee,” Catherine said. “I’m sorry, we haven’t any rolls in war-time.” “Bread then.”

“Rolls and jam and coffee,” Catherine said. “I’m sorry, we haven’t any rolls in war-time.”

They questioned us but they were polite because we had passports and money. I do not think they believed a word of the story and I thought it was silly but it was like a law-court. You did not want something reasonable, you wanted something technical and then stuck to it without explanations. But we had passports and we would spend the money. So they gave us provisional visas.

There were three villages; Chernex, Fontanivent, and the other I forget.

The papers were bad reading. Everything was going very badly everywhere.

“Look. Let’s go some place and have beer instead of tea. It’s very good for young Catherine. It keeps her small.”

The doctor says beer will be good for me and keep her small.”

know one thing. I’m not going to be married in this splendid matronly

“I know one thing. I’m not going to be married in this splendid matronly state.”

Don’t I make you a good wife?” “You’re a lovely wife.” “Then don’t be too technical, darling. I’ll marry you as soon as I’m thin again.”

As we got on board I saw the motorman and conductor coming out of the station wine-shop.

“Do you want to see other people?” “No.” “Neither do I.” “I know. But you’re different. I’m having a child and that makes me contented not to do anything. I know I’m awfully stupid now and I talk too much and I think you ought to get away so you won’t be tired of me.” “Do you want me to go away?” “No. I want you to stay.” “That’s what I’m going to do.”

“Are you worried because you haven’t anything to do?” “No. I like it. I have a fine life. Don’t you?” “I have a lovely life. But I was afraid because I’m big now that maybe I was a bore to you.”

“I had gonorrhea.” “I don’t want to hear about it. Was it very painful, darling?” “Very.” “I wish I’d had it.”

and we sat inside warmed by the stove and drank hot red wine with spices and lemon in it. They called it glühwein and it was a good thing to warm you and to celebrate with.

I look too big and matronly now. But after she’s born and I’m thin again I’m going to cut it and then I’ll be a fine new and different girl for you.

And maybe I’d look lovely, darling, and be so thin and exciting to you and you’ll fall in love with me all over again.”

It was March, 1918, and the German offensive had started in France.

It was March, 1918, and the German offensive had started in France. I drank the whiskey and soda and read while Catherine unpacked and moved around the room.

“All right.” She came and sat on the bed. “I know I’m no fun for you, darling. I’m like a big flour-barrel.”

“I’ll drink some wine,” Catherine said. “It won’t hurt me. Maybe we can get some of our old white capri.”

“Thank you,” I said. “Put it down there. Will you please have dinner for two brought up here and two bottles of dry white capri in ice.”

Good whiskey was very pleasant. It was one of the pleasant parts of life.

Outside it was getting light. I walked down the empty street to the café. There was a light in the window. I went in and stood at the zinc bar and an old man served me a glass of white wine and a brioche.

While the time passed I watched him eat, then, after a while, I saw that he was lying down and smoking a cigarette.

Poor, poor dear Cat. And this was the price you paid for sleeping together. This was the end of the trap. This was what people got for loving each other. Thank God for gas, anyway. What must it have been like before there were anæsthetics?

And what if she should die? She won’t die. People don’t die in childbirth nowadays. That was what all husbands thought. Yes, but what if she should die? She won’t die. She’s just having a bad time. The initial labor is usually protracted. She’s only having a bad time. Afterward we’d say what a bad time and Catherine would say it wasn’t really so bad. But what if she should die? She can’t die. Yes, but what if she should die? She can’t, I tell you. Don’t be a fool. It’s just a bad time. It’s just nature giving her hell. It’s only the first labor, which is almost always protracted. Yes, but what if she should die? She can’t die. Why would she die? What reason is there for her to die?

A doctor came out followed by a nurse. He held something in his two hands that looked like a freshly skinned rabbit

Once in camp I put a log on top of the fire and it was full of ants. As it commenced to burn, the ants swarmed out and went first toward the centre where the fire was; then turned back and ran toward the end. When there were enough on the end they fell off into the fire. Some got out, their bodies burnt and flattened, and went off not knowing where they were going. But most of them went toward the fire and then back toward the end and swarmed on the cool end and finally fell off into the fire. I remember thinking at the time that it was the end of the world and a splendid chance to be a messiah and lift the log off the fire and throw it out where the ants could get off onto the ground. But I did not do anything but throw a tin cup of water on the log, so that I would have the cup empty to put whiskey in before I added water to it. I think the cup of water on the burning log only steamed the ants.

Don’t let her die. Oh, God, please don’t let her die. I’ll do anything for you if you won’t let her die. Please, please, please, dear God, don’t let her die. Dear God, don’t let her die. Please, please, please don’t let her die. God please make her not die. I’ll do anything you say if you don’t

“Poor darling,” Catherine said very softly. She looked gray. “You’re all right, Cat,” I said. “You’re going to be all right.” “I’m going to die,” she said; then waited and said, “I hate it.”

“Do you want me to do anything, Cat? Can I get you anything?” Catherine smiled, “No.” Then a little later, “You won’t do our things with another girl, or say the same things, will you?” “Never.” “I want you to have girls, though.” “I don’t want them.”

It seems she had one hemorrhage after another. They couldn’t stop it. I went into the room and stayed with Catherine until she died.