Am I still reading GLH? Oh, yes.
Is she still suffering from More Innocent Times Writer's Syndrome? Oh, yes.
This is from By Way of the Silverthornes and oh golly.*
*Not an expression her heroines would use. They are ladies.
Luther had trained himself never to look directly at newcomers. Experience taught him that it sometimes frightened them away. Therefore he had chosen a seat where he could see, and not be noticed himself. He had taken his tactics from a bird man who had taught him to get a good sight of birds and their habits by apparently paying no attention to them.
So our hero is so damn creepy he scares people away by staring. Or maybe he's so obviously upper-class that poor people just slink away from his notice. Ok, as long as he's not bothering anyone. A few paragraphs pass without incident.
Luther changed his seat while they were standing to sing, and went nearer to the lad, sitting where he might watch him more closely.
A lot of people go people-watching, nbd.
There was a weary look, like an animal that had been hunted. Whenever the door opened and closed he started and looked around furtively as if he expected someone were after him, and there was a pallor upon him. He looked hungry. Perhaps he came here knowing that sometimes they gave out coffee and buns after special meetings. Though this wasn't one of the nights...
Then the kid falls asleep in church.
The closing hymn, with everybody standing, roused the young sleeper and he darted a quick glance around.
Luther had come over to sit on the end of the boy's seat, and he spread his arm comfortably across the back. The boy could not get out without passing him.
Then he uses his own body to block the escape of his latest watchee.
"Hello, buddie," he said pleasantly, "had a pleasant nap? Wanta sing a little? I made free to open your book. Come on, let's sing together."
The boy shook his head. "I can't sing," he murmured.
"Okay!" said Luther. "Just look over with me for friendliness, then," he said, and smiled again.
There is singing and music and godliness and good vibes and all the other stuff Grace likes, and then:
Then gently, pleasantly there came a big arm around his slight shoulders, a comforting, friendly arm that not only encircled his shoulders with friendliness, but seemed to offer a restful support, and was good to feel. For an instant the boy yielded himself to its comfortable nearness, and then suspicion, fear, caused his body to stiffen away from its friendliness.
Uhm. Grace.
But the strong arm did not force itself. It just stayed there pleasantly, quietly, just resting during the closing prayer. And then before the boy had a chance to write away from it and try to escape, the big hand patted the gaunt young shoulder.
"Say, bud, how about a cup of coffee and hot soup? Seems as if I'm kind of hungry. Wanta come over to the diner and share a bite of supper with me?"
... With his arm linked in the boy's ragged arm Luther propelled his charge across the street...
Grace we need to talk.
Like Luther and the kid talk; Luther asks what the kid is doing and finds him broke and jobless and homeless.
"Well, never you mind. you're coming home with me tonight and have a good hot bath and a sleep. how's that?...But first let's get this thing clear. What's your name, kid?"
It's going to be an uncomfortable talk. And it's probably going to make you sad. But I think you need to know. Since you've written more than one piece centering around young white women being kidnapped for prostitution I know you can handle it.
When they reached the big apartment hotel where Luther had his comfortable small suite of rooms, a bedroom, a bath, and a living room, Luther touched the boy on the arm.
And your hero can stop touching that kid godammit.
Where're you taking me?" he said sullenly. "I think I better go somewhere and find a place to stay. I don't belong in any place like this."
"Why, Tim!" said Luther. "I thought you and I were friends. I was just taking you to my room. Didn't you agree to stay with me tonight, and then tomorrow we're going to see about getting you fixed up comfortably."
AAAAA FORCED TEAMING RUN KID RUN
"Forced teaming" is a manipulative tactic often used to get people to go against their instincts and allow the manipulator to compromise their safety (we need to get these groceries you dropped and I helped you pick up inside!) It's got flags of using "we" for things when you would have said "I" and it's also there in "I thought you and I were friends." And the whole "holding him to your idea" thing.
Basically Grace is out of touch with the modern reader, who desperately wants Tim to knee him in the crotch and scamper off.
"I didn't know it was a place like this. What d'you want with me, mister? I haven't done anything wrong."
"Why, son, what do you mean?" asked Luther. "I just want to help you. Then if you don't want to stay you can go, of course. But I thought you were my friend. You're not afraid of me, are you?"
That was a challenge, and his code required him to accept it.
With eyes full of anxiety he edged around, shot furtive glances up and down the hall, and then half defiantly he said:
"No! I'm not afraid of anybody, nor anything!"
And just at that crucial moment the elevator door slid open in answer to Luther's summons. Luther placed a kindly hand on the boy's shoulder and pushed him gently in, the door slammed shut, and they were on their way up, the boy watching warily...
"... I don't think I'd better stay here," he said firmly, turning from his investigations. "I don't look right to be in a place like this. I gotta get out." He walked firmly over to the door, which Luther had taken the precaution to bolt with the little brass knob.
So then Luther explains that he knew who the kid was through family resemblance to his sister, and his mom is sick and needs him at home, all of which he could have done without manipulating, daring, and physically pushing a minor into his apartment at night. Then he puts the kid in a little fold-down wall bed. Then he kneels all night by the kid's bedside praying.
Later he will claim he's loved the sister for two full days and propose to her, putting him in the same house with this kid.
This is from By Way of the Silverthornes and oh golly.*
*Not an expression her heroines would use. They are ladies.
Luther had trained himself never to look directly at newcomers. Experience taught him that it sometimes frightened them away. Therefore he had chosen a seat where he could see, and not be noticed himself. He had taken his tactics from a bird man who had taught him to get a good sight of birds and their habits by apparently paying no attention to them.
So our hero is so damn creepy he scares people away by staring. Or maybe he's so obviously upper-class that poor people just slink away from his notice. Ok, as long as he's not bothering anyone. A few paragraphs pass without incident.
Luther changed his seat while they were standing to sing, and went nearer to the lad, sitting where he might watch him more closely.
A lot of people go people-watching, nbd.
There was a weary look, like an animal that had been hunted. Whenever the door opened and closed he started and looked around furtively as if he expected someone were after him, and there was a pallor upon him. He looked hungry. Perhaps he came here knowing that sometimes they gave out coffee and buns after special meetings. Though this wasn't one of the nights...
Then the kid falls asleep in church.
The closing hymn, with everybody standing, roused the young sleeper and he darted a quick glance around.
Luther had come over to sit on the end of the boy's seat, and he spread his arm comfortably across the back. The boy could not get out without passing him.
Then he uses his own body to block the escape of his latest watchee.
"Hello, buddie," he said pleasantly, "had a pleasant nap? Wanta sing a little? I made free to open your book. Come on, let's sing together."
The boy shook his head. "I can't sing," he murmured.
"Okay!" said Luther. "Just look over with me for friendliness, then," he said, and smiled again.
There is singing and music and godliness and good vibes and all the other stuff Grace likes, and then:
Then gently, pleasantly there came a big arm around his slight shoulders, a comforting, friendly arm that not only encircled his shoulders with friendliness, but seemed to offer a restful support, and was good to feel. For an instant the boy yielded himself to its comfortable nearness, and then suspicion, fear, caused his body to stiffen away from its friendliness.
Uhm. Grace.
But the strong arm did not force itself. It just stayed there pleasantly, quietly, just resting during the closing prayer. And then before the boy had a chance to write away from it and try to escape, the big hand patted the gaunt young shoulder.
"Say, bud, how about a cup of coffee and hot soup? Seems as if I'm kind of hungry. Wanta come over to the diner and share a bite of supper with me?"
... With his arm linked in the boy's ragged arm Luther propelled his charge across the street...
Grace we need to talk.
Like Luther and the kid talk; Luther asks what the kid is doing and finds him broke and jobless and homeless.
"Well, never you mind. you're coming home with me tonight and have a good hot bath and a sleep. how's that?...But first let's get this thing clear. What's your name, kid?"
It's going to be an uncomfortable talk. And it's probably going to make you sad. But I think you need to know. Since you've written more than one piece centering around young white women being kidnapped for prostitution I know you can handle it.
When they reached the big apartment hotel where Luther had his comfortable small suite of rooms, a bedroom, a bath, and a living room, Luther touched the boy on the arm.
And your hero can stop touching that kid godammit.
Where're you taking me?" he said sullenly. "I think I better go somewhere and find a place to stay. I don't belong in any place like this."
"Why, Tim!" said Luther. "I thought you and I were friends. I was just taking you to my room. Didn't you agree to stay with me tonight, and then tomorrow we're going to see about getting you fixed up comfortably."
AAAAA FORCED TEAMING RUN KID RUN
"Forced teaming" is a manipulative tactic often used to get people to go against their instincts and allow the manipulator to compromise their safety (we need to get these groceries you dropped and I helped you pick up inside!) It's got flags of using "we" for things when you would have said "I" and it's also there in "I thought you and I were friends." And the whole "holding him to your idea" thing.
Basically Grace is out of touch with the modern reader, who desperately wants Tim to knee him in the crotch and scamper off.
"I didn't know it was a place like this. What d'you want with me, mister? I haven't done anything wrong."
"Why, son, what do you mean?" asked Luther. "I just want to help you. Then if you don't want to stay you can go, of course. But I thought you were my friend. You're not afraid of me, are you?"
That was a challenge, and his code required him to accept it.
With eyes full of anxiety he edged around, shot furtive glances up and down the hall, and then half defiantly he said:
"No! I'm not afraid of anybody, nor anything!"
And just at that crucial moment the elevator door slid open in answer to Luther's summons. Luther placed a kindly hand on the boy's shoulder and pushed him gently in, the door slammed shut, and they were on their way up, the boy watching warily...
"... I don't think I'd better stay here," he said firmly, turning from his investigations. "I don't look right to be in a place like this. I gotta get out." He walked firmly over to the door, which Luther had taken the precaution to bolt with the little brass knob.
So then Luther explains that he knew who the kid was through family resemblance to his sister, and his mom is sick and needs him at home, all of which he could have done without manipulating, daring, and physically pushing a minor into his apartment at night. Then he puts the kid in a little fold-down wall bed. Then he kneels all night by the kid's bedside praying.
Later he will claim he's loved the sister for two full days and propose to her, putting him in the same house with this kid.