gs.earthabides-第40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！


　second　generation；　and　seven　of　the　third。　In　the　end；　however；　this　year　was　named；　like　many　others；　from　a　small　incident　。。。。　Joey　was　one　of　the　twins；　who　were　the　youngest　of　the　children　born　to　Ish　and　Em。　He　was　a　bright　boy；　though　small　for　his　age　and　not　so　good　at　play　as　some　of　those　who　were　even　younger　than　he。　He　got　a　certain　favoring　from　both　his　father　and　mother；　because　he　was；　with　his　twin；　the　youngest。　On　the　whole；　however；　in　such　a　large　group　of　children；　nobody　had　paid　him　any　great　attention；　and　now　he　was　nine　years　old。　But　just　at　the　end　of　this　year；　they　suddenly　discovered　to　their　great　amaze　ment　that　Joey　could　read…not　only　could　read　in　the　slow；　halting　way　of　the　other　children；　but　could　read　quickly　and　accurately　and　with　pleasure。　Ish　felt　a　sudden　warming　of　his　heart　toward　the　youngest　son。　This　was　the　one　in　whom　the　light　of　intellect　really　was　still　burning。　
　　The　other　children　also　were　much　impressed；　and　so　at　the　ceremony　they　cried　out　that　this　should　be　called　the　Year　When　Joey　Read。　
　　End　of　the　inter…chapter　called　Quick　Years。　
　　
　　2
　　The　Year　22
　　There　must　be　in　their　social　bond　something　singularly　captivating；　and　far　superior　to　anything　to　be　boasted　of　among　us；　for　thousands　of　Europeans　are　Indians；　and　we　have　no　examples　of　even　one　of　those　Aborigines　having　from　choice　bee　Europeans！　
　　…　J。　Hector　St。　John　de　Crèvecoeur；　Letters　from　an　American　Farmer
　　
　　Chapter　1
　　After　the　ceremony　at　the　rock　was　over　and　the　numerals　2　and　1　stood　out　sharply　and　freshly　cut　on　the　smooth　surface；　the　people　started　back　toward　the　houses。　Most　of　the　children　scuttled　ahead；　calling　back　and　forth；　eager　with　ideas　about　the　bonfire　which　traditionally　ended　the　New　Year　celebration。　
　　Ish　walked　beside　Em；　but　they　talked　little。　As　always　at　the　date…carving　Ish　felt　himself　thinking　deeper　thoughts　than　usual　and　wondering　what　would　happen　in　the　course　of　the　year。　He　heard　the　children　shouting　out：　
　　〃Go　to　the　old　house　that　fell　down；　you　can　pull　off　lots　of　dry　wood　there。。。。　I　think　I　can　find　a　can　of　gasoline。。。。　I　know　where　there　is　toilet　paper；　it　burns　fine。〃　
　　The　older　people；　as　was　the　custom；　gathered　at　Ish　and　Em's　house；　and　sat　around　for　a　little　conversation。　Since　it　was　a　time　for　festivity；　Ish　opened　some　port；　and　they　all　drank　toasts；　even　George；　who　ordinarily　did　not　drink。　They　agreed　again；　as　they　had　at　the　rock；　that　the　Year　21　had　been　a　good　year　and　that　the　prospects　for　the　ing　one　were　good　also。　
　　Yet　in　the　midst　of　the　general　self…congratulation；　Ish　himself　felt　a　renewed　sense　of　dissatisfaction。　
　　〃Why；〃　he　thought；　feeling　the　words　flow　through　his　mind；　as　if　he　were　arguing　aloud；　〃why　should　I　be　the　one　who　in　times　like　this　always　has　to　start　thinking　ahead？　Why　am　I　the　one　that　has　to　think；　or'try　to　think；　five　years　or　ten　years；　or　twenty　years　into　the　future？　I　may　not　even　be　alive　then！　The　people　who　e　after　me…they　will　have　to　solve　their　own　problems。〃　
　　Yet　he　knew；　as　he　thought　again；　that　this　last　was　not　altogether　true　either。　The　people　who　live　in　any　generation　do　much；　he　realized；　either　to　create　or　to　solve　the　problems　for　the　people　who　e　in　the　generations　later。　
　　In　any　case；　he　could　not　help　wondering　what　would　happen　to　The　Tribe　in　the　years　that　were　ahead。　It　worried　him。　After　the　Great　Disaster；　he　had　thought　that　the　people；　if　any　survived　at　all；　would　soon　be　able　to　get　some　things　running　again　and　proceed　gradually　toward　re…establishing　more　and　more　of　civilization。　He　had　even　dreamed　of　a　time　when　electric　lights　might　go　on　again。　But　nothing　like　that　had　happened；　and　the　munity　was　still　dependent　upon　the　leavings　of　the　past。　
　　Now　he　looked　around；　as　he　had　often　looked　before；　at　the　ones　who　were　with　him。　They　were；　so　to　speak；　the　bricks　out　of　which　a　new　civilization　must　be　fashioned。　There　was　Ezra；　for　instance。　Ish　felt　himself　growing　warm　with　the　mere　pleasure　of　friendship　as　he　looked　at　that　thin　ruddy　face　and　pleasant　smile；　even　though　the　smile　showed　the　bad　teeth。　Ezra　had　genius　perhaps；　but　it　was　the　genius　of　living　on　easy　and　friendly　terms　with　people；　and　not　the　creative　drive　that　leads　toward　new　civilizations。　No；　not　Ezra。　
　　And　there　beside　Ezra　was　George；　good　old　George…heavy　and　shambling；　powerful　still；　though　his　hair　had　turned　wholly　gray。　George　was　a　good　man；　too；　in　his　fashion。　He　was　a　first…class　carpenter；　and　had　learned　to　do　plumbing　and　painting　and　the　other　odd　jobs　around　the　house。　He　was　a　very　useful　man；　and　had　preserved　many　basic　skills。　Yet　Ish　always　knew　that　George　was　essentially　stupid；　he　had　probably　never　read　a　book　in　his　life。　No；　not　George。　
　　Next　to　George；　was　Evie；　the　half…witted　one。　Molly　kept　her　well　groomed；　and　Evie；　blond　and　slender；　was　good…looking；　if　you　could　forget　the　vacantness　of　her　face。　She　sat　there　glancing　right　and　left　at　whoever　was　talking。　She　even　gave　an　illusion　of　alertness；　but　Ish　knew　that　she　was　understanding　little；　perhaps　nothing；　of　what　was　being　said。　She　was　no　foundation…stone　for　the　future。　Certainly；　not　Evie。　
　　Then　came　Molly；　Ezra's　older　wife。　Molly　was　not　a　stupid　person；　but　she　had　had　little　education　and　could　certainly　not　be　called　intellectual。　Besides；　like　the　other　women；　she　had　expended　her　energy　at　bearing　and　rearing　children；　and　now　five　of　hers　were　still　alive。　That　was　enough　contribution　to　ask　of　anyone。　No；　not　Molly。　
　　Beyond　Molly；　the　next　person　was　Em。　When　Ish　looked　at　Em；　so　many　feelings　boiled　up　within　him　that　he　knew　any　judgment　he　might　try　to　make　of　her　would　be　of　no　value。　She；　alone；　had　made　the　first　decision　to　have　a　child。　She　had　kept　her　courage　and　confidence　during　the　Terrible　Year。　She　it　was　to　whom　they　all　turned　in　time　of　trouble。　Some　strong　power　lodged　within　her；　to　affirm　and　never　to　deny。　Without　her　they　might　all　have　been　as　nothing。　Yet；　her　power　lay　deep　in　the　springs　of　action；　in　a　particular　situation；　though　she　might　inspire　courage　and　confidence　in　others；　she　herself　seldom　supplied　an　idea。　Ish　knew　that　he　would　always　turn　to　her　and　that　she　was　greater　than　he；　but　he　also　knew　that　she　would　not　be　of　help　in　planning　toward　the　future。　No…though　it　seemed　disloyalty　to　say　so…not　even　Em！　
　　Beyond　Em；　lolling　on　the　floor；　were　Ralph　and　Jack　and　Roger；　the　three　who　were　still　called　boys；　even　though　they　themselves　were　married　and　had　children。　Ralph　was　Molly's　son　who　was　married　to　Ish's　daughter；　Mary；　Jack　and　Roger　were　Ish's　own　sons。　But　as　he　looked　at　them　now；　Ish　felt　very　far　from　them；　even　though　his　connection　by　family　was　as　close　as　could　well　be。　Though　he　was　only　some　twenty　years　older；　still　he　seemed　separated　from　them　by　centuries。　They　had　not　known　the　Old　Times；　and　so　they　could　not　look　forward　much　and　think　how　things　might　again　be　in　the　future。　No；　probably　not　the　boys　either。　
　　Ish's　eyes　had　moved　around　the　circle；　and　he　was　looking　now　at　Jean；　Ezra's　younger　wife。　She　had　borne　ten　children；　and　seven　of　them　were　still　alive。　She　had　a　mind　of　her　own；　as　her　refusal　to　join　in　the　church…services　had　shown。　Still；　she　was　not　a　person　of　new　ideas。　No；　not　Jean。　
　　As　for　Maurine；　George's　wife；　she　had　not　even　bothered　to　e　to　the　gathering；　but　had　gone　directly　from　the　rock　to　her　own　house；　where　she　would　already　be　engaged　at　sweeping　or　dusting　or　some　other　of　her　perpetual　and　beloved　tasks　of　housewifery。　Of　all　persons；　certainly　not　Maurine。　
　　Three　other　adults　also　were　not　present。　They　were　Mary；　Martha；　and　young　Jeanie；　who　were　married　to　the　three　boys。　Mary　had　always　seemed　to　Ish　the　most　stolid　of　all　his　children；　and　now　with　her　own　children　ing　so　fast；　she　grew　a　little　more　bovine；　yearly。　Martha　and　Jeanie　also　were　mothers；　and　motherhood　was　absorbing　them。　No；　none　of　these。　
　　Present　and　absent；　twelve　adults！　He　still　had　difficulty　in　realizing　that　there　was　no　vast　reservoir　of　humanity　from　which　to　draw。