the canterbury pilgrims-第3章

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blessing　on　the　sweat　of　my　brow；　so　that　we　might　be　decent　and

comfortable；　and　have　daily　bread　for　ourselves；　and　for　some

other　little　mouths　that　we　soon　had　to　feed。　We　had　no　very

great　prospects　before　us；　but　I　never　wanted　to　be　idle；　and　I

thought　it　a　matter　of　course　that　the　Lord　would　help　me；

because　I　was　willing　to　help　myself。〃



〃And　didn't　He　help　thee；　friend？〃　demanded　Josiah；　with　some

eagerness。



〃No；〃　said　the　yeoman；　sullenly；　〃for　then　you　would　not　have

seen　me　here。　I　have　labored　hard　for　years；　and　my　means　have

been　growing　narrower；　and　my　living　poorer；　and　my　heart　colder

and　heavier；　all　the　time；　till　at　last　I　could　bear　it　no

longer。　I　set　myself　down　to　calculate　whether　I　had　best　go　on

the　Oregon　expedition；　or　come　here　to　the　Shaker　village；　but　I

had　not　hope　enough　left　in　me　to　begin　the　world　over　again；

and；　to　make　my　story　short；　here　I　am。　And　now；　youngster；　take

my　advice；　and　turn　back；　or　else；　some　few　years　hence；　you'll

have　to　climb　this　hill；　with　as　heavy　a　heart　as　mine。〃



This　simple　story　had　a　strong　effect　on　the　young　fugitives。　The

misfortunes　of　the　poet　and　merchant　had　won　little　sympathy　from

their　plain　good　sense　and　unworldly　feelings；　qualities　which

made　them　such　unprejudiced　and　inflexible　judges；　that　few　men

would　have　chosen　to　take　the　opinion　of　this　youth　and　maiden　as

to　the　wisdom　or　folly　of　their　pursuits。　But　here　was　one　whose

simple　wishes　had　resembled　their　own；　and　who；　after　efforts

which　almost　gave　him　a　right　to　claim　success　from　fate；　had

failed　in　accomplishing　them。



〃But　thy　wife；　friend？〃　exclaimed　the　younger　man。　〃What　became

of　the　pretty　girl；　like　Miriam？　Oh；　I　am　afraid　she　is　dead！〃



〃Yea；　poor　man；　she　must　be　dead；she　and　the　children；　too；〃

sobbed　Miriam。



The　female　pilgrim　had　been　leaning　over　the　spring；　wherein

latterly　a　tear　or　two　might　have　been　seen　to　fall；　and　form　its

little　circle　on　the　surface　of　the　water。　She　now　looked　up；

disclosing　features　still　comely；　but　which　had　acquired　an

expression　of　fretfulness；　in　the　same　long　course　of　evil

fortune　that　had　thrown　a　sullen　gloom　over　the　temper　of　the

unprosperous　yeoman。



〃I　am　his　wife；〃　said　she；　a　shade　of　irritability　just

perceptible　in　the　sadness　of　her　tone。　〃These　poor　little

things；　asleep　on　the　ground；　are　two　of　our　children。　We　had　two

more；　but　God　has　provided　better　for　them　than　we　could；　by

taking　them　to　Himself。〃



〃And　what　would　thee　advise　Josiah　and　me　to　do？〃　asked　Miriam；

this　being　the　first　question　which　she　had　put　to　either　of　the

strangers。



〃　'Tis　a　thing　almost　against　nature　for　a　woman　to　try　to　part

true　lovers；〃　answered　the　yeoman's　wife；　after　a　pause；　〃but

I'll　speak　as　truly　to　you　as　if　these　were　my　dying　words。

Though　my　husband　told　you　some　of　our　troubles；　he　didn't

mention　the　greatest；　and　that　which　makes　all　the　rest　so　hard

to　bear。　If　you　and　your　sweetheart　marry；　you'll　be　kind　and

pleasant　to　each　other　for　a　year　or　two；　and　while　that's　the

case；　you　never　will　repent；　but；　by　and　by；　he'll　grow　gloomy；

rough；　and　hard　to　please；　and　you'll　be　peevish；　and　full　of

little　angry　fits；　and　apt　to　be　complaining　by　the　fireside；

when　he　comes　to　rest　himself　from　his　troubles　out　of　doors；　so

your　love　will　wear　away　by　little　and　little；　and　leave　you

miserable　at　last。　It　has　been　so　with　us；　and　yet　my　husband　and

I　were　true　lovers　once；　if　ever　two　young　folks　were　。〃



As　she　ceased；　the　yeoman　and　his　wife　exchanged　a　glance；　in

which　there　was　more　and　warmer　affection　than　they　had　supposed

to　have　escaped　the　frost　of　a　wintry　fate；　in　either　of　their

breasts。　At　that　moment；　when　they　stood　on　the　utmost　verge　of

married　life；　one　word　fitly　spoken；　or　perhaps　one　peculiar

look；　had　they　had　mutual　confidence　enough　to　reciprocate　it；

might　have　renewed　all　their　old　feelings；　and　sent　them　back；

resolved　to　sustain　each　other　amid　the　struggles　of　the　world。

But　the　crisis　passed　and　never　came　again。　Just　then；　also；　the

children；　roused　by　their　mother's　voice；　looked　up；　and　added

their　wailing　accents　to　the　testimony　borne　by　all　the

Canterbury　pilgrims　against　the　world　from　which　they　fled。



〃We　are　tired　and　hungry！〃　cried　they。　〃Is　it　far　to　the　Shaker

village？〃



The　Shaker　youth　and　maiden　looked　mournfully　into　each　other's

eyes。　They　had　but　stepped　across　the　threshold　of　their　homes；

when　lo！　the　dark　array　of　cares　and　sorrows　that　rose　up　to　warn

them　back。　The　varied　narratives　of　the　strangers　had　arranged

themselves　into　a　parable；　they　seemed　not　merely　instances　of

woful　fate　that　had　befallen　others；　but　shadowy　omens　of

disappointed　hope　and　unavailing　toil；　domestic　grief　and

estranged　affection；　that　would　cloud　the　onward　path　of　these

poor　fugitives。　But　after　one　instant's　hesitation；　they　opened

their　arms；　and　sealed　their　resolve　with　as　pure　and　fond　an

embrace　as　ever　youthful　love　had　hallowed。



〃We　will　not　go　back；〃　said　they。　〃The　world　never　can　be　dark　to

us；　for　we　will　always　love　one　another。〃



Then　the　Canterbury　pilgrims　went　up　the　hill；　while　the　poet

chanted　a　drear　and　desperate　stanza　of　the　Farewell　to　his　Harp；

fitting　music　for　that　melancholy　band。　They　sought　a　home　where

all　former　ties　of　nature　or　society　would　be　sundered；　and　all

old　distinctions　levelled；　and　a　cold　and　passionless　security　be

substituted　for　mortal　hope　and　fear；　as　in　that　other　refuge　of

the　world's　weary　outcasts；　the　grave。　The　lovers　drank　at　the

Shaker　spring；　and　then；　with　chastened　hopes；　but　more　confiding

affections；　went　on　to　mingle　in　an　untried　life。