gs.earthabides-第39章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
hought； Princess was over and done with； and only a link with the past； to be remembered by people who were growing older and older。 Soon the younger children would not remember her at all。 After a while she would be wholly forgotten。 （Then the icy thought came to him： 〃So too I may grow old； and older； and be merely a link to the past； and be an unregarded old duffer； and then die and be soon forgotten…yet that is as it should be！〃）
Then； as the others argued； he thought of the wood…carving。 It had swept over them as a kind of fad or craze； like bubble…blowing or mah…jongg in the Old Times。 Suddenly all the children were raiding lumber yards for good boards of soft sugar…pine； and were trying to carve running designs of figures of cattle or dogs or people。 They worked awkwardly at first； but soon some of them grew skillful。 Though； like all fads； it had fallen off； still the children worked at it on rainy days。
Ish had studied enough anthropology to know that any healthy people should have creative outlets； and he was worried that The Tribe had not developed artistically but was still living under the shadow of the past； listening to old records on the wind…up phonographs and looking at old picture books。 Accordingly he had been pleased at the fad for wood…carving。
At a pause in the argument he spoke up； supporting the children。 So it came to be known as the Year of the Wood…Carving； and in Ish's mind the Year 11 had a symbolic value； as a breaking with the past and a turning to the future。 Yet the naming was a small matter； and he was not sure that he should attach any significance to it。
In the Year 12； Jean lost a child in childbirth； but Em made up for it by bearing the first pair of twins； whom they called Joseph and Josephine； or more monly； Joey and Josey。 So this was the Year of the Twins。
The Year 13 saw the birth of two children who both lived。 It was a quiet and fortable year； with nothing to mark it especially。 So； for lack of anything better； they merely called it the Good Year。
The Year 14 was much like it； so they called that the Second Good Year。
The Year 15 was also excellent； and they considered calling it the Third Good Year； but there was a difference。 Ish and the older people again felt that first loneliness and the drawing in of the darkness。 Not to grow more numerous was essentially to grow fewer； and this was the first year since the very beginning when there had been no children born。 All the women…Em； Molly； Jean and Maurine…were now getting old； and the younger girls were not yet quite old enough to marry； except for Evie； the half…witted one； who should never be allowed to have children。 So they did not like to call this the Third Good Year； because it was not wholly good。 Instead； the children remembered that this year could be thought remarkable because Ish had got out his old accordion and to its wheezing they had sung songs together…old songs like Home on the Range or She'll Be in' Round the Mountain； and so they called this； at the children's prompting； the Year That We Sang。 （No one except Ish seemed to think that anything was wrong with the grammar。）
The Year 16； however； was remarkable because the first marriage actually took place。 Those married were Mary； who was Ish and Em's oldest daughter； and Ralph； who had been bom to Molly just before the Great Disaster。 They were younger than would have been thought suitable or even decent for marriage in the Old Days； but in this also standards had changed。 Ish and Em； when they discussed the matter privately； were not even sure that Mary was especially fond of Ralph； or Ralph of Mary。 But everyone had always assumed that the two of them would get married because there was nobody else available whom either of them could take； just as it once was with princes and princesses。 So perhaps； as Ish concluded； romantic love had merely been another necessary casualty of the Great Disaster。
Maurine and Molly and Jean were all for 〃a real wedding；〃 as they said。 They hunted up a Lohengrin record for the windup phonograph； and were making a wedding costume in white with a veil； and everything to go with it。 But； to Ish； all this seemed a horrible parody of things that had once been； Em； in her quiet way； supported him。 Since Mary was their daughter； they controlled the wedding。 In the end； they had no ceremony at all； except that Ralph and Mary stood before Ezra； and he told them that now they were being married and that they would assume a new responsibility to the munity and that they must try to fulfill it well。 Mary bore a child before the year was out； and so for that reason； it was called the Year of the Grandchild。
The Year 17 they called； mostly at the children's prompting； the Year the House Busted。 The reason was that one of the nearby houses had suddenly collapsed and crashed down with a great noise just in time for some of the children to see it as they came running out at the first crack。 On investigation； the matter proved simple enough； because termites had had a chance now to work in the house for seventeen years undisturbed； and had eaten through the underpinning。 But the incident had made a great impression upon the children； and so it gave the name to the year； although it was not really a matter of importance。
In the Year 18； Jean bore still another child。 This was the last of all that were born to the older generation； but by this time there were two marriages of the second generation； and two more grandchildren were born。
This was called the Year of the Schoolteaching。。。。 Ever since the first children had been old enough； Ish had tried； in a more or less desultory way； to give them some kind of teaching； so that they could at least read and write and do a little arithmetic； and know something of geography。 But it had always been difficult to get the children together； and there seemed to be so many things that they wanted to do； either in play or in earnest； and the schoolteaching had never acplished very much； although most of the older children could read after a fashion。 At least they had once been able to read； but Ish doubted whether some of them…such as Mary； who was now a mother with two babies…could at the present moment do more than spell out words of one syllable。 （Though she was his own beloved oldest daughter； he admitted to himself that Mary was not intellectual…no need to say she was stupid。）
In this Year 18； however； Ish really tried to get together all of the children who were of proper age； so that they would not grow up pletely ignorant。 It worked for a while； and then again it lapsed； and it was hard to say whether he had acplished anything or not； and he felt a sense of frustration。
The Year 19 was named the Year of the Elk； again because of a little incident which impressed the children。 One morning some of them saw Evie； now grown to be a woman； looking out and pointing and crying excitedly in her strange voice； which did not quite form words。 When they looked； they saw that she was pointing at a new kind of animal。 This turned out to be an elk； which was the first one that they had seen in all these years。 Apparently； the herds had now increased enough so that they had worked down from the north and were ing back into this region； where they had lived before the arrival of white men。
There was no question about the Year 20。 It was the Year of the Earthquake。 The old San Leandro Fault stirred again； and early one morning there was a sharp jolt and the sound of falling chimneys。 The houses in which they all lived stood the shock； because George always kept them in excellent repair。 But the houses that had been weakened by termites or undermined by washing water or damaged by rot came crashing down。 After that there was hardly a street which was not littered here and there with brick or with other debris； and because of damage from the earthquake deterioration began to accelerate。
The Year 21 Ish had thought they might call the Year of the Corriing of Age。 They now numbered thirty…six…seven of the older ones； Evie； twenty…one of the second generation； and seven of the third。 In the end； however； this year was named； like many othe
