a new england girlhood-第18章

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he　rusty　lock　soon　yielded；　and　how　good　it　was　to　look　into　those　two　beloved　human　faces　once　more！　But　we　little　girls　were　not　invited　to　join　my　brother　again　when　he　tolled　the　bell：　if　we　had　been；　I　think　we　should　have　promptly　declined　the　invitation。

Many　of　my　childish　misadventures　came　to　me　in　connection　with　my　little　sister；　who；　having　been　much　indulged；　too　it　for　granted　that　she　could　always　have　what　she　wanted。

One　day　we　two　were　allowed　to　take　a　walk　together；　I；　as　the　older；　being　supposed　to　take　care　of　her。　Although　we　were　going　towards　the　Cove；　over　a　secluded　road；　she　insisted　upon　wearing　a　brand…new　pair　of　red　morocco　boots。　All　went　well　until　we　came　to　a　bog　by　the　roadside；　where　sweet…flag　and　cat…tails　grew。　Out　in　the　middle　of　the　bog；　where　no　venturesome　boy　had　ever　attempted　their　seizure；　there　were　many　tall；　fine…looking　brown　cat…tails　growing。　She　caught　sight　of　them；　and　before　I　saw　what　she　was　doing；　she　had　shot　from　my　side　like　an　arrow　from　the　bow；　and　was　far　out　on　the　black；　quaking　surface；　that　at　first　upheld　her　light　weight。　I　stood　petrified　with　horror。　I　knew　all　about　that　dangerous　place。　I　had　been　told　that　nobody　had　ever　found　out　how　deep　that　mud　was。　I　was　uttered　just　one　imploring　〃Come　back！〃　when　she　turned　to　me　with　a　shriek；　throwing　up　her　arms　towards　me。　She　was　sinking！　There　was　nobody　in　sight；　and　there　was　no　time　to　think。　I　ran；　or　rather　flew；　across　the　bog；　with　just　one　thought　in　my　mind；　〃I　have　got　to　get　her　out！〃　Some　angel　must　have　prevented　me　from　making　a　misstep；　and　sinking　with　her。　I　felt　the　power　of　a　giant　suddenly　taking　possession　of　my　small　frame。　Quicker　than　I　could　tell　of　it；　I　had　given　one　tremendous　pull　（she　had　already　sunk　above　her　boot…tops）；　and　had　dragged　her　back　to　the　road。　It　is　a　marvel　to　me　now　how　I　a　child　of　scarcely　six　yearssucceeded　in　rescuing　her。　It　did　not　seem　to　me　as　if　I　were　doing　it　myself；　but　as　if　some　unseen　Power　had　taken　possession　of　me　for　a　moment；　and　made　me　do　it。　And　I　suppose　that　when　we　act　from　a　sudden　impulse　to　help　another　out　of　trouble；　it　never　is　ourself　that　does　the　good　deed。　The　Highest　Strength　just　takes　us　and　uses　us。　I　certainly　felt　equal　to　going　straight　through　the　earth　to　China　after　my　little　sister；　if　she　had　stink　out　of　sight。

We　were　two　miserable　looking　children　when　we　reached　home；　the　sticky　ooze　having　changed　her　feet　into　unmanageable　lumps　of　mud；　with　which　my　own　clothes　also　were　soiled。　I　had　to　drag　or　carry　her　all　the　way；　for　she　could　not　or　would　not　walk　a　step。　And　alas　for　the　morocco　boots！　They　were　never　again　red。　I　also　received　a　scolding　for　not　taking　better　care　of　my　little　sister；　and　I　was　not　very　soon　allowed　again　to　have　her　company　in　my　rambles。

We　usually　joined　with　other　little　neighbor　girls　in　some　out…　of…door　amusement　near　home。　And　our　sports；　as　well　as　our　books；　had　a　spice　of　Merry　Old　England。　They　were　full　of　kings　and　queens；　and　made　sharp　contrasts；　as　well　as　odd　mixtures；　with　the　homeliness　of　our　everyday　life。

One　of　them；　a　sort　of　rhymed　dialogue；　began　with　the　couplet：

〃Queen　Anne；　Queen　Anne；　she　sits　in　the　sun；　As　fair　as　a　lady；　as　white　as　a　nun。〃

If　〃Queen　Anne〃　did　not　give　a　right　guess　as　to　which　hand　of　the　messenger　held　the　king's　letter　to　her；　she　was　contempt…　uously　informed　that　she　was

〃as　brown　as　a　bun。〃

In　another　name；　four　little　girls　joined　hands　across；　in　couples；　chanting：

〃I　wish　my　father　were　a　king；　I　wish　my　mother　were　a　queen；　And　I　a　little　companion！〃

concluding　with　a　close　embrace　in　a　dizzying　whirl；　breathlessly　shouting　all　together；

〃A　bundle　of　fagots！　A　bundle　of　fagots！〃

In　a　third；　which　may　have　begun　with　a　juvenile　reacting　of　the　Colonial　struggle　for　liberty；　we　ranged　ourselves　under　two　leaders；　who　made　an　archway　over　our　heads　of　their　lifted　hands　and　arms；　saying；　as　we　passed　beneath；

〃Lift　up　the　gates　as　high　as　the　sky；　And　let　King　George　and　his　army　pass　by！〃

We　were　told　to　whisper　〃Oranges〃　or　〃Lemons〃　for　a　pass…word；　and　〃Oranges〃　always　won　the　larger　enlistment；　whether　British　or　American。

And　then　there　was　〃Grandmother　Gray；〃　and　the

〃Old　woman　from　Newfoundland；　With　all　her　children　in　her　hand；〃　and　the

〃Knight　from　Spain　Inquiring　for　your　daughter　Jane；〃

and　numberless　others；　nearly　all　of　them　bearing　a　distinct　Old　World　flavor。　One　of　our　play…places　was　an　unoccupied　end　of　the　burying…ground；　overhung　by　the　Colonel's　apple…trees　and　close　under　his　wall；　so　that　we　should　not　be　too　near　the　grave…stones。

I　do　not　think　that　death　was　at　all　a　real　thing　to　me　or　to　my　brothers　and　sisters　at　this　time。　We　lived　so　near　the　grave…　yard　that　it　seemed　merely　the　extension　of　our　garden。　We　wandered　there　at　will；　trying　to　decipher　the　moss…grown　inscriptions；　and　wondering　at　the　homely　carvings　of　cross…bones　and　cherubs　and　willow…trees　on　the　gray　slate…stones。　I　did　not　associate　those　long　green　mounds　with　people　who　had　once　lived；　though　we　were　careful；　having　been　so　instructed；　not　to　step　on　the　graves。　To　ramble　about　there　and　puzzle　ourselves　with　the　names　and　dates；　was　like　turning　over　the　pages　of　a　curious　old　book。　We　had　not　the　least　feeling　of　irreverence　in　taking　the　edge　of　the　grave…yard　for　our　playground。　It　was　known　as　〃the　old　burying…ground〃；　and　we　children　regarded　it　with　a　sort　of　affectionate　freedom；　as　we　would　a　grandmother；　because　it　was　old。

That；　indeed；　was　one　peculiar　attraction　of　the　town　itself；　it　was　old；　and　it　seemed　old；　much　older　than　it　does　now。　There　was　only　one　main　street；　said　to　have　been　the　first　settlers'　cowpath　to　Wenham；　which　might　account　for　its　zigzag　picturesqueness。　All　the　rest　were　courts　or　lanes。

The　town　used　to　wear　a　delightful　air　of　drowsiness；　as　if　she　had　stretched　herself　out　for　an　afternoon　nap；　with　her　head　towards　her　old　mother；　Salem；　and　her　whole　length　reclining　towards　the　sea；　till　she　felt　at　her　feet；　through　her　green　robes；　the　clip　of　the　deep　water　at　the　Farms。　All　her　elder　children　recognized　in　her　quiet　steady…going　ways　a　maternal　unity　and　strength　of　character；　as　of　a　town　that　understood　her　own　plans；　and　had　settled　down　to　peaceful；　permanent　habits。Her　spirit　was　that　of　most　of　our　Massachusetts　coast…towns。　　They　were　transplanted　shoots　of　Old　England。　And　it　was　the　voice　of　a　mother…country　more　ancient　than　their　own；　that　little　children　heard　crooning　across　the　sea　in　their　cradle…hymns　and　nursery…songs。

VI。　GLIMPSES　OF　POETRY。

OUR　close　relationship　to　Old　England　was　sometimes　a　little　misleading　to　us　juveniles。　The　conditions　of　our　life　were　entirely　different；　but　we　read　her　descriptive　stories　and　sang　her　songs　as　if　they　were　true　for　us；　too。　One　of　the　first　things　I　learned　to　repeatI　think　it　was　in　the　spelling…book　began　with　the　verse：

〃I　thank　the　goodness　and　the　grace　That　on　my　birth　has　smiled；　And　made　me；　in　these　latter　days；　A　happy　English　child。〃

And　some　lines　of　a　very　familiar　hymn　by　Dr。　Watts　ran　thus：

〃Whene'er　I　take　my　walks　abroad；　How　many　poor　I　see。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。

〃How　many　children　in　the　street　Half　naked　I　behold；　While　I　am　clothed　from　head　to　feet；　And　sheltered　from　the　cold。〃

Now　a　ragged；　half…clothed　child；　or　one　that　could　really　be　called　poor；　in　the　extreme　sense　of　the　word；　was　the　rarest　of　all　sights　in　a　thrifty　New　England　town　fifty　years　ago。　I　used　to　look　sharply　for　those　children；　but　I　never　could　see　one。　And　a　beggar！　Oh；　if　a　real　beggar　would　come　along；　like　the　one　described　in

〃Pity　the　sorrows　of　a　poor　old　man；〃

what　a　wonderful　event　that　would　be！　I　believe　I　had　more　curiosity　about　a　beggar；　and　more　ignorance；　too；　than　about　a　king。　The　poem　read：

〃A　pampered　menial　drove　me　from　the　door。〃

What　sort　of　creature　could　a　〃pampered　menial〃　be？　　Nothing　that　had　ever　come　under　our　observation　corresponded　to　the　words。　Nor　was　it　easy　for　us　to　attach　any　meaning　to　the　word　〃servant。〃　There　were　women　who　came　in　occasionally　to　do　the　washing；　or　to　he