the story of an african farm-第42章

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now　think　of　that　and　be　satisfied！　　What　would　you　do　without　it？〃



The　bitter　little　silvery　laugh；　so　seldom　heard；　rang　out　across　the

bushes。　　She　bit　her　little　teeth　together。



〃I　was　coming　up　in　Cobb　&　Co。's　the　other　day。　　At　a　little　wayside　hotel

we　had　to　change　the　large　coach　for　a　small　one。　　We　were　ten　passengers；

eight　men　and　two　women。　　As　I　sat　in　the　house　the　gentlemen　came　and

whispered　to　me；　'There　is　not　room　for　all　in　the　new　coach；　take　your

seat　quickly。'　　We　hurried　out；　and　they　gave　me　the　best　seat；　and　covered

me　with　rugs；　because　it　was　drizzling。　　Then　the　last　passenger　came

running　up　to　the　coachan　old　woman　with　a　wonderful　bonnet；　and　a　black

shawl　pinned　with　a　yellow　pin。



〃'There　is　no　room；'　they　said；　'you　must　wait　till　next　week's　coach　takes

you　up；'　but　she　climbed　on　to　the　step；　and　held　on　at　the　window　with

both　hands。



〃'My　son…in…law　is　ill；　and　I　must　go　and　see　him；'　she　said。



〃'My　good　woman；'　said　one；　'I　am　really　exceedingly　sorry　that　your　son…

in…law　is　ill；　but　there　is　absolutely　no　room　for　you　here。'



〃'You　had　better　get　down；'　said　another；　'or　the　wheel　will　catch　you。'



〃I　got　up　to　give　her　my　place。



〃'Oh；　no；　no！'　they　cried；　'we　will　not　allow　that。'



〃'I　will　rather　kneel；'　said　one；　and　he　crouched　down　at　my　feet；　so　the

woman　came　in。



〃There　were　nine　of　us　in　that　coach；　and　only　one　showed　chivalrous

attentionand　that　was　a　woman　to　a　woman。



〃I　shall　be　old　and　ugly；　too；　one　day；　and　I　shall　look　for　men's

chivalrous　help；　but　I　shall　not　find　it。



〃The　bees　are　very　attentive　to　the　flowers　till　their　honey　is　done；　and

then　they　fly　over　them。　　I　don't　know　if　the　flowers　feel　grateful　to　the

bees；　they　are　great　fools　if　they　do。〃



〃But　some　women；〃　said　Waldo；　speaking　as　though　the　words　forced

themselves　from　him　at　that　moment；　〃some　women　have　power。〃



She　lifted　her　beautiful　eyes　to　his　face。



〃Power！　　Did　you　ever　hear　of　men　being　asked　whether　other　souls　should

have　power　or　not？　　It　is　born　in　them。　　You　may　dam　up　the　fountain　of

water；　and　make　it　a　stagnant　marsh；　or　you　may　let　it　run　free　and　do　its

work；　but　you　cannot　say　whether　it　shall　be　there；　it　is　there。　　And　it

will　act；　if　not　openly　for　good；　then　covertly　for　evil；　but　it　will　act。

If　Goethe　had　been　stolen　away　a　child；　and　reared　in　a　robber　horde　in　the

depths　of　a　German　forest；　do　you　think　the　world　would　have　had　〃Faust〃

and　〃Iphegenie？〃　　But　he　would　have　been　Goethe　stillstronger；　wiser　than

his　fellows。　　At　night；　round　their　watch…fire；　he　would　have　chanted　wild

songs　of　rapine　and　murder；　till　the　dark　faces　about　him　were　moved　and

trembled。　　His　songs　would　have　echoed　on　from　father　to　son；　and　nerved

the　heart　and　armfor　evil。　　Do　you　think　if　Napoleon　had　been　born　a

woman　that　he　would　have　been　contented　to　give　small　tea…parties　and　talk

small　scandal？　　He　would　have　risen；　but　the　world　would　not　have　heard　of

him　as　it　hears　of　him　nowa　man　great　and　kingly　with　all　his　sins；　he

would　have　left　one　of　those　names　that　stain　the　leaf　of　every　history

the　names　of　women；　who；　having　power；　but　being　denied　the　right　to

exercise　it　openly；　rule　in　the　dark；　covertly；　and　by　stealth；　through　the

men　whose　passions　they　feed　on　and　by　whom　they　climb。



〃Power！〃　she　said；　suddenly；　smiting　her　little　hand　upon　the　rail。　　〃Yes；

we　have　power；　and　since　we　are　not　to　expend　it　in　tunnelling　mountains；

nor　healing　diseases；　nor　making　laws；　nor　money；　nor　on　any　extraneous

object；　we　expend　it　on　you。　　You　are　our　goods；　our　merchandise；　our

material　for　operating　on；　we　buy　you；　we　sell　you；　we　make　fools　of　you；

we　act　the　wily　old　Jew　with　you；　we　keep　six　of　you　crawling　to　our　little

feet；　and　praying　only　for　a　touch　of　our　little　hand；　and　they　say　truly；

there　was　never　an　ache　or　pain　or　broken　heart　but　a　woman　was　at　the

bottom　of　it。　　We　are　not　to　study　law；　nor　science；　nor　art；　so　we　study

you。　　There　is　never　a　nerve　or　fibre　in　a　man's　nature　but　we　know　it。　　We

keep　six　of　you　dancing　in　the　palm　of　one　little　hand；〃　she　said；

balancing　her　outstretched　arm　gracefully；　as　though　tiny　beings　disported

themselves　in　its　palm。　　〃There；　we　throw　you　away；　and　you　sink　to　the

devil；〃　she　said；　folding　her　arms　composedly。　　〃There　was　never　a　man　who

said　one　word　for　woman　but　he　said　two　for　man；　and　three　for　the　whole

human　race。〃



She　watched　the　bird　pecking　up　the　last　yellow　grains；　but　Waldo　looked

only　at　her。



When　she　spoke　again　it　was　very　measuredly。



〃They　bring　weighty　arguments　against　us　when　we　ask　for　the　perfect

freedom　of　women；〃　she　said；　〃but；　when　you　come　to　the　objections；　they

are　like　pumpkin　devils　with　candles　inside；　hollow；　and　can't　bite。　　They

say　that　women　do　not　wish　for　the　sphere　and　freedom　we　ask　for　them；　and

would　not　use　it！



〃If　the　bird　does　like　its　cage；　and　does　like　its　sugar　and　will　not　leave

it；　why　keep　the　door　so　very　carefully　shut？　　Why　not　open　it；　only　a

little？　　Do　they　know　there　is　many　a　bird　will　not　break　its　wings　against

the　bars；　but　would　fly　if　the　doors　were　open？〃　　She　knit　her　forehead　and

leaned　further　over　the　bars。



〃Then　they　say；　'If　the　women　have　the　liberty　you　ask　for；　they　will　be

found　in　positions　for　which　they　are　not　fitted！'　　If　two　men　climb　one

ladder；　did　you　ever　see　the　weakest　anywhere　but　at　the　foot？　　The　surest

sign　of　fitness　is　success。　　The　weakest　never　wins　but　where　there　is

handicapping。　　Nature；　left　to　herself；　will　as　beautifully　apportion　a

man's　work　to　his　capacities　as　long　ages　ago　she　graduated　the　colours　on

the　bird's　breast。　　If　we　are　not　fit；　you　give　us；　to　no　purpose；　the

right　to　labour；　the　work　will　fall　out　of　our　hands　into　those　that　are

wiser。〃



She　talked　more　rapidly　as　she　went　on；　as　one　talks　of　that　over　which

they　have　brooded　long；　and　which　lies　near　their　hearts。



Waldo　watched　her　intently。



〃They　say　women　have　one　great　and　noble　work　left　them；　and　they　do　it

ill。　　That　is　true；　they　do　it　execrably。　　It　is　the　work　that　demands　the

broadest　culture；　and　they　have　not　even　the　narrowest。　　The　lawyer　may　see

no　deeper　than　his　law…books；　and　the　chemist　see　no　further　than　the

windows　of　his　laboratory；　and　they　may　do　their　work　well。　　But　the　woman

who　does　woman's　work　needs　a　many…sided；　multiform　culture；　the　heights

and　depths　of　human　life　must　not　be　beyond　the　reach　of　her　vision；　she

must　have　knowledge　of　men　and　things　in　many　states；　a　wide　catholicity　of

sympathy；　the　strength　that　springs　from　knowledge；　and　the　magnanimity

which　springs　from　strength。　　We　bear　the　world；　and　we　make　it。　　The　souls

of　little　children　are　marvellously　delicate　and　tender　things；　and　keep

forever　the　shadow　that　first　falls　on　them；　and　that　is　the　mother's　or　at

best　a　woman's。　　There　was　never　a　great　man　who　had　not　a　great　motherit

is　hardly　an　exaggeration。　　The　first　six　years　of　our　life　make　us；　all

that　is　added　later　is　veneer；　and　yet　some　say；　if　a　woman　can　cook　a

dinner　or　dress　herself　well　she　has　culture　enough。



〃The　mightiest　and　noblest　of　human　work　is　given　to　us；　and　we　do　it　ill。

Send　a　navvie　to　work　into　an　artist's　studio；　and　see　what　you　will　find

there！　　And　yet；　thank　God；　we　have　this　work；〃　she　added；　quickly〃it　is

the　one　window　through　which　we　see　into　the　great　world　of　earnest　labour。

The　meanest　girl　who　dances　and　dresses　becomes　something　higher　when　her

children　look　up　into　her　face　and　ask　her　questions。　　It　is　the　only

education　we　have　and　which　they　cannot　take　from　us。〃



She　smiled　slightly。　　〃They　say　that　we　complain　of　woman's　being　compelled

to　look　upon　marriage　as　a　profession；　but　that　she　is　free　to　enter　upon

it　or　leave　it；　as　she　pleases。



〃Yesand　a　cat　set　afloat　in　a　pond　is　free　to　sit　in　the　tub　till　it　dies