The Master of the New Suburb by E.V. Lucas
At "The Nook," a woman calls on Mrs. Jupp seeking Mr. Jupp, the local gardener, to arrange for regular work in her garden. Mrs. Jupp, saying she cannot be sure where he is but will find him, fetches Jupp from "The Green Man." "The Nook" asks Jupp to come every Friday, but he says he is engaged that day at "Bellyvista." She tries Wednesday, but he is committed all day at "The Red Bungalow," where he feels he ought really to be working the whole week. She then asks about Monday, and Jupp says he belongs to "Sans Souci" on Mondays. When she points out that today is Monday and asks why he is not there, he explains that it is his tea-time. "The Nook" then proposes that he give up his tea-time hour each evening throughout the week to work for her instead, offering to provide tea or anything he likes in her garden and to pay him for the time. Jupp balks at giving up his tea-time, and Mrs. Jupp declines to influence him, saying she never interferes in Jupp's affairs. "The Nook" next suggests an early morning hour before he starts at his other houses, and Jupp asks what he would be giving up his own garden for. She offers eightpence an hour, or four shillings a week, and asks whether there are any other gardeners in the area. Jupp insists there are none, and that even if there were, no one else would understand the local soil, which he calls very curious. Pressed to decide, he raises his price consideration but keeps deferring, saying he has many people after him and needs to be careful, and that he will think it over and let her know. Even when she raises the offer to tenpence an hour, he still will not commit and repeats that he will let her know. "The Nook" leaves, and a resident of "La Hacienda" arrives asking for Mr. Jupp. Mrs. Jupp again says she cannot say exactly where he is, listing "Sans Souci" and "Bellyvista" or their own garden as possibilities, and notes that Jupp is in great demand as the only gardener in the area. She fetches him again from "The Green Man." "La Hacienda" asks Jupp to arrange a day for garden work, and Jupp claims he has no free day at all, being fully occupied all week. When asked if he might squeeze in time, he proposes an hour each morning before starting his regular day's work at whichever house he is due — "The Nook," "Bellyvista," "Sans Souci," "The Red Bungalow," "The Corner House," or elsewhere — even though that hour ought to go to his own garden, as his wife well knows. He asks what it would be worth to "La Hacienda." When told it would be for an hour each morning, Jupp again stresses that this is time he ought to give to his own garden. Because the matter is important and Jupp is apparently the only jobbing gardener around, "La Hacienda" offers a shilling an hour, at least to start. Jupp again claims no other gardener exists, and that even if one did, he would not understand the peculiar local soil, which takes a lifetime to learn. Jupp says he will think it over, but adds that he cannot decide anything until he has consulted the gentleman at "The Trossachs," who has first claim on any of his spare time; he will let "La Hacienda" know. As "La Hacienda" leaves, a person from "The Cedars" arrives on the same errand.
By E.V. Lucas · First published 1912 · Genre: Satire, Comedy, Drama · 1,213 words
First lines
Characters
"_The Nook._" Is Mr. Jupp in?
Genres
- Satire — The piece satirizes suburban society and status-seeking behavior, with characters desperately competing for an indispensable gardener's services, exposing the materialism and pretension of new suburbanites through their grandiose house names and willingness to escalate fees.
- Comedy — The absurd situation where a single gardener is so overwhelmed with demand that he can dictate terms and play clients against each other is inherently comedic, relying on exaggeration and incongruity for humor.
- Drama — The work is structured as a dramatic piece with stage directions, character entrances and exits, and dialogue-driven narrative that follows theatrical conventions.
- Social Commentary — The dialogue critiques suburban social hierarchies, consumerism, and the way residents define themselves through possessions and social status within their new suburban community.
Tags
suburban competition · garden services · labor monopoly · wage negotiation · scarcity economics · class relations · status seeking · British suburbs · new suburbs · early twentieth century · comedy · dramatic sketch
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The Master of the New Suburb is listed on Textopian as a short story by E.V. Lucas, dated 1912 CE.
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- Work type: Short story
- Author: E.V. Lucas
- Date: 1912 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Satire, Comedy, Drama, Social Commentary, Domestic Fiction
- Length: 1,213 words
- Structure: 1 section, 49 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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