03 A Clean Well Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway

A Clean,Well-Lighted Place
The first of three stories by the author of "Death in the Afternoon"

and "A Farewell to Arms."
By Ernest Hemingway
T was late and every one had left the cafe except an old man's table. He put down the saucer and poured
I old man who sat in the shadow the leaves of the

tree made against the electric light. In the daytime
the street was dusty, but at night the dew settled the
dust and the old man liked to sit late because he was
the glass full of brandy.
"You should have killed yourself last week," he said
to the deaf man. The old man motioned with his fin-
ger. "A little more," he said. The waiter poured on
deaf and now at night it was quiet and he felt the dif- into the glass so that the brandy slopped over and ran
ference. The two waiters inside the cafe knew that the down the stem into the top saucer of the pile. "Thank
old man was a little drunk, and while he was a good you," the old man said. The waiter took the bottle back
client they knew that if he became too drunk he would inside the cafe. He sat down at the table with his col-
leave without paying, so they kept watch on him. league again.
"Last week he tried to commit suicide," one waiter "He's drunk now," he said.
said. "He's drunk every night."
"Why?" "What did he want to kill himself for?"
"He was in despair." "How should I know?"
"What about?" "How did he do it?"
"Nothing." "He hung himself with a rope."
"How do you know it was nothing?" "Who cut him down?"
"He has plenty of money." "His niece."
They sat together at a table that was close against the "Why did they do it?"
wall near the door of the cafe and looked at the terrace "Fear for his soul."
where the tables were all empty except where the old "How much money has he got?"
man sat in the shadpw of the leaves of the tree that "He's got plenty."
moved slightly in the wind. A girl and a soldier went "He must be eighty years old."
by in the street. The street light shone on the brass "Anyway I should say he was eighty."
number on his collar. The girl wore no head covering "I wish he would go home. I never get to bed
and hurried beside him. before three o'clock. What kind of hour is that to go
"The guard will pick him up," one waiter said. to bed?"
"What does it matter if he gets what he's after?" "He stays up because he likes it."
"He had better get off the street now. The guard will "He's lonely. I'm not lonely. I have a wife waiting
get him. They went by five minutes ago." in bed for me."
The old man sitting in the shadow rapped on his "He had a wife once too."
saucer with his glass. The younger waiter went over to "A wife would be no good to him now."
him. "You can't tell. He might be better with a wife."
"What do you want?" "His niece looks after him."
The old man looked at him. "Another brandy," he "I know. You said she cut him down."
said. "I wouldn't want to be that old. An old man is a
"You'll be drunk," the waiter said. The old man nasty thing."
looked at him. The waiter went away. "Not always. This old man is clean. H e drinks with-
"He'll stay all night," he said to his colleague. "I'm out spilling. Even now, drunk. Look at him."
sleepy now. I never get into bed before three o'clock. "I don't want to look at him. I wish he would go
He should have killed himself last week." home. He has no regard for those who must work."
The waiter took the brandy bottle and another saucer The old man looked from his glass across the square,
from the counter inside the cafe and marched out to the then over at the waiters.
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"Another brandy," he said, pointing to his glass. The said. He was now dressed to go home. "It is not only
waiter who was in a hurry came over. a question of youth and confidence although those
"Finished," he said, speaking with that omission of things are very beautiful. Each night I am reluctant to
syntax stupid people employ when talking to drunken close up because there may be some one who needs the
people or foreigners. "No more tonight. Close now." cafe."
"Another," said the old man. "Hombre, there are bodegas open all night long."
"No. Finished." The waiter wiped the edge of the "You do not understand. This is a clean and pleasant
table with a towel and shook his head. cafe. It is well lighted. The light is very good and also,
The old man stood up, slowly counted the saucers, now, there are shadows of the leaves."
took a leather coin purse from his pocket and paid for "Good night," said the younger waiter.
the drinks, leaving half a peseta tip. "Good night," the other said. Turning off the electric
The waiter watched him go down the street, a very light he continued the conversation with himself. It is
old man walking unsteadily but with dignity. the light of course but it is necessary that the place be
"Why didn't you let him stay and drink.?" the un- clean and pleasant. You do not want music. Certainly
hurried waiter asked. They were putting up the shut- you do not want music. Nor can you stand before a bar
ters. "It is not half-past two." with dignity although that is all that is provided for
"I want to go home to bed." these hours. What did he fear.? It was not fear or dread.
"What is an hour?" It was a nothing that he knew too well. It was all a
"More to me than to him." nothing and a man was nothing too. It was only that
"An hour is the same." and light was all it needed and a certain cleanness and
"You talk like an old man yourself. He can buy a order.. Some lived in it and never felt it but he knew
bottle and drink at home." it all was nada y pues nada y nada y pues nada. Our
"It's not the same." nada who art in nada, nada be thy name thy kingdom
"No it is not," agreed the waiter with a wife. He did nada thy will be nada in nada as it is in nada. Give us
not wish to be unjust. He was only in a hurry. this nada our daily nada and nada us our nada as we
"And you.? You have no fear of going home before nada our nadas and nada us not into nada but de-
your usual hour.?" liver us from nada; pues nada. Hail nothing full of
"Are you trying to insult me.?" nothing, nothing is with thee. He smiled and stood be-
"No, hombre, only to make a joke." fore a bar with a shining steam pressure coffee machine.
"No," the waiter who was in a hurry said; rising "What's yours.?" asked the barman.
from pulling down the metal shutters. "I have confi- "Nada."
dence. I am all confidence." "Otro loco mas," said the barman and turned away.
"You have youth, confidence, and a job," the older "A Uttle cup," said the waiter.
waiter said. "You have everything." The barman poured it for him.
"And what do you lack.?" "The light is very bright and pleasant but the bar is
"Everything but work." unpolished," the waiter said.
"You have everything I have." The barman looked at him but did not answer. It
"No. I have never had confidence and I am not was too late at night for conversation.
young." "You want another copita.?" the barman asked.
"Come on. Stop talking nonsense and lock up." "No, thank you," said the waiter and went out. H e
"I am of those who like to stay late at the cafe," the disliked bars and bodegas. A clean, well-lighted cafe
older waiter said. "With all those who do not want to was a very different thing. Now, without thinking
go to bed. With all those who need a light for the further, he would go home to his room. H e would lie
night." in the bed and finally, with daylight, he would go to
"I want to go home and into bed." sleep. After all, he said to himself, it is probably only
"We are of two different kinds." the older waiter insomnia. Many must have it.
• ^ ^ • f ^
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A Clean,Well-Lighted Place

The first of three stories by the author of "Death in the Afternoon"

I old man who sat in the shadow the leaves of the

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